Careers360 Sept09

contents cover STORY

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1.71 lakh jobs in government and public sector

+ Sectoral analysis of 14 major recruitment areas

Education

Banking

Health

Agriculture

Security

Specialists

Engineering

Support Staff

Finance & Accounts Service Engineering

Science & Technology

Administration

From messengers to managers, from office assistants to managing directors, positions are available for all those eligible and for every conceivable qualification Others

Office Support

careers and courses

66 first person

Animation Industry

D.Purandeswari

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From Mickey Mouse to Stuart Little, animation characters are legendary. Read on to learn how to become an expert, creating tomorrow’s Tom & Jerry

Psychology 

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Though it won’t make you a mind reader, the discipline offers diverse career opportunities. A thorough review of the area and critical skill sets required to emerge as a good professional and more

“Encouraging research is important for us. We are spending about 0.3% of our GDP on research while developed countries spend between 2-3%”

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Nanotechnology The cutting edge research area is pregnant with possibilities. An overview of the area, best colleges and specialisations on offer

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careers360 September 2009 l Volume I l Issue 6

Publisher Maheshwer Peri

CEO SPEAK Chanda Kochhar

Editor B Mahesh Sarma

Shekhar Gupta

“ICICI has over many years been successful in not losing the people we want to retain”

“Right now the media covers only on politics of education & policies”

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advisory Multitask and save your job

Probationary officer is a gateway to a great banking career. Here is how to get it right

Cracking US Admissions  A step-by-step guide to help you connect with the right US university for an MA/PhD

Dressing up for an interview The nuts and bolts of putting your best foot forward

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Jr Visualiser Thomas Mampilly

Research Dr. Nimesh Chandra Bharti M Borah Priya Naik Shiphony Pavithran

Letters

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In the News

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Motivation

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Acres of diamonds

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Teachers’ Talk 

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Book Review Assessing your career

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Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

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Charles Wallace India Trust

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Ask Us Career Guidance

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Ready Reckoner

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Up Close

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Rahul Dravid

EXTRA

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Head Office

Scholarship Review 

For many frontline executives, the best way to get a quantum career jump is to go back to B-schools for a full-time programme

The Librarians

Sr Visualiser Rajesh Chawla

Campus Review 

Is coaching the only way to enter the hallowed portals of an IIM? Read on to find out both sides of the argument

Executive Education

Art Director Anshul Sharma

Regulation but not control

FEATURES CAT Coaching

Design

regulars

As firms get obsessed with costs, it is your ability to do whatever is essential that becomes a crucial attribute to survive and grow

Cracking Bank PO

Special Correspondents Urmila Rao Sumita Vaid Dixit Shalini Gupta

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competition360

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September 2009

More than 30 pages of current affairs, in depth notes on issues and solved papers ....

Data Speak 93

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Four IIM graduates find that helping people to read the right books is a good business proposition

Global Warming 94

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CDSE Model Paper careers 360 september 2009 Solved 100

International 96

Politics 96

Business and Finance 97

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Cover Design Anshul Sharma

Letters As per Government of Tamil Nadu order, since Annamalai University is recognized by the UGC the degrees awarded by it are automatically recognized by the Government. Now my understanding is that UGC has disqualified the PG Law offered under Open University system. The Supreme Court should first analyse the side effects and give a remedy to the students who have completed the PG under Open University. Will the Chief Justice and Education Department come forward? Ramachandran on web

I am a B.Tech Graduate interested in making a career in sports administration and management. The article on sports management in the August issue had definitely made an impact on me. With cricket dominating the Indian market and the rise of many IPL teams, will an MBA in sports management offer me a good career in the cricket industry? Mathew Kurian on web

In the article ‘Cracking Civil Services Mains,’ I found the author exaggerating the weight of the examination - `like doing three PhDs at the same time...” Please go through the papers and compare them with the 12th Class NCERT books - be it Prelims or the Mains. You will find the standards matching. To be fair, we must say that BA (Hon) is the level. To say it is equal to three PhDs is nothing but magnifying the role of the coaching centres. Veeru on web

I have been reading Prakash Iyer’s articles from backissues. I must say these articles change the mindset we have towards life. These self-

extra 24 pAGe CompetItIoN360 - exAm speCIAl

careers 360 August 2009

by those people who think there is no career in the field of fashion designing.

KApIl sIbAl Minister, hrD

Rs 40

eXcLusive

a careers360 - GfK mode

First ever cAreer ‘sAtisFAction’ survey

They

exeCutIve eduCAtIoN

Bitter stories of how a few institutions used an indifferent system to play with students’ lives

50 bEsT ManagEMEnT DEvElOpMEnT prOgraMMEs

CRACKING n n

INvestIGAtIoN

‘Civils’ Mains ExaM nDa ExaMinaTiOn

iCFai- avOiD Till ThEy COME ClEan

AdvIsoRy

CAReeR RevIeW

sTuDying in ausTralia: priMEr hOw TO gET a uK visa

law n b.pharM n

up close viswanathan anand

Monica Krishna on web

Competition360 is an apt addition

ruined my career

campus review symbiosis university

Also Jadavpur university

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scholarships daad fellowships

coping with failure

Aug cover-F.indd 1

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teachers’ talk prof. bala balachandran

amateur astronomy 7/27/09 5:03:38 PM

We are grateful for the newly introduced supplement called Competition 360, an absolute helping hand for those preparing for competitive exams. I would like to give some suggestions to the editorial board of this supplement.It should have a separate page highlighting the examinations to be held in the coming month. It can also have a separate section on how to handle a particular exam within the supplement, so that the students get a ready-made picture. You could also think of giving a calendar of important examinations that are held every year. The write-ups are good, but reduce their length and increase the number. Sakshi, Bogal improvement techniques really rock. Offering you my whole hearted compliment. Sumanth on web

These so-called B-schools should not be considered as educational institutions, rather they are enterprises or business houses. The reality is that managers are not made or created by giving them merely a degree. To become a successful manager you need to have vast experience in the industry and must have successfully faced all sorts of odds in the business cycle. To be a successful manager one doesn’t require any degree or diploma but just experience and skills to understand the limitations and the capabilities and work towards his one and only goal, that is, the consistent growth of his organization.

Prakash Iyer’s is a nice article. It teaches us to always fight for your belief and not give up on your life. Niraj on web

The article on fashion is a nice article to encourage those who are discouraged

Gautam Sharma on web

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Good job by careers360 team. I am a graduate of Unani system in medicine. The college I studied got permission as Unani medicine college and is affiliated to CCIM(Central Council of Indian Medicine) and not MCI. Their curriculum is of Unani system of medicine but their pass out students are forced to work in small nursing homes as assistants to consultant doctors on not-so-good salaries. I am also a victim of this institute. What they promise is a medical degree but as per 1961 Medical Council Act only MBBS degree holders are medical doctors. In 1996 the Supreme Court passed a judgment in a similar case and stopped all graduates of alternative medicine from using allopathic medicine in their practice. But these institutes are hiding these facts from their students and continue to charge money from parents as donation at the time of admission. Zainul Abideen on web

ON SATISFACTION SURVEY “My li fe’s ruined”

Cover Story Cover Story

When students take admissions thinking they are now starting a new life little do many of them know that there’s only despair along the way

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by Sumita Vaid Dixit

eeta Ahuja breaks down just as she settles in the sofa chair. “I am tired.” She folds her hands and looks up at the ceiling of her rented accommodation, “I just want to be able to clear my exams and end the years of misery.” Neeta is a final year management student in a Delhi institute. She had come from Kanpur with big dreams. Bit by bit the sweetness of her dreams turned sour. She had never imagined her life would change in this manner when two years back she had excitedly torn open an envelope to find an admission offer letter in it. Having lived in Kanpur she had little idea of Delhi and “I had no reason to disbelieve anybody,” she says. When she first saw the institute’s building she was disappointed. “It looked like a house with a library and some rooms in it.” There were doubts about the institute’s reputation but the management assured her father that he didn’t have to worry about his daughter’s safety; she was now the institute’s responsibility.

“When you come from a small city you look for assurances. And my father was concerned about safety.” Now when she looks back there’s only bitterness in her words. “They actually fooled my father with their glib talk.” The course fee was Rs. 2 lakhs which Neeta’s father paid by taking an education loan from Allahabad Bank. “My father’s a government employee,” she adds to explain her father’s financial position. This fee amount was to be disbursed in equal amounts of Rs. 25,000 every quarter for two years. Though disillusionment had set in within six months of her admission, what caused her more despair was the harassment by the management over the college fees. Some months back the institute told her that she had not paid up her full fee and asked her for the fee record. Since the fee installments were coming straight from the bank she told the management that they should have the record. When her father hurriedly came from Kanpur to clarify the matter the institute said the fee had gone up from Rs. 2 lakhs

“Institutes take advantage of our gullibility

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Indian children are knowledgeable but that comes very late compared to the first impression which is pathetic. Our teachers are paid pathetically. To add insult to

September 2009

injury, they are overloaded with work. They are not respected even by children now-a-days. Our colleges are run on capitation fees and employ lecturers without hands-on experience. How can they teach? No importance is given to research in core engineering/science and not much institute-industry collaboration is going on. How can the system be good? Merryl Steep on web

careers NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS

NEW COURSES

EVENTS

Delhi Technological University into water management

IIM, Indore announces management programme for managers Indian Institute of Management, Indore announced a 12-week intensive programme on management, especially for middle level managers, officers and entrepreneurs. It would give an overview of the latest concepts and theories in management. The programme would be conducted from October 26, 2009 to January 16, 2010. For details of the programme visit www.iimidr.ac.in

IIFT - Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business

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ater purification, water management and water recycling are set to be overhauled by the Water Resource Management Centre set up at Delhi Technological University (DTU). DTU vice-chancellor P B Sharma stated that the centre will offer postgraduate and research programmes in water resource technology and management. The centre will work in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) along with tie ups with department of civil engineering at DTU, focusing broadly on low-cost water re-cycling, re-use and water treatment technologies, promoting awareness among the masses to conserve water, and research on water resource management and issues related to water security. Sharma stated that the centre would operate in collaboration with major universities and institutes in India and abroad, “The focus is on the impact of climate change on depletion of water resources.”

Rural jobs website by monster.com and ITC

International faculty at Sharda University

Monster.com and ITC Ltd will together launch a website aimed at addressing the rural job market called rozgarduniya.com. Rural job seekers would gain access thorough e-choupal, internet-enabled rural initiative that has been introduced by ITC. Hindi and English will the languages available at the moment. Other languages will be introduced later. Sanjay Modi, Managing Director of monster.com hopes, “Rural India has a huge untapped talent pool and rozgarduniya.com will provide a platform to bridge the demand and supply gap.”

Noida-based Sharda University claims to have brought sixteen residential international faculty on board from Greece, UK, USA and France to teach and lead research projects. PK Gupta, Chancellor, Sharda University, stated, “Students can have access to a pool of experts from across the world who will bring them new and fun ways of learning through a hybrid system of western education.” The university will operate on a credit-based education system, with flexibility in opting from 30-odd subjects across disciplines.

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Applications are invited from working executives for admission to EPGDIB (Executive Post Graduate Diploma in International Business) 2009-10. The course is meant for graduates/PG with 5 or 3 years of work experience respectively. Duration of the course is trimesters spread over 12 months. There will be campus interaction of 3-6 days in the beginning of each trimester. The programme is available in 91 cities through HughesNet Global Education centres. For further details www.hnge.in

Notifications Notifications NIFT - Part-time Programmes in Design Management and Technology PT-PGPM part-time at MDI Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - PhD/MSc MSME-Programme in Chemical Analysis Tata Institute of Fundamental Research - PhD/MSc National Productivity Council PG Certificate Programmes Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences - Dr KS Krishnan Research Fellowships only on

www.careers360.com

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CAMPUS NEWS

Warwick offers blended learning

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arwick Business School is set to offer a blended learning process in its Master’s in Management programme from April 2010. Already offering a one-year preexperience Master’s degree for students wanting to learn business before entering the job market, the new degree would be an option for graduates who are unable to get a job after completing their studies. Students with degrees from non-business disciplines ranging from philosophy to physics can opt for the course. The programme would be available to people around the world as no residential modules

Blunder-free CV required TeamLease Services, India’s largest staffing company conducted a study of ‘CV Blunders.’ More than 500 résumés were evaluated at different levels, job profiles and industries spanning the month of July 2009. Results showed that 90% of CV’s had some kind of error such as grammatical, spelling or typo. Surabhi Mathur, General Manager, Permanent Staffing, TeamLease Services stated, “Candidates today are trying to make their résumés different and impressive, so that they stand out. In the process, they end up making major blunders. It is often funny, but the situation is sad.” Candidates need to realize that CV’s are there to make a good first impression.

NEW COURSES

EVENTS

IGNOU Programme on Sustainability Sciences Admission is on for the Appreciation Programme on Sustainability Science for October 2009 session. The programme is of one month duration and will be conducted online. The objective of the programme is to provide theoretical foundations and practical strategies. Last date for submission of application is 20-09-2009.

ISRO Openings

are required. The cost of the programme is a minimum of £4,500 a year, for details visit www.wbs.ac.uk.

Earn while you learn for ITI students Delhi Cabinet has approved the scheme “Earn while you learn” where Industrial Training Institute (ITI) students would help maintain government buildings. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit is hopeful that the student involvement will provide effective and timely maintenance. Under the collaboration of Delhi Knowledge Development Foundation and Delhi Skills Mission, quality and cost effectiveness will be ensured. Students from ITI Dheerpur, Arab Ki Sarai, Mayur Vihar, Jail Road and Pusa would participate, undertaking civil works such as carpentry, plumbing, painting, welding, steel fabrication and electrical works.

Indian Space Research Organisation invites applications for a range of positions at Scientists/ Engineers/ Research fellow levels. Applications will be received only online. For details and application format visit www.isac.gov.in. Online registration is open on the above wesite till 07.09.2009

Post Doctoral Fellowship Courses at CMC,Vellore

CMC invites applications for the Post Doctoral Fellowship Courses 2009 Maxillofacila surgery. Only MDS in oral and maxillofacial surgery from an Indian university recognized by the DCI can apply. Last date is 15-09-2009

Job Alerts Job Alerts Indian Air Force - Permanent/SSC officers in technical branches Copy Editors/Proof Readers Archaeological Survey of India 300 Medical and paramedical jobs in Army Medical Corps Indian Army - SSC Course for Women Law Graduates

ESI Corporation to set up affordable medical colleges

Combined Administrative Services Examination - CSIR

ESI Corporation has proposed to change the fee structure in the 10 medical colleges it is planning. Undergraduate medical students would be charged Rs. 24,000 per year. A bond of five years would have to be signed by the graduates, an exchange for the inexpensive fees offered. The entire cost would be recovered from those who leave during the bond period. With 130 affordable government colleges available and 136 private colleges that charge hefty fees, many students would be able to fulfil their desire to get an MBBS degree from these colleges. ESI has hospitals in all states and plans to have functional super speciality treatment available in all the colleges, making jobs and treatment accessible to many.

The Indian Navy is recruiting engineers

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National Academy of Agricultural Research Management - Research Fellowship only on

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NEW COURSES

EVENTS

Edexcel eyes education system T here is a growing concern, among countries, including India that the education system is failing to develop an adequately skilled workforce to meet the demands of the workplace. A research done by Edexcel and Pearson Education in 25 countries states that there is a remarkable mismatch between what is being taught in schools and colleges and what the skills businesses are looking for in new recruits. The study titled ‘Effective Education for Employment’ with a particular focus on India states that the low profile of professional education in India has led to a dearth of certified talent for Indian employers. Despite ‘promising initiatives like the National Skills Development Mission (NSDM), challenges shape up in the sheer magnitude of task,’ highlights the report. Says Claire Stuart, International Marketing Manager, Edexcel, “There is a complete disconnect between education and business.” The report also underlines other issues that need redressal like lack of soft-skills, creativity to supplement cognitive skills and development of adaptive abilities. “Employers are now looking for rounded individuals and not

ones who just have academic capabilities,” says Stuart. “The right attitude, leadership ability, team work and creativity are other key areas that employers look at,” she added.

GMAT test takers are on the upswing outside US

ITI’s role in skill development

GMAC, originator of the GMAT test in their recent research have indicated a rise in popularity of the test in students residing outside the US. Dave Wilson, president of GMAC stated that China, Germany, Switzerland and the UK have seen the highest growth. India on the other hand found a 28% drop while South Korea dropped by 30%. Wilson believes currency fluctuation is the main reason behind the drop. For more details refer to www.gmac.com.

One of the areas where our economy needs a substantial level of catching up is the skills development turf. Expressing her concern on the paucity of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI’s), Planning Commission secretary Sudha Pillai said, there are 3,600 blocks in the country where there are no government institutes, funding, or a mechanism to provide industrial training. “ We have to achieve the target of providing industrial training to over 50 crore people by 2022,” Pillai said. She invited suggestions and feedback from industry to improve the Skill Development Policy. Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Labour and Employment invited the private sector to participate in the government’s initiative. “Of the 1,500 ITI’s and 500,000 skill development centres envisaged by the government, the XIth plan has initiated action to set up 1,500 ITI’s and 5,000 such skill development centres under public-private partnership model.”

IIT’s metro and remote initiative IIT Delhi has begun its diploma programme in Metro rail transport technology and management, sponsored by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to first batch of 22 students. Another initiative by IIT-D is remote classroom in four engineering disciplines to students of Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia at the postgraduation level. It has set up two delivery rooms equipped with video-conferencing facilities to serve as the venue.

Custom-made courses on the upswing

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XLRI Jamshedpur is the latest to join the bandwagon. It has launched a programme tailor-made to serve the needs expressed by Accenture India. A new course was started in human capital management, a 15-month certificate course catering to the company’s needs. Bhavan’s Centre for Inter-Disciplinary Studies in Mumbai, offers programmes run by companies such as ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd and Tata Capital Ltd. Academic tie-ups are now experiencing an upward trend.

International Medical Center at IIT IIT Kharagpur has signed an initial agreement with the University of California, San Diego Health Sciences to develop an International Medical Center (IMC). The plan includes a medical center, a 300bed facility and also a research and development centre for training health care providers. Students would be able to earn Bachelor’s, Master’s, doctorates and postdoctorate degrees from IMC.

WatchoutFor ! Research Fellowships in USA The East-West Center Washington is offering South Asia Fellowship Program Fall 2010. Scholars & analysts willing to undertake policy-relevant research and writing in any one: International relations in South Asia; Political change in South Asia or US-South Asia relations are encouraged to apply. The monthly stipend ranges from US$2,500 to $4,500. Visit http://www.eastwestcenter.org Apply before 15-Oct-09

careers NEWS

CAMPUS NEWS

NEW COURSES

EVENTS

Soft skills training from Akademia

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he skill sets that recruiters seek include: communication skills, confidence, corporate awareness, leadership training and personal grooming among others, and many graduates lack them. Elements Akademia which started in November, 2007, seeks to address these skills gap. Set up by IIM alumni, the institute is tying up with visionary academic institutions to impart training to MBA students. Says the CEO, “We are primarily focusing on students from tier II cities.” The institute has tied up with colleges in Bhopal, Chandigarh and is expanding operations in Delhi-NCR. The six-month course which costs Rs. 15,000 has been designed and developed in consultation with various industry experts like Genpact, Accenture and HDFC Standard Life. This is in a bid to ensure that the candidates become employable.

Incorporating financial crisis into education

Wall Street Journal with Indian connection

Business schools have incorporated lessons learnt from the financial meltdown into their programmes. Financial modelling is seen as the hot topic. Greg Hallman, senior lecturer at the University of Texas aptly stated, “What’s missing is the thought process - what if I’m wrong?” Prof. Gabriel at UCLA uses real-world examples to help develop students’ understanding of theories and testing them. Villanova University’s School of Business is offering ‘Understanding the Global marketplace in a Post-Bailout Economy.’ Students need to check out similar new courses that are being offered, mostly in the USA to understand adapt to post meltdown world.

WSJIDEBATE, a forum to discuss multiple topics will be led by a panel of students from Indian universities and colleges selected by none other than The Wall Street Journal. The platform would allow chosen students to express their views and facilitate comments and debate from their peers. Every week, the panel would select and publish four items on a specific theme triggered by a story that has appeared on www. india.wsj.com. You can participate by registering and adding your comments to the articles through the comment tabs. Hopefully, this will encourage Indians from all over the country to voice their own debates and opinions.

Wanted: Passionate Contributors Careers360 is on a mission — to inform and empower — which can only succeed if it is a collective endeavour. Now, we need people across India to join us. You may be an academic, student or a professional. You could be a CEO, a manager or an executive. But, all you need to have is a flair for writing concisely, have a nose for data and numbers, be obsessed with getting facts right, and above all, have an abiding commitment to the youth of the country. What do we expect you to do? As a contributor, you would be the primary contact for the magazine in your geography. We will require you to occasionally do full stories for us, assist our editorial team in gathering information, and be engaged with the idea to enable the delivery of a better product. COMPENSATION In addition to the sense of satisfaction you will gain, we will compensate you adequately for your efforts. Write to: [email protected] or call us at 011-46142503.

FOR REGULAR UPDATES ON New course announcements, university/institute news, conferences, summer schools, job announcements Log on to our website

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Scholarships on offer from Deakin for specific courses Australia’s Deakin University has come up with scholarships for specific courses. Any graduate who opts for an MBA (International) would be eligible to apply for the scholarship offering 5,000 Australian dollars (AUD) per annum. By choosing this course you would be able to specialize in HRM, Marketing, Finance, International Business, Information Management, Retail Management, Research, Business Law and Insurance. You can apply as a fresh graduate with no work experience to secure admission. Other courses to avail of the scholarship includes Engineering, Biotechnology, Film and Video, which will give you a chance to AUD 3000 per annum in scholarships. By opting for a Master’s by research you are eligible for a scholarship worth AUD 100,000, with no application fee for candidates from India. You can email to [email protected] for further details.

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Campus newsletter: If your school, college, institute has one, send us a copy. We will feature the best pieces If there is an event, seminar or conference at your institute, mail us at: [email protected] Mail your letters to us at: [email protected]

Advisory

managing at your workplace

by Urmila Rao

F

or corporate employees, multitasking bears a different meaning today than it did historically. Primarily, the sheen is off the label. Multitasking tag no longer means that a cherry-picked employee is assigned multiple tasks at his level or above it, with the subtext: he is one of the brightest staff in the organisation. The global meltdown has stripped the cachet attached with the multitasking label. “It is now two notches down from its perceived stand,” says Sunil Kalra, a leading HR consultant. A post-slowdown multi-tasker neither enjoys a greater role responsibility, nor an attached authority, or an envious pay packet. “Basically, a manager now has to do work which he did as a fresher,” sums up Kalra. So, it is a small wonder that Jeet Singh,* brand manager of a leading PR firm, has to go on sales call, prepare quotations, service the clients and collect outstanding payments. “With my team size now cut down to 4 from earlier 9, I have to step out for the field work, which I have not done in the last 5 years,” says the 32-year-old. Smita,* a corporate manager with an excellent track record of 11 years in a leading global HR consultancy firm, quit her job two months ago when she was asked to take up sales and marketing functions as additional responsibility. Not keen, she tried to reason it out with her employer and was met with “take-it or leave-it” shrug. “Handling additional responsibility is one of the most common changes that people have been compelled to make due to the recession,” states a survey conducted in March this year by TeamLease, a Banglaore-based staffing company. The survey titled ‘Changing Expectations at Workplace’ in the wake of the current slowdown revealed that 43 percent respondents have had to change their role or department to keep their employment safe, while a smaller 24 percent had to change their sector. If you are faced with a situation which requires multitasking what do you do?

Multitask and save your job Ability to take on work beyond what is built into your job remit is the best way to survive recessionary times

SAVE YOUR JOB

Volunteer: “There are two ways to look at the situation, either brush off or

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Illustration: Gouri Nanda

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volunteer to be an integral part of the organisation and be a survivor,” suggests Kalra. One of the key findings of the survey was that around 80 percent employees believed in ‘survival of the fittest’ and felt that improving skill sets was the best thing to do in the current scenario. In shaky times, cross-function exposure becomes the differentiating edge. Companies will be all too willing to shed staff who are confined rigidly to their work-roles and are unwilling to move to other functional areas. Usually, in stressed situations, duties are clubbed. For instance, administrative duties tend to get aligned with HR or Finance role. ●● Don’t test waters now: Despite the reverse tide, Samir Seth* left his cushy job of six years to join an international advertising agency on a 100 percent salary hike. Little did he know, that he will be a one-man army department. A marketing executive, he has to fulfil other responsibilities like drafting an internal communiqué, making official speeches for the CEO and preparing news letters.

His adaptability is cushioning his job. “I wasn’t aware that I will be asked to this mundane stuff but my interest in writing actually saved me,” said Seth, conceding that he made the mistake of switching jobs at a time when the job market is at its worst. ●● Smile, take up extra responsibility: An organisation wants the assurance that it has loyal employees who will stand by it through thick and thin. So if you have been assigned extra work, do it without grouse. In situations where you see that your extra labour will not be rewarded monetarily, then create a situation where the company is forced to recog ise your efforts. For instance, if you have been given the extra work of designing a brochure, then ask for a separate desk or a space where you can execute the design work. At the allocated time, move to the new workstation to conclude the work. “This way an employee can not only emphasise the additional responsibility, but can also ensure that his commitment is seen,” says Kalra. ‘Ensure visibility in the organisation’, advise HR experts.

careers 360

●● Help generating revenues : Revenue is what companies are interested in tight financial situations, explains Kalra. “Suppose you are a banking executive, you can commit dedicating 30 hours a month to meet 3 new clients to generate revenues for the company,” he says. It is all about adapting and assuming a new role responsibility. From a teller, you can turn to sales and marketing executive for your bank. This would mean adjusting your work- timings, may be arriving little early and putting in extra 1-2 hours. ●● Add one competency each year: Irrespective of the mood and whims of the job market, an employee should, even in boom times, add one new competency every year and work on the proficiency levels in an existing competency. If an employee has nothing extra to add in his résumé even after a year, it’s a sign that complacence is creeping in and the employee is risking falling out of favour from the employment market. So, just take a few progressive steps to keep ahead of boom and bust times. *names have been changed.

is looking for expert trainers

Careers360, India’s leading career magazine is looking at strengthening its expertise in advising students. We are looking to recruit expert trainers to advise students in the following areas of specialization:

FOREIGN STUDIES: GMAT/GRE/SAT etc. ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS: IIT-JEE/AIEEE/CAT/MAT/AIIMS etc. COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS: Civil Services, Bank PO’s, RRB, NDA, CDSE, LIC etc.

About you

What do we look for?

You should either be trainer who has put in many years of training or a candidate, who has successfully cleared the examination and would like to advise future aspirants.

In addition to understanding the examination in depth, you should be able to write and explain concepts clearly, have the ability to provide actionable and correct advice to students and above all a passion and commitment to guide the youth.

You must have built up access to leading professors who teach in the domain and have a clear and in depth expertise in the examination you focus on.

We would like to build a core team of full-time experts ONLY. Candidates who are looking at full-time positions only need to apply.

Compensation Negotiable Write to us with a detailed CV at Email: [email protected] Postal address: ab 12, 2nd floor, Safdurjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029

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Talk Point

motivation

Acres of diamonds - right beneath your feet!

H

Prakash Iyer CEO-Cards, Future Group, and executive coach

Being happy and knowing your strengths is the mantra of success

ave you heard of ‘Acres of Diamonds’? It was the title of a talk delivered by Russell Conwell. The inspirational talk became so popular that Conwell ended up delivering it over 6000 times. At the heart of the talk is a little story that’s as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. The story goes that many years ago there lived a farmer. He was a wealthy and contented man, who would often play host to visiting traders and explorers. And it was while talking to one of them one fateful evening that he learnt about their expeditions. They were there in search of diamonds. Diamonds that would make them rich, and make their dreams come true. He was told of how if he had a diamond the size of his thumb, he could buy up the whole country. The farmer couldn’t sleep that night. He kept thinking of the diamonds, and how wealthy they could make him. Sensing an opportunity, the farmer too decided to go out and join the hunt for diamonds. He sold his farm, and set out on his search. He went far and wide but, unfortunately, even after spending six months - and a lot of money - the farmer couldn’t find any diamond. He died soon after, broke and heartbroken. Meanwhile, back on the land the farmer had sold, the new owner was watering the plants in his garden, when he suddenly saw something glistening. He picked up the stone - and then as he put his hand in the sand, he found

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another, and then some more. Diamonds all! Yes, there were acres of diamonds in the plot of land which the farmer had sold and gone away from, in his search for diamonds. It’s an old story, but the lessons are as valid today. The goals we are looking for, the wealth we are lusting after, they are all there, right beneath our feet. It’s up to us to find them. We are all blessed with unique gifts and talents. Some can sing, some are compassionate, some of us can build bridges and some can make the tastiest snacks. Yet, in our quest for success and happiness, we all end up looking for skills we lack, or chase supposedly hot careers, disregarding our talents. And so we all enrol for a computer class, or look for an MBA degree, completely ignoring our real talents and interests. As someone once said, the Lord made each of us with great care and thought. Let’s not waste time trying to put in what He left out. Let’s just try and bring out all that He left in! Why do we fail to recognize the diamonds in our own backyard? That’s probably because diamonds usually appear in their rough, uncut form. And polishing those uncut stones is hard work. Rather than work on polishing those diamonds and honing those precious God-given talents, we join the bandwagon that moves from job to job, career to career. In search of those acres of diamonds. Theo Roosevelt was right when he urged us to “do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.” That’s terrific advice. There’s one little nugget in the story I just love. Notice how the farmer is a wealthy and contented man – until he hears about the diamonds. He can’t sleep the night he hears about them. Imagine! We all let our lives and our joy be disturbed by a chance remark about an illusory pot of gold that someone else is chasing. Learning to be happy with what you have can make you wealthier than you’d ever imagine. So what are your acres of diamonds? What are your unique strengths? What can you get to work on today, right where you are, that could bring you happiness and prosperity? Whatever it is, remember the secret to your success lies inside you. Your acres of diamonds are right beneath your feet. Just look!

September 2009

d y! io rr per Hu d er ite off lim is calling all Institutions to register and get a 1 year subscription

absolutely FREE!

Careers360 is a bible for career options after 12th class to.. Executive Education, MDP’s, retooling, refresher courses Career Planning and much much more....

Empower your students with in depth information and advice and that too ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! To have a free copy delivered to your college/institutions’s library, please send us a request letter on your college letter head, signed by your principal or librarian, with your college stamp, with the following details: Name of the principal/librarian | Name of the college | Delivery Address and send it to: Publisher, Careers 360, AB-12, Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi - 110029 To subscribe online log on to www.careers360.com

CEO Speak

chanda kochhar

Meteoric rise of a banker For Chanda Kochhar, CEO and managing director of ICICI Bank, 2009 is a landmark year. She completed 25 years at the bank, becoming the first woman to head it. Forbes recently named her as one of the top twenty most powerful women in the world.“I was inclined towards finance and banking became the first preferred option,” she says adding that the biggest support factor was her family’s belief that children must pursue the best education In a telecon with Vatsala Kamat, she highlights a few defining moments in her career trajectory and spells out ICICI’s work culture and employee philosophy.

Q: What factors brought about this meteoric rise in your career? A: During my initial years in the bank, I was into pure project appraisal and project finance. This was a good learning experience as it gave me great insight into business risk analysis. Persistent effort, a long innings across various divisions of the bank, strategic agility and emotional balance helped me redefine and manage change effectively at the bank at various stages. What also worked well for me was that through this period, ICICI itself grew, diversified and evolved into a banking giant, which gave me a rich experience.” 16

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Q: Can you recount any defining moments in your career? A: One such would be when I was assigned the responsibility setting up and running the retail business in 2000. This entire retail thrust was new not only for me but for the ICICI group and even the country as a whole. And a few years down the line the retail business became the major contributor to the growth of the bank’s balance sheet. I believe that through my retail banking experience, I also learnt the importance of identifying customer needs and constantly striving to add value to our relationship with them.. Q: Did the bank cut back on work force or salaries during recession? Is there a revival in the sector now? A: Even during recession, we did not cut back on employees. Like many companies, we too focused on productivity. For example, while we set up 475 branches last year, we did not add to the number of employees; hence improved productivity. We do not have a philosophy of cutting back salaries, but the performance-

Soumik Kar/Outlook Group

Q: ICICI recruits employees from

Tier I to Tier III institutions. How different are their perspective? A: Well, a sound management degree certainly widens the horizons of a person. Some institutes take the best candidates at the graduate level. So, when we recruit from reputed educational institutions, we believe that one round of filtering has already taken place. However, just an MBA is not a passport to success on the career front. How he performs in a job depends on the person’s capabilities and willingness to learn skill sets associated with the job. At ICICI, we have a one-year programme where we train and orient recruits on suitable skills for the banking industry. We have also tied up with institutes like NIIT to train and prepare students for the entry stage jobs in the banking sector.

The youth of today should learn to stick linked variable pay system and bonus help us manage salary levels Across the industries, while the rate of creation of new employment has reduced, there is no concern on people losing jobs now. I am seeing signs of economic recovery on a quarter to quarter basis. I think we have peaked in terms of the pains we had and challenges we faced.

Q: What skills do an effective banking professional need? At ICICI, what is critical for employee reward? A: The basic knowledge of banking is very important. However, a banking professional must acquire the soft skills needed to deal with customers while keeping in mind the interest of the bank. In other words, an efficient banker must be sensitive to customer needs but must have sound risk assessment skills. In banking, you must be able to assess risks, and take appropriate decisions. At ICICI Bank consistent performance is the ticket to come into the consideration set. Thereafter it is the leadership ability to identify the customer needs and shape delivery systems.

it out in one area at least for a reasonable period of time which will help them build personal skill and capability

Q: One common perception is that ICICI has aggressive growth strategies. Do you look for this attribute in your employees? A: We are a growth organisation. But we are not aggressive. Our growth strategies are formulated in the context of our environment . Our recruitment parameters are uniform at the entry level. Thereafter we conduct an aptitude test of the employees mainly to judge what job would suit his profile. The difference in aptitude would be more in terms of the candidate’s risk management or marketing or administrative skills rather than an aggressive personality. 17

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Q: What is the work culture you wish

to instil in your organisation? How do you ensure this given the high attrition rates in the industry? A: At ICICI, we set the broad vision and employ young people to carry on the vision forward. We believe that a growth oriented organisation throws up tremendous opportunities for employees. It is up to the employees to see how they could learn from the environment around and take on larger roles and responsibilities. Empowerment comes with both responsibility and accountability. We are not averse to employees moving across job functions, for which again there are procedures to be followed. This flexibility helps maintain the drive and energy levels in employees. ICICI has over many years been successful in not losing the people we want to retain. Employees also know where they stand in terms of professional achievements and efficiency on a monthly basis, and are not taken by surprise at the end of the year. Apart from this we have made huge investment in attrition proofing our organisation. thro

Q: What are the advantages in Young India from a banking employment perspective? Where could they improve? A: The customer of the next 20 years will be a product of social thinking and preference of the youth of today. Thus today’s young employee has a distinctive advantage of being able to understand and service the needs of the emerging customers. They will play an important part in shaping ICICI Bank’s thinking, business model and processes. Their innate comfort with technological changes will also help them and through them the Bank to adapt and deliver appropriate products and services. The youth of today should learn to stick it out in one area at least for a reasonable period of time which will help them build personal skill and capability to make a difference. They should learn to be able to under play individualism and collaborate more with colleagues. Lastly they should develop the ability to focus and concentrate on select areas for sufficient time without losing attention and concentration the way they browse the channels or the net.

Career Review

Animation and Digital Technology

ANIMATION : scope un

Indian animation industry has grown exponentially over the years, offering a variety of highly-paid job openings, a field where demand far outstrips supply. by Yunus Bukhari

E

very one knows Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry and Stuart Little - some of the animated characters that always entertain us. Do you know how these characters were born and how the art of drawing makes such wonders possible? The answer is ‘Animation’ - one of the fastest growing and most in-demand industries in the world. Animation and Visual Effects are among the major hunted jobs of the 21st century. Multimedia, as the name suggests, is an enormous field that uses more than one medium of communication. It merges text, images,

graphics, animation, audio and video to create virtual magic. Animation is only one component of multimedia.

Historical overview

The art of animation can be traced to pictures on rock surfaces. It was formally demonstrated in 1828 by a Frenchman, Paul Roget. The first animated film ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ by J. Stuart Blackton was made in 1906 by drawing comical faces on a blackboard, photographing them, and then erasing it to draw another stage of the facial expression. In 1914, the first cartoon named ‘Gertie, the Dinosaur’ by Winsor McCay, comprising 10,000 drawings,

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was shown as a film in the theaters. In the early twenties, traditional animation techniques were developed and more sophisticated cartoons were produced. And it was during this time that Warner Bros and Walt Disney studios came to exist. Computer animation, started during seventies and eighties, had a greater impact and with the passage of time, more and more advanced techniques were developed. Animation, which derived its name from the Latin word ‘anima’ meaning soul, can be defined as the art of breathing life to a character or object. A blend of entertainment industry and technology, it is concerned with design, drawing,

limited

Q&A

A trainer’’s perspective

In an email interview with Urmila Rao, Ninad Karpe, CEO &MD, APTECH discuses the current and future secnarioes with respect to training and employment in animation sector Q: Does the education and training

imparted in our animation colleges match up to the global requirement? A: The last few years have seen the industry evolve and mature to deliver high international standard projects. These high quality projects are executed by Indian animators, most of them trained in India. Global experience of a decade in imparting quality education has helped us also in imparting industry-relevant quality training.

Q: A lot of animation institutes have

Q: What are the attributes and skills required to be a performer in the sector? A: In order to be successful as an animator, one should possess skills like creative and innovative thinking, focus and discipline, motivation and versatility. Meticulous observation skills can definitely give one an edge over the others. Skills required in animation fall under two categories, technical and soft skills. Drawing, design layout, techniques and training on relevant softwares, creating moods and putting feeling in characters are skills that can be acquired through a formal animation training programme from an institute of repute. But some of the skills can be imbibed only from careful observation.

Q: What are your thoughts on the course content being taught to the students? Is it aligned to the industry requirement? A: Course content should be customized to provide hands-on experience. It should be designed in a manner that involves a lot of interaction with the industry by way of organizing field trips, events, seminars, talks and presentations. Indian firms are looking at innovative ideas for shoring up their workforce. Apart from calling in industry experts,

Q: What is the scope of growth for ambitious professionals?How far is the sector export-dependent? A: Animation is a career which finds favour despite the slowdown. The animation industry has seen tremendous growth and is now becoming mainstream in film entertainment and television. India is increasingly presenting itself as a favourable destination for the foreign animation industry, particularly in post-production and 3-D content development. Many entertainment giants, such as Walt Disney, Sony Pictures and Turner Entertainment, which make and develop television commercials and computer games, are off-shoring animation content to India. This has resulted in substantial increase in the number of professionals enrolling for animation courses (compound annual growth rate at 18.2 per cent). In sum, the sector presents a huge job opportunity for the young and talented students of this country.

Q: Animation institutes are tying

up with universities. How does the trend help the students? A: Tie-ups with universities to offer degree courses in Animation and Multimedia make it a power-packed combination enhancing the employability of the students manifold. It opens up a world of opportunities for them in this sphere.

layout and production of graphically rich and attractive multimedia clips. In other words animation is making of movies, games or cartoons by moving the drawings or models of animals or people with the help of computers or other electronic means. Time and space play a critical role in animation. Let’s look at the art of making an animation. Besides the most commonly used animations, i.e. two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D), there is also puppet animation, clay animation, sand animation, etc. Both 2D and 3D animation can be created digitally.

2D animation

Also known as classical animation, 2 dimensional animations deal more with drawing and framing and is the base of 3D animation. 2D animators work mostly on paper, creating frames

the industry is also tying up with institutions to develop and impart industry-specific course content.

opened up in the recent past. How should a student identify which ones provide quality education? A: Reputation and experience are the two most critical factors. Students should pick up an institute that has high quality trainers with in depth knowledge, industry-relevant course curriculum and good infrastructure. Students should also verify on the placement and internship opportunities provided by the institute.

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In depth

Animation and Digital Technology

All that goes into the making S

o how do you become an animator or a visual effect artist? First of all, you need a solid foundation in drawing — undoubtedly, the most important element of an animator’s education. All the computer skills in the world can’t mask a bad artist. So make sure that you find a programme where you’ll spend the long, necessary hours honing your craft. Ideally, go for a programme that offers a combination of life drawing, layout animation,and fundamental drawing studies. In addition to drawing skills, you’ll need a programme that covers the requisite animation skills like storytelling, layout, character design, direction, design, editing, acting and visual communication. Animation skills should include not only a knowledge of fundamentals (weight, movements, timing, reversals, motivational forces and thinking time, etc.), but also in-betweening, clean-up and visual effects (wind, rain, shadows, water, explosions, etc.) as well. A general background in

visual communication -- including design, Secret about software composition, texture, colour theory — is Does it make sense that any prospective also important for this profession. animator should concentrate on learning And don’t forget science! Creating the latest animation software packages? believable animation requires that you Well... not really. The truth is that, while understand the properties and effects computers have become an increasingly of gravity, momentum, inertia, friction, large part of animation education, they’re no fluid dynamics, and so on. Knowledge of substitute for the fundamentals — learning mechanical engineering principles and the nuances of drawing, shading, lighting, a thorough understanding of physics and storytelling. While you should know and mathematics are absolutely enough about computer graphics to necessary. For example, the know how they work in general, You more you understand you should avoid learning about mechanical software packages, for will have to linkage, sliding and the sake of learning it. put in long hours of rotational joints, Today’s packages will power transmission, disciplined hard work, be rendered obsolete and so forth, the as quickly as you and most importantly- learn them, and many more realistic your machines will be. studios use proprie have a genuine love The same holds true tary software that you for animation for the anatomy and can’t learn in school kinesiology of humans anyway. So just get your and animals. basics right.

to define a sequence that are then moved at varying speeds to create the illusion of motion. The process involves creating large number of drawings, and scanning them onto the computer and importing them into the software that helps in setting the timing and layers for the scanned sequence of images. Toonz Harlequin, Adobe Flash, CelAction, Anime Studio, Toon Boom Animation, Animaker are some of the softwares used for creating 2D animation characters. 2D images look shallow, while 3D images have depth, making them look more real.

objects created using computers or any other digital media. 3D animators deal with modelling, rendering, texturing and lighting. The texture, lighting and colour of the 3D objects are modified using software programmes and virtual cameras are used to focus, resize, zoom and illuminate the figures. Digital animation has the power to create effects not possible with classical animation. Film, advertising, video and gaming are the fast growing fields for 3D animation. This technique makes extensive use of animation software programmes like 3ds Max (Autodesk), Softimage|XSI, Houdini and MAYA (Autodesk) etc. It also finds use in the other areas like web graphics to create websites.

Computer-generated imagery

3D animations, are a series of images/

How to become an animator

Training is the most important factor in moulding a skilled professional in animation. To become an animator, one doesn’t require any specific academic qualification. Those with a basic sketching skill

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and a passion for animation can enter this field. For a better job prospect, one should have a degree or diploma in animation. Degree and diploma courses in animation are now abundant, apart from online services. Minimum qualification for a degree and diploma course in animation is plus two or equivalent. Any graduate, preferably arts graduate could apply for postgraduation in animation. But some institutions such as Industrial Design Center, Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Design follow eligibility criterion that only a graduate of architecture, technology and engineering, fine arts can apply for the PG course in these institutes. Besides these graduate and postgraduate courses, there are several professional courses that focus on various styles and techniques. These courses, i.e. courses in Traditional animation, Stop-motion animation, Rotscoping, Computer generated 3D and 2D animation Clay-mation, Photoshop, Human

of a good animator Focusing on film, multimedia

Applications of animation

Legal / Insurance Personal l Computer Aided Design and Engineering l Corporate communications

If you intend to pursue a job animating for

Stereoscopic 3D animation is an emerging stream in animation, where optical illusion is used for raising image and colour quality to higher levels. Recent films – Ice age, Monster’s Inc etc. are good examples. Medical animation is also emerging as a popular stream with several potential applications. Gaming is another major area of animation industry and an emerging application in mobile industry. The major application areas of computer animations are: l Advertising l TV Broadcasting l Film / TV programmes l Virtual reality l Games l Architecture l Web l Education l Scientific applications l Space explorations l Medical imaging

Important steps to remember before you embark on the career Step 1: Study the visual arts. All artists need training and even in the digital world they use many of the same terms such as light, shadow, volume and depth. Step 2: Get your education. In any craft, education is essential and in the VFX field, going to school will give you the necessary tools to become competent in your field. Step 3: Intern at Animation/VFX studio. An excellent way to gain entrée into the professional world. Like any other internship, they are unpaid opportunities to learn from the professionals while you gain skills in the academic arena. Step 4: Network. In any field you want to become acquainted with those who aspire to do the same thing as yourself Surround yourself with like-minded people. If you want to be a master, be prepared to be a successful servant first!

television or film, then you should probably look for a programme that matches that interest and provides the background the potential employers are looking for. Check for programmes that focus on traditional skills like drawing, painting, and sculpture, as well as “film knowledge” such as cinematography and composition. Find out how the school will help you build an effective portfolio of your work: not just a collection of assignments, but a welldeveloped presentation of your unique point of view, and your technical skills. You should also check out how well-integrated the school’s theatre and film departments are with their 2D and 3D art departments. Likewise, if you want to focus on producing multimedia animation, you should find a programme that covers the constraints and peculiarities of producing animation for the web, CD-ROM, and various other media, including online publishing.

anatomy, Drawing etc. help one to specialize in a particular area. One should also have a basic knowledge in handling a computer.

Creativity is the key

An animator should have an artistic bent with a lot of passion and imaginative skills. Creativity is the most wanted quality as animation starts with developing an idea to a story. The art of sketching or drawing is another basic skill one should possess. Patience, discipline and dedication to work are vital as this field involves a lot of hard work and long hours of thorough planning. He/she should have a sound understanding of anatomy of humans, animals or birds and body movements and lighting effects. Good communication skill is also needed as most of the time it involves teamwork. An animator should have a good sense of colour, proportion, size, design, visualizations, knowledge of background art and layout. They must have expertise in computer design software. Knowledge

of programming languages (C++, Java) will be an added benefit. It is advantageous to understand photography, lighting and movement for those planning to work in computer animation. They must be able to visualise how an object will look in three dimensions and have the know-how to make an animated object look real.

Job prospects and options

A strong work portfolio is an essential part of landing a job in computer animation. Numerous job opportunities are available in India and abroad. It opens the door to major film industries such as Hollywood, the world of visual effects and imagery. It is a booming industry with wide job openings and one can work on full length animation movies or any other related field like television, advertising

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l l

industry etc. An Animated feature film, which offers considerable employment prospects, is a combined talented effort of a wide variety of artists. A typical animation film requires around 500 animators. Some of the jobs offered in the industry are: ●● Content developers ●● Modellers - They make the models for animation. Must have a solid understanding of anatomy, form and volume. ●● Story board artists - Those with strong drawing skills, who can visualize a sequence of events from frame to frame.

Career In depthReview Animation Animation and Digital andTechnology Digital Technology

Choosing the right institute

Select Schools offering animation education

Top Indian schools Arena l Frameboxx l Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics l Manipal University The institute where you study should be the industry leader, which intends to train thousands of professionals like you on the latest service technologies and production techniques. In addition to offering production and post-production, courses should be taught with entirely digital equipment. Training institutes must provide workshops designed specifically to put you on the right track in your transition to digital. l

World’s best animation schools Nanyung Technological Univeristy

Singapore

www.ntu.edu.sg

NID

Ahmedabad

Animation Film Design

IDC, IIT Bombay

Mumbai

Animation and Game Design

Arena Animation

80+ centres all over India

Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, etc

Whistling Woods Institute

Mumbai

2D, 3D

Srishti

Bangalore

Animation and Game Design

DSK Institute of Design

Pune

Animation and Game Design

Graphiti

Mumbai

3D

ICAAT

4 centers

2 D, 3D

Toonz Animation Aacademy

Thiruvananthapuram

2D, 3D

Toonz Webel Aacademy

Kolkata

2D, 3D

ICAT

Chennai

2D, 3D, Visual Effects, Game Design

Sheridan Institute

Canada

www.sheridaninstitute.ca

California Institute of Art

USA

www.calarts.edu

ANTS

Bangalore

2D, 3D

School of Visual Arts

USA

www.schoolofvisualarts.edu

ZICA

Mumbai

2D, 3D

Race

Hyderabad

2D, 3D, Editing

AAAT

Kolkata

2D, 3D

Toonskool

3 centers

2D, 3D

Animaster

Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi

2D, 3D, Web Animation

Rhode Island School of Design

USA

www.risd.edu

Royal College of Art

UK

www.rca.ac.uk

ENSAD

France

www.ensad.fr/accueil.htm

Camera Obscura School of Art

Isreal

www.camera.org.il

Source: desgininindia.net

●● Character animators - They bring characters to life and generally have knowledge of traditional animation, stop-motion animation as well as claymation ●● Background artists - They specialise in painting the background of the characters and setting the background for the project. ●● Layout artists - They decide the lighting and camera angles and sketch the background design for the animation. ●● 2D animators - They are involved in the creation of a high volume of separate drawings that define a sequence. ●● In-between animators - They have to learn all the basics of animation and are at the beginning position in the career. ●● Scanner operators - They scan the clean up artists’ drawings. ●● Compositing artists - Layering individual frames of animation on top of one another to create final images. These images are then strung together to create complete shots or mini animated movies.

●● Visual effects artists - They integrate live-action footage with computer-generated imagery or other elements. ●● Audio and video specialists - Designing the sound for animation and also editing the visuals with softwares such as Avid and Final Cut Pro. ●● Visualisers – Visualise the script and create basic designs for the project. ●● Texture artists - Apply surface to the 3D character, object or environment. ●● Rigging artists - They take the modelled, textured 3D character or object and set it up with a skeletal system or joints (if required). Without this step, the 3D model would not be able to animate, talk or move fluidly and correctly. ●● Clean-up artists - They check the accuracy and consistency of the designs and drawings. A good clean up artist should have excellent draftsman skill with the knowledge of density, width, volume and mass. ●● Lighting artists - They create variations of shade, colour intensity and shadows.

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●● Digital ink and paint artists - They give colours to each frame. ●● Compositors - They bring together all the different characters and backgrounds into a single frame. ●● Editors - They edit the visuals with softwares like Avid and Final Cut Pro. ●● Key frame animators - Draw pictures of a movement’s beginning and end. ●● Rendering artists - They take all the data in a scene such as models, textures, animation, lighting, etc and output the correct combination in the form of individual frames of animation. ●● 3D animators - They take the sculpted, textured and rigged 3D model and breathe life into it. This is done by putting in order the key frames so that they appear to be in motion. ●● Image Editors - They assemble visual and audio components of a film into a coherent and effective whole. ●● Compositors - They combine visual elements from separate sources into single images, often to create an illusion. It involves the replacement of selected

Cracking

bank Probationary Officers Exam

Kick starting a bankable career Banking offers excellent upward mobility. Most of the CMDs began as POs and climbed up the career ladder by Ulhas Vairagkar

B

anking sector in India has been one of the preferred destinations for employment. A career in banking assures well paid, secure and satisfying career prospects. Unlike the banks in USA and some other developed countries, Indian banks have proved to be rock-solid and have remained virtually unaffected by the global meltdown in banking industry. Banks have now diversified their activities and are getting into new products and services including credit cards, consumer finance, wealth management, insurance, investment banking, mutual funds, pension fund regulation, stockbroking services etc. Indian banks are going global, setting up offices in foreign countries and offer opportunities in a global arena.

Employment opportunities

Banking sector was one of the largest job providers in the country in 2008-09 with over 50,000 vacancies being notified and 2009-10 is likely be an encore! Banking industry provides entry opportunity at clerical and officer levels. The Probationary Officer (PO) is the entrylevel position in the managerial cadre in banking industry. Most of the current chairman-cum-managing directors of the public sector banks have joined as PO and risen to the highest level in the bank hierarchy. Each bank has a separate process of selection for the POs. Some use only the exam, some others an interview too. Not surprisingly, every bank PO exam attracts lakhs of graduates, postgraduates and professionals who want to grab one of few hundreds or thousands of vacancies notified.

Eligibility for bank PO

For PO exam, a graduate with prescribed marks and in the age group of 21 to 30 years is eligible. The banks normally prescribe 55% or 60% marks in the graduation for PO. Some banks prescribe different set of marks for science and arts or commerce graduates. Every bank provides a relaxation in case of SC/ ST and other reserved category candidates in age and educational qualifications. Normally, a relaxation of 5 years in age-limit and 5% in marks in graduation is granted to SC/ST candidates.

Selection process

The selection process for PO varies from bank-to-bank. It is a two-stage process for most of the banks. The first stage is the written test, normally conducted in two parts - an objective-type followed by a descriptive test. Candidates shortlisted in the written test are required to appear in group discussions and personal interview. Some banks do not have group discussion and use only Personal Interview for the final selection. Typically, the number of shortlisted students after the written test stage is about 5-7 times that of the number of vacancies. SBI had experimented with a threestage selection process in 2008. Similarly, PNB’s exam on 30th August, 2009 is a three-stage one.

Unaffected by global meltdown Indian

banks remain a safe bet for job seekers 24

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Then there are some exceptions like Syndicate bank that does not conduct a written test. They shortlist candidates based on academic background and selection is based on performance in personal interview alone.

Written test

The objective-type part of the PO exam includes reasoning, quantitative aptitude, general awareness and English language. Apart from these, a few banks also include questions on computer awareness, banking awareness and marketing aptitude in their written tests. Most of the banks expect candidates to do well in each test area and have a ‘sectional cut-off’ score in each section/ area to qualify. Except for the English section, the question paper is bilingual,

Clearing po exam ensures a solid profession with enough career avenues to reach the top

i.e., in English and in Hindi. The test pattern may change depending upon the bank, but in general, the test has about 200-225 questions having five options with maximum marks ranging from 200 to 250. Duration of the objective-type part normally varies between two hours to two hours and 15 minutes. It has negative marking for incorrect answers with such answers attracting one-fourth or 0.25 of the marks assigned to that question. Reasoning examines analytical and problem-solving skills. It includes visual or non-verbal reasoning, Venn diagrams, cubes, letter and number series, analogies, coding-decoding, strong and weak statements, Syllogisms etc. English language part includes questions in the area of grammar, vocabulary

including synonyms, antonyms and fillin-the blanks etc. A significant number of banks including IOB and Union Bank do not use score in this section for compiling the merit list and it is used only as a qualifying score. However, quite a few banks do not mention anything and are likely to include marks scored in this section in compiling the merit list. Some banks like SBI and PNB do include marks of this section. General awareness section tests understanding of environmental and social issues, people and events etc. Quantitative aptitude measures the numerical ability and accuracy in mathematical calculations. The questions range from purely numeric calculations to problems from arithmetic, algebra and geometry, graph and table reading, percentage analysis, categorization and quantitative analysis. The level of test is broadly up to that of X class. The descriptive part of the PO exam follows the objective part of the test and aims to test a candidate’s writing abilities. It is generally of qualifying nature i.e. the candidate must secure minimum prescribed marks (normally 40% for general and 35% for reserved category students) but it will not be considered while compiling the merit list. The duration of descriptive part is normally one hour. It typically includes 4-5 questions in areas including essay on current topics, summary writing and reading comprehension. The merit list is made on the basis of marks secured in objective test and group discussion and interview alone.

QuickTake ■■

Sectional cut-offs are important. So ensure that you score well in all sections.

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Spend least possible time on GK. Answer what you know and move forward

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Get your grammar right. Prepare well.

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Practice essay writing well. It is a qualifying exam. Ensure that you score well.

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Maths and reasoning must get your maximum attention both in preparation and during test taking.

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Relative weights of different sections vary. So do not take any section lightly

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Preparing for bank PO

The candidate should be well versed in maths up to X class and a good grounding using NCERT books will be useful. As speed is important in answering more questions in a limited time, candidates should build speed through mental calculations and option elimination. Most candidates find reasoning section to be tough since they had never studied it in school/colleges. It will be important for them to practise these questions much more. Otherwise they may not clear the sectional cut-off even if they score well in other sections. In English section, strong vocabulary and good grammar fundamentals are essential to do well. The level of difficulty in this section is normally not very high and it can therefore be a scoring section. The questions in general awareness section are more likely to be from current developments rather than static GK. Candidates should cultivate a habit of daily reading newspaper diligently. That is the best way to update yourself. Remember you could answer in Hindi as well most of the sections.

Exam Strategy

It is our ‘guesstimate’ that a candidate needs to score about 50-60% marks to have a good chance of qualifying for the next and final round. However, this may vary and will depend on the level of difficulty of the paper and competition. Spend least possible time on GK since if you don’t know the answer, you are unlikely to remember it anyway. Since most questions in maths and reasoning sections require to be solved, allot more time to these two sections. The exam has negative marking, so guessing recklessly will backfire. But if you can eliminate three options out of five, go ahead and guess judiciously. Finally, solving model papers in the given time limit will help you to build speed and assess your performance. So it is strongly recommended that you solve a large number of model papers. Banking is a bankable career for ambitious and result-oriented persons and bank PO is the best route to reach the highest echelons in this industry. Ulhas is the Director of TIME Education, Delhi

ADVISORY

SELECTING a COACHING CENTRE

Does CAT coaching Are coaching centres a must to crack the CAT? If they are, what all do they offer and if they aren’t, how should an individual prepare on his own?

by Urmila Rao

C

lose your eyes to picture a lean old man, wearing a dhoti, bare-chested, slightly bent, holding a staff to support his thin frame and walking at a hurried pace, showing a sense of urgency. Picture him again. What is the colour of the dhoti you visualized? Is it white or cream or pale yellow? In a majority of cases, individuals don’t think beyond these colours. Some of you will also picture the old man as Mahatma Gandhi. Go back to your kindergarten days. “A” for? You will invariably blurt out “Apple”. But, what has the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) got to do with these examples? Or for that matter, the coaching centres that prepare the students for the CAT? The answer is: A lot. But first, what is CAT? It is an entrance exam for the IIMs and other noted B-schools in India that qualifies a candidate to secure a seat in Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme. But passing the written test is not the only criterion. A prospective

student has to clear Group Discussion (GD) and Interviews as well. The IIM’s minimum cut-off score is anywhere between 99.7-99.9 percentile. Students scoring less have the choice of other B-schools. The CAT exam is held once a year and is on Math, Data Interpretation and English. The questions, with negative marking, differ in each test. There is no set pattern.

What does the CAT assess

The CAT tests one’s ability to think beyond the obvious. And obvious implies what has been dinned into an individual’s head for years in educational and social circles. So while “Apple” is recited without a strain, the brain requires a bit more effort to stretch out for unconventional alternatives like: arc, ape, arm or actor. How many have been given

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exposure beyond the obvious words, or will be given in the future? The coaching centres preparing students for the CAT, tutor the mind to think beyond the apparent. “The CAT checks the logical reasoning power of the students,” says Neelesh Kossambi, national manager, media marketing of Mumbai-based IMS Learning that has been coaching MBA aspirants for the last 31 years. R Shiva Kumar, director, Academics and R&D, Career Launcher, reiterates the same thought. “Most problems check the ability of the student to apply the fundamental concepts in situations that are not direct,” he says. As corporate businesses grow, they relentlessly hunt minds that think differently. ”We need brains that are capable of providing quick and deft solutions to the

matter?

real issues,” says an Human Resource manager snapping his fingers. “So the remuneration has to be equally attractive,” he adds. So, it is small wonder that MBA aspirants are ready to pull out all the stops in a bid to crack the CAT. The prestige

TIPS ON SELECTING A QUALITY COACHING CENTRE

of being associated with the IIM brand in addition to a golden wage packet is reason enough for dreamers to get cracking. Catering to the hope are numerous coaching institutes. In the last eight to 10 years, a dime a dozen have sprung

“Coaching Centres provide

competitive environment to students, helping them to benchmark their preparedness vis-à-vis other students” Manek Daruvala Founder-director, Triumphant Institute of Management Education

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■■

Interact with the faculty before joining and get a sense of what the coaching would consist of.

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Take feedback from senior students on: quality of faculty, their attitude, teaching methodology and query-handling approach. A lot is tied to how you get coached. Then ask the basics like: number of classes conducted in reality, the frequency of test series, the batch size and the infrastructure.

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Ask the institute about the actual conversion figures and not the number of calls received.

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Written exam is just one component, ask the senior students on how the institute fares when it comes to handling group discussions and interviews.

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Ask for a demo class.

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Choose a national-level centre over a local one. They are reputed to conduct a lot of test series. Besides, a heterogeneous mix of students from various academic backgrounds helps in comparing your test preparedness with others.

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Don’t feel shy about asking questions even if it is during admission and or if in the classroom. The more “whys” you have, the more clear-headed you will be.

up in almost all corners of cities and are highly concentrated at colleges and youth hang-out points. Huge hoardings of various hues and shapes jostle for eyeballs. But do students necessarily require Coaching Centre (CC) tutoring? Among many nods, there have been quite a few emphatic opposite views as well.

Role of coaching centers

Manek Daruvala, founder-director, Triumphant Institute of Management Education (T.I.M.E.), feels that CCs provide competitive environment to students, helping them to benchmark their preparedness vis-à-vis other students. “Besides, how many students would have the self-discipline to study on their own?,” asks the Hyderabad-based IIM-A graduate, who started T.I.M.E a good 17 years ago. Chennai-based IIM graduate Mythili Balakrishnan has a different opinion. She says, “A considerable number of IIM students don’t take any coaching.” Tusharika Sinha, who graduated in

ADVISORY

SELECTING a COACHING CENTRE

“Coaching centres impart knowledgebased training,

but the actual need is for intelligence-based training” Prashant Monga Founder, Alchemist, Delhi-based CC

2003 from IIM-A, now a senior partner in iCresset Talent Solutions, prepared on her own. She subscribed to the coaching material of IMS Learning, Mumbai on an IIM graduate’s recommendation. “It gave me a very good understanding of question pattern and enabled me to perfect time management, which is one of the most critical aspects in clearing the CAT,” says Sinha. Abhishek Sharma, a self-coached IIMIndore graduate, didn’t go about scrutinizing one coaching centre from the other either. He decided to bell the CAT on his own. “Ten years ago there weren’t many coaching stations,” concedes the 35-year-old who also got selected at IIM-Calcutta. Now working as a brand manager with US-based Becton, Dickinson and Company, Sharma reveals the secret of his success. “Hard work, being part of a likeminded group and studying from quality reference material.” Sharma adds humbly, “I don’t consider myself to be exceptionally gifted. I disciplined myself to study hard and formulated a few techniques.” He recollects

the preparation days at Udaipur where he was an engineering student. Getting up early for a walk in the calm, cool mornings with his friend, preparing for CAT, taking two mock tests and then settling for college studies before heading for the college. His memory plays out clearly. “After getting back from the college, both of us used to check the results to analyse and identify the weak areas to work on them the next day,” recollects Sharma. The routine continued uninterrupted for 14-15 months. “While my Math was strong, I knew I had to work on my vocabulary and comprehension,” he recollects. So, an unrelenting spirit made him work harder. He made 10 cards of new words every day from the ‘Barron’s guide to the SAT by Brownstein and Weiner’ keeping the cards in his pocket and shuffling them all day long to honour his target of learning 10 new words a day. Needless to say, selftraining didn’t fail him. So, how do CCs contribute? “They are instrumental in providing guidance, mentorship, benchmarking and time

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“Hard work, being part of a like-minded group and studying from

quality reference material is the success-mantra”

Abhishek Sharma, 35 IIM-Indore, based in Delhi-NCR. Sharma didn’t go for any coaching

management to students,” says Shiva. But a few dissenting voices flag a different argument.

Points to ponder

“I would question the quality of tutoring carried out at quite a few coaching centres,” says a candid Balakrishnan. ‘Most faculties have themselves not been able to clear CAT, so imagine what would they be teaching the students?” Her caustic tone is laced with concern. Prashant Monga of Delhi- based Alchemist, a CAT training Institute, expresses a similar concern. The logical subtleties

TIPS ON CBT PREPARATION

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Reading Comprehension (RC) passages are likely to be shorter and the questions are expected to be inference-based. Students should get familiar with such types of passages.

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Students take substantially more time over the RC and Data Interpretation (DI) sections in a computer-based exam. So students should practise reading passages or interpreting graphs and tables on a computer screen.

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Students should try and improve on their abilities to make mental calculations rather than using the rough-sheet for multiplications, find squares or cubes/cube roots etc.

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Attempt first the simpler questions in the Quant section without using pen and paper; try and solve them in your mind. Make approximations in the DI section.

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Being very thorough with the fundamentals of the subject will be vital. Practise sufficiently and choose the questions to attempt carefully.

(The author is a visiting faculty with MBA Guru. His book How to Prepare for MBA will be released shortly)

A. Guptay

Siddharth Balakrishna offers some suggestions to candidates appearing for computerbased CAT.

“Select an institute which has a national base. Mixing with

candidates from varied backgrounds will help in benchmarking”

Divya Nehlani, 20 Currently coaching from IMS, Mumbai. Selected the centre looking at its history and after interacting with the ex-students who made it to IIMs

Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group

get lost in the face of standardised coaching, he feels. Monga abandoned a lucrative corporate career in a bid to satiate his craving for teaching. Alchemist, was therefore, born in 2006. “The teaching methodology followed in the centres need a major overhaul,” says the IIT and IIM graduate who experienced some classroom teaching when he had to join one on his parents’ insistence. How is it possible that such a major fundamental flaw in the pedagogy has been overlooked by the institutes over the years? “At present, coaching centres impart knowledge-based training, but the actual need is for intelligence-based training,” stresses Monga. Intelligence-based training can be applied in unfamiliar problem-solving areas also, he adds. “Why is it difficult for individuals to think of a different-coloured dhoti?” one could argue. The logic feeds on self. The CAT questions don’t follow a template. “Rote-learning doesn’t work for the CAT. It may work for school exams or exams conducted for other high-profile

bureaucratic postings,” says Ravi Sonthalia, a 2009 IIM-Bangalore graduate. “The CCs need to adopt a tutoring technology that sharpens the thinking ability of an individual,” concurs Balakrishnan. So, even when a student is faced with a question he has never tackled before, his attempt speed doesn’t decrease, she says.

Students should research

In most cases questions asked by students are standard: on fees, timings, number of classes, test series and on reference material. Affordability of fees is looked at, and convenience of commuting figures in the list. “The students look at results claimed by institutes,” says Shiva of Career Launcher. Students hardly question or investigate faculties’ academic background or even the teaching method. Even in the classroom, some never ask a question fearing being ridiculed at. “I never asked a question,” concedes one girl-student who took coaching from T.I.M. E., at Delhi’s Kalkaji branch.

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“All these point out that the entire approach of students too needs a revisit,” says Balakrishnan. Probing questions should be asked in a bid to zero-in on a good centre. And the adverts should not be the sole factor guiding the admission decisions. Divya Nehlani, currently taking coaching at IMS Learning, Santacruz centre at Mumbai says she opted for IMS Learning looking at the history of successful candidates who were able to make it to the IIMs. “I knew a few of them personally,” says the 20-year-old. The number of interview calls that an institute gets does matter but it is different from the actual conversion numbers, i.e. number of students who actually secure a seat. Remember, there are GDs and interviews that need to be cleared to qualify for a seat. “A data of the last two or three years would give an idea to the candidates about the conversion rates,” says Jitin Chawla, a Delhi-based career counselor. Don’t be surprised if a whole lot of CCs circumvent this specific query and

ADVISORY

SELECTING a COACHING CENTRE Arijit Sen

“CAT is an aptitude test and

the training should be focused on

honing of thinking skills”

Ravi Sonthalia, 24 IIM-Bangalore, Delhi-based. Ravi took coaching because he didn’t want to risk his chances

veer towards rattling about the number of calls that their students got. And usually, the figures flung around sound impressive. However, it is imperative that students should verify the two; the number of interview calls that a student receives from IIMs and the number of students who clear the GD and Interviews to get the admission. Sonthalia says he trusted his instincts when it came to choosing Alchemist. “I choose a non-household name trusting my instincts after speaking to the faculties,” says the 24-year-old. CAT is an aptitude test and the training should be focused on honing of thinking skills, Sonthalia reiterates the thought. The seemingly sharp youth, goes on to reveal why he felt the need for an coaching institute. “I didn’t want to risk my chances,” he confesses.

cent and above for meritorious students as well. T.I.M.E has institutionalized the process of tests, and depending on the marks discounts are given. IMS Learning gives students discount from 20 per cent which goes up to 80 per cent in certain cases. “Now we have also launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign recently,” says Kossambi. While the tutoring institutes are doing their bit to help the potential talent, the other area where students now need aid is CBT or Computer-based test. The recent announcement of IIMs to switch over to CBT has caused immense flurry among the students.

Online Vs compter-based test

The format of CAT has changed now, moving from traditional pen and paper to Computer-Based Test. CBT requires

Operating with a cause

Disparate arguments apart, an undeniable fact is CCs are aware of their reputation being hinged on successful conversion numbers. Therefore, institutes waive off some fee amount and offer discounts to meritorious students. The waiver is also open to potentially bright students from weaker sections of the society. In a normal course, CCs’ fee ranges anywhere between Rs.20, 000-30,000 for the complete course to as much as Rs.12,000 for short-term courses. The discounts offered by various tutorials are to the tune of 20 per

“Most faculties

themselves have not been able to clear CAT, so imagine what would they be teaching to the students?”

Mythili Balakrishnan Iim Graduate, based in Chennai

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a new approach to crack the test. It is not an online exam but merely a departure from the conventional format. “The actual exam pattern or questions are not expected to be very different from the traditional CAT paper,” says Siddharth Balakrishna, a visiting faculty at MBAGuru, a CAT coaching centre. “It is not difficult to acclimatize with the new trend,” he adds (read Tips on CBT Preparation). A visit at www.catiim.in can address the other queries that students have. The online CAT preparation is contrary to the standard trend. Online format system hasn’t picked up in true form in India because of poor technology and bad connectivity. But the students can get low-cost online offering, says Srini Krishnamurthi, managing director, Expertus. Its an inexpensive alternate and offers flexibility of timing. “For preparing online, students can purchase online assessments and study material,” says Krishnamurthi. However, the moot question is: should an individual join a CC or prepare on his own? Well, if you are self-motivated, self-disciplined, can criticize and analyse your work impartially, you can crack the CAT. The only other crteria are knowing the technique of approaching the questions and forming a compatible group to assess the performance routinely. But if you are lacking in any of the parameters, its best to enroll in one. But remember, belling the CAT is ultimately in your hands.

Cracking

US Admissions

by Divya Cherian

T

he mere thought of applying to US universities for MA-PhD programmes is enough to send a shiver down the spine of the average student. Like any other intimidating and complex task, US graduate school applications too can be successfully executed if one clearly identifies the different steps that constitute the process.

Where to apply

The first stage of the application process ought to be shortlisting universities to apply to. ●● Identify your research interest: Since you are applying to a graduate school, you will be expected to have an idea of what research you plan to undertake as a PhD student. On the basis of your BA and MA studies in India, you may have identified certain topics or broad areas that stimulate your interest and that you feel have not been sufficiently studied by existing researchers. ●● Once you have an idea of what you want to work on, read up on that topic if you haven’t done so already. You will then be able to see which of the scholars’ research interests or methodology appeal to you. Find out the universities where those scholars teach. This is one way to shortlist universities. The other is to go to the websites of universities and departments that you are aware of. Check out the list of faculty members and see if their stated research interests match with yours. ●● Shortlist, in this way, between 5-10 universities. ●● It is most tactical to select a few topranked universities, a few mid-ranked universities and a few low-ranked universities – the latter two depend on how keen you are to go to the States to study. So, if you would like to shift to the US only if you get to a top-ranked university or the professor of your choice, then there is no harm in applying only to institutions which are harder to get admission into. ●● The earlier you start surveying university websites, the better. Try to begin this process at most by August of the year in which you apply, if not earlier. ●● Email any queries that you have

Getting into the US college you crave for Applying to universities in the US for an admission to your college or subject of choice may appear a daunting task. A structured approach makes it easy 32

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Checklist to get through l Educational qualifications: You need

to have completed at least 16 years of education, that is, 3 years of BA and at least 1 year of a post-graduate degree (such as MA).

l A valid passport: You will need this to

even take the GRE and TOEFL exams.

l Access to the internet: While this is

not essential, it will make your life much easier.

l Access to a credit card or a credit card

of your own: Again, this is not essential but will make registration for the GRE and TOEFL exams much easier. It will also enable online submission of application forms to universities.

l Make sure you have all your documents

ready. If not, start the process of gathering all your originals as soon as possible.

l Financial expenditure: About Rs. 50,000-

60,000 is the amount you will spend on applying to around 7-8 universities. You can minimise the cost by being organised and by sending your applications by registered post instead of courier. Also, if you can name four universities to which you want your scores sent at the time of taking the GRE and TOEFL exams, these will be sent for free. You can thus save a few thousand rupees by knowing this in advance.

l Time: About 3-4 hours everyday are suf-

ficient. The months of September through December are crucial. University deadlines begin from December 1 and can go up to mid-January for different universities.

The Chapel invariablly acts as the meeting point for students in any foreign university

about the admission process to the staff members designated on the website, such as admissions coordinators and the like. Do not contact professors with queries about the admission process.

Qualifying for exams

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of English as a Spoken Language (TOEFL) are the two different exams conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). ●● Log on to www.ets.org and read up on the GRE and TOEFL exams. ●● Select a time and venue for taking each of the two exams from the list on the website. ●● Make sure that there is at least 6-8 weeks for you to prepare for the GRE. ●● Register for the exam online on www. ets.org. The process of online registration

is easy and quick but requires a credit card or access to a credit card (such as that of your parent or a friend whom you can repay in cash if you don’t have your own credit card). ●● In case you don’t have access to a credit card, don’t worry. You can pay through a money order and can download the appropriate form from the section that offers details about the GRE for test-takers on www.ets.org. ●● Also, don’t take the GRE after midNovember if you are planning to apply that very year. ●● Set aside 2-3 hours every day in order to study for the GRE. The syllabus for the GRE covers class X level maths and has a fixed list of word meanings to be mastered for the verbal section. Apart from this basic syllabus, the key to doing well in the GRE is doing as many practice tests as you can. ●● GRE preparation books such as Barron, Princeton Review and Kaplan are

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available in bookstores. Choose any one of these books and study it entirely. ●● Also, purchase the Tenth Edition of Practicing to Take the GRE General Test published by ETS. This is also easily available in bookstores. Cover this book well. Download GRE Powerprep software from the ETS website and make full use of the free resources offered on this website. ●● Take plenty of practice tests. You will get a CD containing computer-based practice tests along with any GRE preparation book. There are also paperbased practice tests in the ETS Tenth Edition. You must practice every single test in the book. Be sure to time yourself while taking the practice tests. ●● Practice the essay portion (analytical writing) of the exam by randomly selecting a topic from the lists on the ETS website and then writing the essays within the specified time limit. Guidelines on how the essays will be graded

Cracking

US Admissions

Timeline September l Schedule an exam date for the GRE and TOEFL

respectively. Make this no earlier than 6 weeks from when you register and no later than late-November.

l Start studying for the GRE. 2-3 hours daily are

sufficient.

l Start surveying universities, departments and

professors online. 1 hour a day is enough.

l Apply for a passport. Make sure you will have

it before your GRE exam date.

October l Keep studying for the GRE. Increase frequency

of practice tests. 3-4 hours a day.

l Keep surveying universities. Start shortlisting.

1 hour a day.

l Start work on your statement of purpose and

writing sample. Complete the first draft of each by the end of this month. 4 hours a week. l Ask teachers (or others) for recommenda-

tions. Make sure that you have at least three referees. Give them the first draft of your SoP. Also give them a printout of the form that each department expects referees to fill out.

November l Keep up the GRE preparation and now, start

revising. Keep taking tests and make sure you time them and grade them honestly. 3-4 hours a day, perhaps a little more on weekends. l Practise GRE analytical writing essays. Time

this as well. 2 hours a week.

l Finalise universities based on your research.

Email professors in departments if the deadline is in December. 30 minutes a day. l Revise, re-read and polish your SoP and

writing sample(s). 30 minutes a day.

l In early November, start collecting transcripts

from your BA and MA institutions.

l Collect your sealed letters of recommendation

if you plan to send them in paper form. l Take the GRE and the TOEFL.

December and/or January l Finalise your SoP and writing sample.

3-4 hours a day.

l Send GRE and TOEFL scores to the universi-

ties not included in the original list of four.

l Start and complete your online application

(you can do this in more than one sitting). Or download and fill your paper application. l Put together all the components of your

application and mail them well in time.

l Make sure that your referees receive the link

by email. This can be done when you start filling out the university’s application online. l Make sure that your application is complete

and has been received in its entirety.

March-April: By March-end, at the latest, you should know where you have been admitted and where not.

are in the ETS Tenth Edition book. ●● 6 weeks are enough to cover the syllabus well and to practise enough tests. Take at least 2 computer-based tests a week and as many paper-based tests as you can lay your hands on. Start practising even before you have completed the syllabus. ●● In order to prepare for the TOEFL, access the materials on the ETS website. You need between a day and ten days to prepare for the TOEFL, depending on how your English grammar is. Do not go for the exam without preparing at least for a day and being fully aware of the format of the exam. ●● On the day of the GRE and TOEFL tests, if you can enter at the start of each test the names of up to four universities to which you intend to apply, the ETS will send your scores to these universities for free. This will save you $80. ●● To send your scores to universities, you have to pay an additional cost of $20 each time to the ETS. Make sure that you send in your score at least a week before the application deadline, so that it reaches the university in time.

How to apply

Once you have identified the departments and professors that interest you, email the professors whom you think might be interested in the research you plan to undertake as a PhD student. This you should do around 2-3 weeks before the deadline. ●● In the email, write VERY briefly what you are currently doing (in one sentence), your academic qualifications (also one sentence), what particular research questions you want to examine and why you would like to work with them. In sum, this email should not exceed 3 short paragraphs. The shorter the better. ●● Be polite and to-the-point in such correspondence. Do not be overly flattering or wordy and at the same time, do not be boastful about yourself. ●● The professor may reply and encourage you to apply to the PhD programme. Conversely, the professor may reply and discourage you from applying because his/her research interest may not match yours. In this case, you should not apply to that department unless another professor in it encourages you to apply. ●●

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Missouri Univeristy is one of the largest public research universities in US.

Lastly, there may be no reply from the professor in which case you should only apply to that university if you really want to study there or if you are very keen on working with that professor. ●● If the professor does reply to you, do not needlessly contact the professor or ask him/her questions about the admission process.

THE APPLICATION GRE and TOEFL scores

Remember, GRE and TOEFEL scores are only one component of your application and it is easy to get overwhelmed by preparation for these exams. However, it is important to keep in mind that these scores are not the ultimate determinant of the success of your application. As, if not more, important are the other components of your application. They are, the statement of purpose (henceforth, SoP), writing sample, curriculum vitiae (cv), transcripts of your marks and recommendations from teachers or other relevant people.

Tips l Respect deadlines. l Consult anyone and everyone you can: Speak

to friends and seniors. Turn to siblings, parents and cousins. Ask your teachers for advice – give them your writing sample and statement of purpose and ask for their comments and suggestions.

l When looking at prospective departments, do

not be rigid about disciplinary boundaries. For instance, if you are a student of political science, you should also consider history, anthropology and sociology departments in which you may find professors and courses that match exactly your own research interests.

l Make lists and folders. Be organised. l The internet is your window to the world; use

it to look at universities, to clear doubts about the process and to study for the GRE etc.

do not exceed the specified page limit.

Letters of recommendation

Statement of Purpose (SoP):

Start working on this latest by late October. Stay within the word limit specified by the department to which you are applying. State briefly and clearly what you want to work on, why you want to work on it, how you will do it (i.e. what particular place or archive or data you will examine), what is the relevance of your proposed research to your discipline and what relevant qualifications you have to pursue your research (such as language skills or technical training or prior research experience).

Writing sample(s)

Again, start work on this by late October. Applications for an MA-PhD in the social sciences require one (or sometimes two) sample of your academic writing. This essay may be something you have already written in the course of your MA or may be something that you write afresh for the application. Be sure that it is what you consider the best example of your academic abilities. If the sample has nothing to do with the topic on which you are proposing to work, that is alright. In this case as well,

Make sure that you inform your referees (that is, those who will write letters in support of your application) at least 6-8 weeks prior to your application deadline. While choosing your referees, choose those teachers or employers or academics who know you well as a student and who will be able to reflect upon your abilities as a writer, thinker, speaker and person. You should offer a brief overview of your proposed research to your referees so that they are familiar with what you want to study and can incorporate it in their letters. Most universities require three letters of recommendation.

Curriculam Vitiae

Your CV should contain basic information such as your date of birth, your marks (class XII, BA, MA etc), educational institutions attended, degrees earned, scholarships/fellowships/ grants, prizes/awards, work experience, research experience, publications, extracurricular interests and achievements – whichever of these you may have.

Transcripts

Transcripts of your marks containing a detailed break up of the marks you earned in each paper in the course of your BA, MA (and MPhil, if applicable) and the exact title of each course you took are required. Usually two copies of each transcript are required for each university. Make sure the transcripts are

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signed, stamped and sealed in envelopes before you send them with your application. Start this process by mid-October since it can often be tied up in redtapism and bureaucratic paperwork.

Application form:

Each department to which you apply will have a link to its online application. Fill out each of the sections in the online form and pay the fees online through a credit card when your application is complete. Send the paper components (usually the writing sample, transcripts and cv, and sometimes the SoP too) of your application through mail or courier to the address stated on the department website. Letters of recommendation can now be submitted online by your referees. If you prefer to take them all in one go from each referee, you can send in paper copies in sealed envelopes. ●● In case you do not have access to a credit card, you can download the application form, fill it out on paper and pay through money order. Be sure to mail the application at least 2 weeks before the deadline and keep a photocopy of the final application for your own records. ●● Send your GRE and TOEFL scores to the department through the ETS. ●● Make sure your application and its various components reach the department by the stated deadline, so mail/ courier them well in time. ●● You should receive an email confirming the receipt of your online application and later, an email confirming that your application is complete. Make sure to track whether each of your applications are complete so that you can re-send those components of your application that may get lost in transit. So, between the months of September and December you can easily accomplish the various tasks that make up a US grad school application. Break it down into each of the steps described above and then, tackle each step at the appropriate time. With this approach, you will be in control of the situation and not the other way around. Graduate school applications need not consume your entire life and can easily be executed well by putting in 3-4 hours a day. Divya Cherian is pursuing her PhD at Columbia Univerisity, NY

Careers and Courses

Executive education

Take a break from work Working professionals are quitting work to go back to college hoping it will improve their by Sumita Vaid Dixit

R

upesh Bisht’s career had been moving on a steady pace but that wasn’t enough. There was always a feeling of wanting to move faster in life, to do better. “I wanted to jump to the next orbit,” he says. At many points in his career he met people who had done their management programmes from reputed institutes drawing more and with a better portfolio when he had more years of experience. The disparity was not because he wasn’t a good performer; he was always a good worker, but it was because he had started from scratch as a frontline sales person, while the management degree holders usually got a head start as management trainees. That made all the difference. “I realised that I had to bridge the gap.” Rupesh started working straight after his postgraduate diploma in management from an institute in Meerut. “I didn’t know much about rankings, then.” His first job was with Gujarat Ambuja Cements, where he was part of the sales The number of professionals taking a break from work to study is on the rise

“If I had to reach the CFO, CEO, COO level I had to act fast” Rupesh Bisht Integrated Sales Head, BigFM, Delhi

management. He got a good break with Titan Industries as a sales officer. He oversaw the distribution network of Sonata in western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. After three years, he was given the task of setting up the sales and distribution network in Rajasthan. It was an enormous responsibility – the challenges helped him grow, however his profile did not change substantially. When he joined ICICI Lombard he felt that it was time he considered doing an MBA from a good institute. “I was also getting married then, I had responsibilities and if I had to reach the CFO, CEO, COO level I had to act fast.” Going to the United States was his first choice, but since he got married

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he wanted to do a course he could finish in one year. The UK also seemed a good option, but the cost of living was high. Studying in India was another option. The choice was between Indian School of Business (ISB) or IIM. Rupesh got through ISB. Applying to business schools took a year but when he finally arrived at the ISB campus he was relieved. “It’s a big risk leaving a job, after all. And when one leaves the security of a job not knowing what the future has in store, it can be a little unnerving.” But there was no doubt that the course will improve his prospects considerably. “Salaries are a good indication of the benefits of doing a management course.

for better prospects profile, open new doors and of course higher salaries… Outlook Group

Remunerations go up from anywhere between 50 to 250 per cent,” says Rupesh who got placed with Big FM straight after doing a postgraduate programme in management from ISB. He is the integrated sales head for Delhi. His current profile is concept selling to top corporates in the country, providing brand solutions for both above-the-line and below-the-line. “The profile is very exciting and gives me tremendous exposure.” But what has really changed in the course of the one year study is his approach to issues. “Now, I look at issues, problems from a different perspective, and that makes all the difference.” It was seeking this kind of difference that Chetna Khanna quit afaqs!, online

media company, to enrol in a two-year, full-time management programme at Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon (Haryana). When she joined work she had no specific plans, no five-years-from-now approach. “To be honest, I was a little clueless.” She was part of the sales and marketing division. As she found out more about the online medium, she began enjoying her work. “I did everything under the sun, from promoting the medium to ideating on the ad campaigns to following up on business proposals.” This kind of work exposed her to the corporate world and the way things functioned. And soon from a marketing executive she became assistant manager, sales and marketing. “That was very encouraging because there was always a nagging thought that I was a plain graduate with no higher qualification.” But on occasions when she interacted with clients, she felt the need for refining her methods of dealing and approaching matters. “For one, I never paid attention to what I wore.” And now when she looks back, as the head, sales and marketing, afaqs! and The Brand Reporter, Mumbai, she reflects: “I was a bit carefree about many things, back then.” Chetna describes her time at MDI as the best time of her life. Suddenly, she became aware of many things. “For example, the very art of a written communication, which is critical in any business, has to be approached in a certain manner. There are key words that can make or break a communication,” she says as she replies to a mail on phone On the whole, Chetna says she’s more confident in dealing with senior people in large organisations. Now, Chetna heads an entire team in Mumbai and for most part she’s mentoring people and ideating on projects. However, the unusual thing is that after the completion of her management course, she decided to go back to the same organisation.

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“We have students coming in with pay packages of Rs. 5 lakh and joining back the work force with salaries at Rs. 12.5 lakh per annum” V K Menon, Senior Director Admissions & Financial Aid and Career Advancement Services, ISB

T

he number of professionals taking a break from work to study is definitely on the rise. These professionals seek exposure in specific areas; they are aware of their weakness and come to the school to address it. As a practice, the faculty writes to the candidates and asks them to spell out their expectations from the course. When the faculty meets the students in person they do a 360 degree appraisal and develop a leadership programme accordingly. Ultimately the goal is transformation and that’s what we work towards. Because our students have to have at least two years of work experience, the faculty is a mix of both resident and visiting. The visiting faculty are specialists from all over the world and hence bring in the newest management concepts to the students. But we make sure we make the class as diverse as possible. So one would be a doctor, one a CA, another an engineer, one a scuba diver. Life is like that, there are people of all kinds in a company. And we give the team a common task and they have to come up with one solution. This trains them in conflict management and improves their decision making. And when these students pass out, they instantly see the advantage of studying further. We have students coming in with pay packages of Rs. 5 lakh and joining back the work force with salaries at Rs. 12.5 lakh per annum. More importantly, they leave as more confident professionals.

Careers and Courses

Executive education

A. Guptay

Courses for working professionals Institution

Location

Name of programme

Duration (months)

LIBA

Chennai

International Business

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

Symbiosis (SCMHRD)

Hinjewadi, Pune

Postgraduate Diploma in Finance

12

Executives already working in Finance/Accounting function

LIBA

Chennai

Banking Management

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

LIBA

Chennai

Financial Management

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

IIM-B

Bangalore

Certificate Prog. in Advanced Financial Risk Management

12

Exec in Banks & Financial Institutions/Software cos. In financial verticals

IIM-L

Noida campus

International Programme in Management for Executives

12

Mid/senior level professionals with min 6 years experience to prepare them for leadership roles

IIM-I

Indore

One Year Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management Residential. Full-time

12

For senior management positions; exec./entrepreneurs min. 5 yrs managerial/ entrepreneurial/ professional experience.

IIM-A

Ahmedabad

PGP in Management for Executives

12

Exec with substantial work exp.

ICFAI (IBS)

Hyderabad

Executive PG program

12

Executives with more than three years of work experience

NMIMS

Bangalore

Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management

15

Working exec with min 5 yrs exp wanting to get equipped with critical thinking & decision making abilities & attain top mgt positions

IMT

Ghaziabad

Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Executive)

15

Working executives with work exp of min. 5 yrs at executive/managerial level

IMI

New Delhi

Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Management

15

Exec with 5 yrs or more work exp having the potential to be leaders and shapers of their org in international business

TA Pai MI

Manipal

Global MBA programme (Germany, India, USA)

18

Full-time working professionals min for 2 years; Bachelor’s in engineering, commerce, business administration or science

MDI

Gurgaon

National Management Programme

18

Class I officer/self-sponsored with min. 5 years of executive work experience

IIM-I

Indore

Executive PostGraduate Programme (EXE-PGP)

18

Exec./entrepreneurs min. 5 yrs managerial/ entrepreneurial/ professional experience

NMIMS

Bangalore

Management Programme for Executives

20

Middle-mgt exec with 5 yrs exp willing to take a one-year break

S P Jain

Mumbai

Executive Management Programme

21

Working professionals with 5 yrs work experience after graduation

NMIMS

Mumbai

Post Graduate Diploma in Business Mgt for Executives

22

Working Executives with minimum three years of Work experience in exec capacity

VGSOM-IIT KGP

Kharagpur

Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (part-time)

24

Working executive with minimum two years of work experience with engg/MSc/MCom/MCA/AMIE etc.

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“I am more confident in dealing with senior people in large organisations” Chetna Khanna Head, Sales and Marketing, afaqs!

“Well, I had a couple of plum offers from FMCG companies. I cracked the first round of P&G (10 amongst some 100 plus students).” But she did not pursue her application after that. “There was a comfort level with afaqs! And I know I can grow faster there!” Vishal Sampat had started his career as a journalist and often ended up doing a lot of research work for his stories, “more than what I should have,” he says laughing. In the course of his two years of journalism, Vishal wrote many cover stories, reviewed ad campaigns and media innovations, interacted with the top-notch people in the advertising and the media industry. “I enjoyed every moment of it, and since I had just started out, meeting senior people, veterans in the industry, gave me tremendous exposure.” Even though journalism gave him exposure to the advertising industry – which he’s passionate about – he felt the need to upgrade his qualifications. He came into journalism after doing a Bachelor’s in Business Management. “I had always wanted to be associated with the advertising industry but writing about the industry as a journalist interested me more at that point.” But he missed the operational side of working in the advertising industry. Besides, it was time he brushed up his management concepts, and confronted his weakness.

Duration (months)

A. Guptay

Courses for working professionals Institution

Location

Name of programme

Who qualifies

TA Pai MI

Manipal

Executive PGDM programme

24

Graduates in any discipline with a minimum of two years of work experience

S P Jain

Dubai

Executive Business Administrative Management

24

Working executives with full time work exp of min. 3 yrs

S P Jain

Singapore

Executive Business Administrative Management

24

Working executives with full time work exp of min. 2 yrs

LIBA

Chennai

Human Resource Management

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

XLRI

Jamshedpur

Executive Diploma in Human Resource Management

16

Minimum of 5 years of post degree full time work experience in managerial positions.

NMIMS

Mumbai

Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources for Executives PGDHR)

22

Min. 3 years work exp preferably in area of HR in an executive capacity

TISS

Mumbai

Diploma in Personnel management (part-time)

24

Exec with 3 years exp in managerial or supervisory category, preferably in personnel/administration

LIBA

Chennai

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

12

Suited for supervisors junior level executives and middle level managers

Welingkar IM

Mumbai

Diploma in Retail Management

12

Working executives with work experience of minimum. 2 years

S P Jain

Dubai

Professional Diploma in Marketing

12

Marketers with op. responsibilities and an eye on management incl. dept mgrs/, product/ brand mgrs/mktg/account mgrs/bus. Dev mgrs

LIBA

Chennai

Marketing Management

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

LIBA

Chennai

Retail Management

12

Working professionals who wish to enhance their skills in their chosen profession

TISS

Mumbai

Diploma in Hospital Administration (Evening)

12

Exec with min 3 yrs exp who wish to take up hospital administration at senior and middle levels

TISS

Mumbai

Advance Certificate in Social Welfare Administration

12

Master’s in Social Work with min 3 years exp/Bachelor’s in Social Work with min. 5 years exp in the field of development administration

IIM-C

Kolkata

PGPX-VLM prog

12

Manufacturing programme

“Finance and accounts were my weak points,” he says. Something he realised when he interacted with media planners and buyers for his articles. “I felt that it was a drawback as a journalist not to know about numbers.” Though Vishal had dabbled with the idea of doing a parttime executive management programme, he strongly felt that it was time to go back to school as a full-time student.

Vishal got through a two-year, fulltime MBA course at the Indian Education Society’s Management College and Research Centre (IES MCRC) in Mumbai. He cleared the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test. When he was back in the classroom he realised that there was so much that was happening around the world and he needed a lot of catching up to do. He

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“I definitely make decisions faster because I am more confident ” Vishal Sampat Research Executive, Millward Brown Market Research Service

got to know about the latest concepts in international marketing. “I didn’t have the time to brush up when I was working. I was just too busy working.” But what he was being taught he could immediately connect it to his work experiences. “I understood better.” He’s of the view that an MBA or an MCA should be done only after having acquired two or three years of work experience. “It’s pointless otherwise.” Vishal got placed with Synovate, a market research company that came to his institute on campus placement. There was a slight change in his career track, although he continued to focus on advertising, he felt the need to research as it was one of the most technical parts of a brand manager’s job. The first physical sign of doing a higher degree was the package. “It went up considerably.” “Now you don’t expect me to share that with you,” he quips. But he puts his growth in perspective. “If I had continued working, I would not have had the jump in my career as I have now by doing a postgraduate degree.” Some months back he changed his job. He’s now with Millward Brown, marketing research company that specialises in advertising and brands. Besides moving up the ladder faster, doing a course after some years of work experience gives you a lot of confidence. “It is difficult to articulate how, but I definitely make decisions faster and that is because I am more confident about myself.”

Advisory

hunting jobs

by Team Careers360

A

nita Sharma, a corporate communications manager, followed the normal route of applying to job consultants, putting her CV on job sites, following up with recruiting agents. When a month’s follow-up didn’t yield results an acquaintance on Facebook happened to suggest social networking sites. Well, as it turned out, Anita got an interview call after posting her résumé on one such site. Popular social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and brijj.com are emerging as favourite haunts of HR professionals and recruiting agencies.

Network here LinkedIn Provides a link to the profile page which can be sent along with job applications. Facebook Use ‘Status Update’ to tell people you are looking for an opening. Twitter TweetMyJobs helps search by specific industry or key word. Illustation: Gouri Nanda

Getting linked

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking website with executives from Fortune 500 companies as members. For international postings, this is a great site. Much of the information for the profile’s page could be culled out from the résumé. As many recruiters use LinkedIn to find people, do put in key searchwords related to your industry in your profile. LinkedIn provides a link to your profile page which can be sent along with job applications. Once your profile is set, send out invitations to connect with everyone in your e-mail address book, and search for old colleagues, classmates and friends. Go through profiles of your connections. If someone is part of the industry you are interested then ask for openings and e-mail introductions if they know someone who could help. Recommendation is part of the profile’s page and a great way to get prospective employers interested in you. Solid recommendations from a former boss, senior colleague, clients, anyone with whom you have had a good working relation can greatly enhance chances of your employability. As it’s always good to be known by as many as possible, join groups that interest you.

Update yourself on Facebook

Though this is more social than LinkedIn and Twitter, it is equally good for networking.

Brijj.com Exploit ‘Groups’ to network with people from different industries.

Social networks HR managers frequent social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to find suitable candidates

Its ‘Status Update’ feature can be exploited to tell people that you are looking for a job. So instead of saying that ‘I have bought a new phone’, you could say ‘I am looking for an opening in media’. And there are strong chances that someone will respond with a lead.

Tweeting your job search

The good part about Twitter is that it takes only 140 characters, so you will be forced to use precise words to describe your skills and profiles, and these words can double-up as key search-words. Another feature on Twitter is that you can read up about what employees and customers have to say about a company you might be keen on applying to. This can help you form an idea about the company’s work culture. Also, some companies post their job openings on Twitter; so it’s a big incentive to be on Twitter. And, of course, you can use TweetMyJobs to search by specific industry or key word.

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Bridging your networks

Brijj.com is an Indian professional networking site run by naukri.com. The advantage of this site is people here come solely with the intention of some serious business networking. Based on the information furnished in your profile, brijj.com matches profiles and prompts names of people you might have worked and studied with. Also, there are groups such as ‘sales training and methods’ and ‘effective presentation skills’ where people can join, upgrade their skills and, of course, spread the word if you are looking for an opening.

Just a word of caution

While social networking sites are great tools to showcase your skills and professional experience, they are also places where everything about you is in the public domain. So, avoid putting up a comment that is likely to upset a recruiter or an HR professional.

SHEKHAR GUPTA

“I am among the HMTs: Shekhar Gupta, who heads The Indian Express Group, is one of the most recognisable faces of Indian media. His entry into journalism happned by chance. It showed him an alternative that was more attractive than botany. The assiduous journalist, whose life took a definitive turn while covering northeast insurgency, feels that education is a specalised area and media is on a learning curve when it comes to covering this sector. Excerpts from an interview with Urmila Rao, in which he gives glimpses of his modest schooling and shares his opinion on the reform measures that can be adopted by the sector.

Q: Do you feel that the aspirations

and hopes of today’s youth are markedly different from that of your college days? A: Yes, of course. In my time or even till 15 years back, the primary job provider was the government. So a majority did NDA (National Defence Academy), IMA (India Military Academy) or gave Bank Probationary Officers’ exam, studied for IAS (Indian Administrative Service) etc. Now job prospects are enormously more. At the same time, the number of people seeking jobs has also increased because a lot more are getting educated. So the demand of professional education or specalised education has risen very rapidly.

Q: What did you study? A: When I went to college in the mid

’70s, we had no choice (of courses). Science was the first preference. If you were not good enough for biology, then you did engineering. Those days engineering jobs were only in the government sector. So, I was forced to study biology. Not that I had great interest in it. I enjoyed some of it but I don’t think I would have made a great doctor or even a good doctor. In any case, I didn’t have the patience to study seven more years after graduation in biology, in which I got very good marks.

Q: In that case how did you get into journalism? A: Quite providentially. I had gone to Punjab University with which my college was affiliated to, to get the spelling of my name corrected on the mark sheet. My name had an additional “i”, so the

name was ‘Sheikhar’. There I spotted a little notice on admission tests for a journalism course. So I just filled the form and sat for it and got selected.

Q: How was it studying in school? A: I went to many schools but below

ordinary schools. My father was in the Punjab government. He was an honest government employee and so he used to get transferred every few months. So my schooling happened in cities that were punishment postings in the ’60s. I studied in places like Palwal, Bhatinda, Sirsa and Rohtak. Most schools had no rooms. Most of the year, classes were held under trees. Blackboards were kept on props. And these were all Hindi medium schools. I call myself among the HMTs- ‘Hindi Medium Types’.

Q: Why is it that media doesn’t pursue education-related stories with much vigour? A: I think it is a new field for the media. It is like about 25 years ago, it didn’t know how to cover business and economics. TN Ninan of ‘India Today’ had covered a story on how London-based businessman Swaraj Paul mounted a takeover bid on Escorts and DCM. Its coverage style redefined the way business was covered in the Indian media. I think something similar has to happen with covering of education which is a specialised business. Right now the only coverage is on politics of education and policies. There is a lot of advertising from education business and so it has acquired a certain degree of clout in the media. But it will be sorted out soon. 42

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Q: A lot of students base their admission decisions believing the claims made in adverts appearing in responsible media. Should the media run such misleading adverts? A; I think everybody is on a learning curve. There is a lot of exaggerated claim. That is also because we never allowed the private sector to develop in the proper way. A lot of people have grown in the sideways manner by cutting corners. Education sector needs most of all, a very good regulation. Students should verify the colleges, the placement records. Don’t just spend your money to get a degree. Q: What role can media play in bid to reform the education system?

A: I think media now has to start cover-

ing education business as they would cover almost as seriously as health-related issues. Education concerns all three generations of people. We are trying and

Hindi Medium Types” “There is a lot of

advertising from education business and so it has acquired a certain degree of clout in the media. But it will be sorted out soon”

“My schooling happened in cities that

were punishment postings in the ’60s. I studied in Palwal, Bhatinda, Sirsa and Rohtak”

doing that in our paper as well.

Q: Allow me to ask you a personal

question. If you had access to upscale schools do you think your life would have been any different? A: Well, I don’t know. But certainly some of things would have come easier. You just have to work extra hard for everything. A sense of proving is there. But at the same time when you go through hard schooling in countryside, it also hardens you a great deal and gives you a thick skin which is very important in this line. If you go back to ’60s and mid ’70s, there was no internet, mobile phones or trunk calls. So there was disadvantage not only in going to very basic schools, but also the disadvantage of being in small towns.

Q: It is alleged that marketing and not editorial has a greater role to play as far as education-related stories are

concerned. Is it true? A: In ‘The Express Group’ there is no such issue. I think also in most papers, if a reporter came out with a really brilliant story which is adverse to the institution, the paper will publish it even if the institution is a big advertiser. I think it is really difficult to stop a big story. I feel journalists have to acquire better competence in this area.

Q: What would you like to highlight in your paper? A: We will fight for better quality and more quantity. The big problem in India is the quantity; there is massive undersupply (of educational institutions). We must first address the under-supply. A regulator can be set up in one week. Where is the problem with that? There should be a good professional, committed regulator for education. Let the thousand flowers bloom! 43

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Q: When you did your show ‘Walk the Talk’ on NDTV with Mr. Kapil Sibal, the HRD minister, what sense did you derive after the conversation? A: There are very good intentions. But to get something done in the government system, you have to back the intentions with a lot of skill; skill of manoeuvring with the political system, bureaucratic system, public opinion. All that now remains to be done. It can’t be done in the government sector neglecting the private sector and foreign institutions. And the change should take place in a systematic manner with proper regulation so that fly-by-night act could be stopped.

Q: What is your take on the rankings done by various publications and the electronic media? A: These things have to be done fairly and there is a scientific way of doing it. I don’t think all the rankings that you see in India are fixed. But some do look sponsored. I can assure you that when we do it, no sponsors who are advertising will have anything to do with it. Q: Your one advice to the minister with regard to education reform? A: Don’t delay change. That longer the change is delayed, the more resistance develops in the system. Now everyone pretty much knows his mind. So all the vested interests and rent-seekers who do not want change will now be working very hard, blocking change. Q: Every one has a defining moment

that changes the entire course of life. What was yours? A: Going to the northeast. In January ’81 I went there at the height of trouble. Like every journalist has to pay his dues doing something, I paid mine covering the northeast assignment. It gave me exposure and brought about a quantum change in the quality of work that I was doing. Read the full interview at www.careers360.com

In depth

psychology

“Listen, I’m not a mind reader, I am a psychologist!” Want to be a psychologist? Read on to understand the field of psychology, courses, training, institutions, personality traits and future prospects Fast Fact Best schools: NIMHANS, TISS, University of Delhi, Allahabad University and IIT’s Qualifications: Depends on the level of study, BA, MA, MPhil, and PhD programme Our advice: Interesting subject but takes time to settle down in the profession Career avenues: Academics, research, corporate, NGOs, development, disaster management, crisis management and training

by Bharti M Borah

W

hen you enter the world of psychology, no student of psychology can escape hearing statements like, “Oh, so you can read my mind!” or “I need to be careful about what I say in front of you.” Psychology is not about reading minds. It is a discipline that is defined as “the study of human and animal behaviour.” In order to enter this sphere, you need to have a genuine interest in human behaviour and have to develop your observational skills, if not already prevalent. Psychology departments always stand out no matter which space they occupy. People will peep in, but will always be wary of entering this space. According to Shalini Masih, counsellor at New Delhi’s Satyawati College, “Psychology is very time consuming and there is a stigma attached to being a psychologist as well.” Students of psychology usually end up being lost in a world of their own,

getting into the depths of their self and others. Readings and assignments not only provide you insight into behaviour but also help in developing an understanding into the connection between the mind and body.

How it all began

The first department of psychology in India was established at Calcutta University as early as 1915 when Sigmund Freud was busy understanding the psyche in the Victorian society. Though many would have heard of Freud, not many would be aware of our own Girindrasekhar Bose, an early 20th century South Asian psychoanalyst who was also the first president of the Indian

Distance Learning ■■

Annamalai University, Annamalainagar

■■

Bharathiar University, Coimbatore

■■

Nalanda Open University, Patna

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Psychoanalytic Society in 1922. An even lesser known fact is that Bose and Freud carried on a twenty-year dialogue through letters. When Bose submitted his doctoral thesis in 1921, entitled ‘Concept of Repression,’ he blended Hindu thought with Freudian concepts. The Indian Psychological Association got established in 1924 and the Indian Journal of Psychology was founded in 1926, much ahead of many countries around the world. Bose has found reflection through the writings of Christiane Hartnack, Amit Ranjan Basu, Ashis Nandy, Sudhir Kakar and Mansi Kumar amongst many others. In spite of the early beginning in the Indian context, psychology is still trying to find its grounding and establish roots as a discipline and profession to be pursued actively.

Levels of study

Psychology is introduced at school levels in India. However, an in depth study

Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group

Psychology Lab, IP College, DU

mordern gadgets help psychologists in a big way in terms of research and analysis

of the subject takes strong roots only at the undergraduation level. You would be able to opt for a BA (Hons) in psychology, a BSc in psychology or a BA in psychology depending on the institution you opt to study. Remember, only with a high percentage in schooling will gain entry. You end up studying a range of subjects including general psychology, statistics, systems, abnormal behaviour, physiological psychology, and applied psychology to name a few. You will be required to do practicals as part of each course, as well. Conducting a memory test or a personality test or an aptitude test on yourself and on subjects would not remain alien to a student of psychology for long. When you enter this arena you need to remember that a BA degree is normally not enough and most people end up doing at least a master’s after completing their undergraduation. This again depends on the institute you choose to study in but is much more structured

“Psychology is a very exciting field for

people who enjoy people but it is a

misunderstood field. It requires long years of work, training and education.” Dr. Neeru Tanwar Clinical Psychologist, New Delhi

and a deeper. A minimum of 55% in your undergraduation is required to apply, along with sitting for an entrance test, group discussion and an interview. Readings and assignments and ongoing research become a part of your world. You would have to choose a specialization in your second year of MA ranging

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from child psychology, organizational behaviour, social psychology and clinical psychology to name some of the most frequently available options. Most people end up sitting for the UGC Net exam for Lectureship during this time and take up academics as a career path or opt for further studies. Some students who have been studying psychology for five years by now, either end up taking a break and finding a job or they continue to study for an MPhil or PhD degree. Many become inclined towards research and wanting to make a difference in the field becomes a strong need. Shveta Kumaria, a clinical psychologist who did an MPhil from NIMHANS suggests, “One needs to look beyond the conventional, you can use your skills in multiple ways. One needs to understand what one likes and what one doesn’t and try to be flexible in one’s approach.” You have a large amount of opportunities available such as academics, market research, drug trials, schools, clinics, hospitals, social research, ad agencies or pure psychometric testing. Creativity and innovation can be used to find the right fit. Disaster management is another great option you can explore in the coming years. Students who begin to do a PhD find themselves taking up research in a field of their choice, mostly ending up doing innovative work or looking at an already researched aspect of psychology in a unique manner. Ongoing study and reading will become a core part of your personality and interest as a part of this field, a part that develops over the years and never really ends. Discussions, conferences and discourse on various aspects of psychology in terms of motivation, attitude and culture create a unique language of its own. Many students end up feeling like they are talking in a different language when they speak to people who do not belong to the field of psychology.

Choosing the best school

Before zeroing in on a school as a student of psychology, one would have to decide on the area of specialization. Even at the BA level you would have to opt for a specialization such as child psychology

In depth

psychology

Institution

City

State

Bangalore University

Bangalore

Karnataka

Little Flower Institute of Social Sciences and Health

Kozhikode

Kerala

Tripura University

Agartala

Tripura

Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya

Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh

Bhavnagar University

Bhavnagar

Gujarat

Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya

Indore

Madhya Pradesh

Dr. Harisingh Gour University

Sagar

Madhya Pradesh

Jai Narain Vyas University

Jodhpur

Rajasthan

Jamia Millia Islamia

New Delhi

Delhi

Kurukshetra University

Kurukshetra

Haryana

Maharshi Dayanand University

Rohtak

Haryana

North Eastern Hill University

Shillong

Meghalaya

Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University

Raipur

Chhattisgarh

University of Ajmer

Ajmer

Rajasthan

University of Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi

Utkal University

Bhubaneshwar

Orissa

Veer Narmath South Gujarat University

Surat

Gujarat

or social psychology or applied psychology in your third year. Make sure to choose an institute to study where the faculty is available for the particular subject. Under the consistent effort of Indian psychologists, cultural and social psychology has become an area that has evolved over the years to pursue. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore is an internationally reputated institution, providing state-ofthe-art training in mental health. At an MPhil level, with very few seats available, many students sit for the exam more than once to gain entry into this prestigious institution. Tata Institute of Social Sciences is another space that students strive for. Allahabad University is historically a place where Indian psychology took strong roots and has created many famous Indian psychologists. University of Delhi also offers various specializations such as organizational behaviour, clinical psychology and social psychology, a place many students are able to find their area of choice. Though many students remain unaware, you can also opt to be part of IIT’s to pursue further education in this field.

Branches of psychology

After having completed your undergraduation course or even while doing

“Look beyond the conventional,

you can use your skills in multiple ways.” Shveta Kumaria Consultant, Erehwon Innovation Consulting, Bangalore.

Psychology Lab, IP College, DU

BA (Hons) Psychology

B Sc Psychology

Top Indian institutions

Psychology courses are technical in nature, requiring long hours of sustained effort

so, you may have zeroed in on the branch of psychology you want to pursue. Psychology in India is largely concerned with the study of human behaviour so if you want to study animal behaviour you would have no option but to go abroad. Psychologists apply the theoretical knowledge they gain to help gather information through laboratory experiments: personality, aptitude and intelligence tests; observation, interviews and questionnaires. In addition you may opt for surveys as a mode of gathering data. However, statistics and a scientific

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approach is a large part of the territory. Experience would be largely dependent on the area of specialization and that will help decide the area of work after completing your degree. Specializations lead to in depth knowledge base in a specified area. A neuro psychologist would find space in health care as a specialist who understands the relation between human physical systems to undertand behavioural changes after stroke/head injury. A criminal psychologist would find work in prisons, juvenile centres and special hospitals to understand criminal behaviour and the psyche.

Where all you could be

Dr. Neeru Tanwar, a New Delhi-based clinical psychologist feels that psychology can be broadly divided into two categories, concerned with those who are well/and restoring well being. She believes that psychology can be used in various fields. School or educational psychologists use their knowledge to develop curriculum, and learning techniques that are more effective. The corporate world finds psychologists that help people work better, resolve conflicts, and in team building. Motivation becomes core to their understanding of human resources and industrial relations as well.

Job openings for psychologists

Studying psychology abroad Institution

Country

Website

Australian National University

Australia

www.anu.edu.au/index.html

Columbia University

US

www.columbia.edu

Cornell University

US

www.cornell.edu

Harvard University

US

www.harvard.edu

London School of Economics and Political Science

UK

www.lse.ac.uk

US

http://web.mit.edu

Massechusetts Institute of Technology McGill University

Canada

www.mcgill.ca

Monash University

Australia

www.monash.edu.au

National University of Singapore

Singapore

www.nus.edu.sg

New York University Peking University

US

www.nyu.edu

China

www.psy.pku.edu.cn/en

Princeton University

US

www.princeton.edu/main

Stanford University

US

www.stanford.edu

The University of Melbourne

Australia

www.unimelb.edu.au

University of British Columbia

US

www.ubc.ca

University of California

US

http://berkeley.edu/

University of California

US

http://berkeley.edu/

University of Cambridge

UK

www.cam.ac.uk

University of Chicago

US

www.uchicago.edu

University of Michigan

US

www.umich.edu

University of Oxford

US

www.ox.ac.uk

US

www.upenn.edu/campus

University of Pennsylvania University of Tokyo University of Toronto Yale University

Most find themselves involved in working with the well. But, another category that exists requires restoring well being. Assessment, diagnosis and testing become a core part of psychologists working in this area and rehabilitation is the essence of their jobs. Dr. Tanwar stated, “Psychology is a very exciting field for people who enjoy people but it is a misunderstood field. It requires long years of work, training and education. Academic performance is important and courses are technical.” When you are making an earning through this profession, you need to free yourself from the corporate trend in terms of money. Clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychometricians and rehabilitative psychologists largely occupy this space along with psychiatrists, social workers and other specialists.

Japan

www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_e.html

Canada US

www.utoronto.ca/ www.yale.edu/

“They should have the passion and they should also have

the patience”

Paresh Shah Former consultant, Accenture Services

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Depending on your specialization, you will opt for a specific career path. However, be warned that money is not something that you will receive in spite of the years of study you have already put in. You need to be realistic, realize that your qualifications will not put you at par with others who have done professional courses. Kumaria advises that when after years of work you are earning only Rs. 25,000 a month, you’ll start questioning your decision to have studied psychology but you need to stay with it. She advises that getting some experience from abroad in terms of pursuing short term courses or getting a global experience by joining the likes of ‘Doctors without frontiers’ will increase your exposure and help build confidence. Choices also become based on your personal needs at the time you finish your degree. Paresh Shah had passed out with a specialization in organizational behaviour but opted to join an NGO where he began work as a counsellor. Psychology as a field remains as an ‘all women’s subject’ in the mind of society, a thought that makes men feel a bit marginalized when they opt for this subject. However, this didn’t deter Shah from staying in the subject and he went on to receive the Richmond Fellowship and worked in the field of psychosocial rehabilitation. It was demanding work, especially at the emotional level. After six years of work experience, he found himself earning only Rs. 15,00020,000 a month, leaving him feeling a little disillusioned. He opted to enter the corporate world and use the skills he learned while studying organizational behaviour. Shah has a piece of advice for people entering the field of psychology echoed in Masih’s words, “They should have the passion and they should also have the patience. You need to think about your orientation and mentors seriously, there are very good courses available abroad. Just remember psychology is not a cake walk.”

Qualities of a psychologist

This is largely dependent on the space you choose to occupy but some constants do remain. Masih sums up the skills in terms of the 3 P’s of psychology, Patience, Passion and Perseverance, a

In depth

psychology

Glimpse into areas of study and some job opportunities Applied Psychology

Counselling, training programmes, market research, mental health services in hospitals, clinics, or private settings

Clinical Psychology

Mental Health programmes in psychiatric hospitals and clinics, community, geriatrics, and private practice

Cognitive Psychology

Study of the brain’s role in memory, thinking and perceptions, can apply to artificial intellegence

Counselling Psychology

Help people deal with problems of every day living at personal, social, educational or vocational levels

Criminal/Legal Psychology

Work in prisons, juvenile centres and special hospitals

Developmental Psychology

Study the patterns and causes of behavioural change from infancy to adulthood

Educational Psychology

Design, develop and evaluate educational programmes

Experimental Psychology

Conduct experimental research on various aspects of human behaviour

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Applying psychological principles to personnel, administration, management and marketing problems

Neuro Psychology

Applying study of the relation between human physical systems and behaviour to stroke/head injury

Research Psychology

Physical, cognitive, emotional or social aspects of human behaviour

Social Psychology

Studying group behaviour, leadership, attitudes and interpersonal perception

fact that many students and established psychologists agree to. You require a basic sensitivity towards human nature and need to be ethical in approach. Confidentiality is a must for any psychologist, whether you are operating at the community level, corporate or involved in group processes. Nishtha Upadhaya, Joint Controller, Defence Accounts (Air Force) and Financial Advisor (R&R Hospital), a university topper at the undergraduation and postgraduation level in psychology always dreamt of joining the administrative services. Her experience in the Defence Ministry led to a feeling that acceptability as a woman doesn’t come easy but having studied psychology has helped her in dealing with initial resistance that is always there. Her skills have been recognized by her seniors as well and she is generally posted to offices where there is a crisis of sorts. Studying psychology has created a lot of understanding about her own self but Upadhaya remembers, “No one is supposed to be like you. They are supposed to be different.”

Circling the world of psychology

After investing more than five years of your life in psychology and if you are still continuing to do so in whichever space you occupy, rest assured you have entered a world that is as difficult to enter as it is to exit. Sudhanshu Mishra had done a master’s through a correspondence course from Annamalai University and was an active mental health practitioner. He changed fields and started working with an NGO based

Psychology courses demand passion, patience and perseverence to a great degree to succeed

“When you are making an earning through this profession,

you need to free yourself from the corporate trend in terms of money. But it is emotionally satisfying ”

in Kolkata. Mishra feels that students entering this field need to be aware that the scope in terms of academics is very stable. Clinical psychology is picking up but various hardships are involved. Applied psychology still has not found

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its footing though the future of counselling looks very good in India. Are you keen on a career in psychology? Once you decide the specialization, and the school to study, the journey becomes a bit easy. Don’t be afraid to take the step forward, but remember the three P’s required as the journey will be a long one and not so easy. There may be various stumbling blocks and disillusionment on the way but once you have entered this world you will want to stay, sometimes out of choice and sometimes in spite of it. There will be hardships involved, some misunderstanding and monetary issues would keep cropping in. But, the satisfaction you will receive when you help a person in whichever capacity will leave you with a sense of achievement and probably a smile on your face when you fall asleep in the night, drained after a long and taxing day, emotionally as well as physically.

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Cover Story

Govt/PSU JOBS

govt/psu

1.71 lakh jobs UP FOR GRABS Government Jobs (2008-2009)

Administration

2,188

Agriculture & Allied Science

988

Banking

51,692

Education

7,972

Engineering

10,559

Finance & Accounts

1,666

Health

7,424

Non-Technical

4,954

Office SUPPORT

7,839

sPECIALISTS

4,029

Science & Technology

2,627

Security

35,632

Service Engineering

31,530

OTHERs

1,678

Total

1,70,778

The government sector offers jobs in almost all fields ranging from agriculture to hospitality. Know the possibilities before you decide on a particular career by Nimesh Chandra

W

ith over 18 million employees, government sector still accounts for over half of the total employees in the organized sector in India. And for millions of graduates and diploma holders in non-metros, a public sector job is still a passport to financial security, social status and general well being. Hence, despite impossible success rates like 1 in 10,000 for Special Class Railway Apprentices Examination, lakhs of people every year sit for hundreds of examinations conducted by a host of agencies for that elusive government job. Recruitments in the government sector happen at four levels. The central government recruits through the Union Public Service Commission and the state governments through their own public service commissions. The public sector undertakings and autonomous institutions recruit either individually or through centralized recruitment boards on an all India basis. And recruitments in the public sector are diverse. From gardner to advisor,

Top ten recruiters across all sectors Organisation

Youth edge in government recruitments

Vacancies

State Bank of India

27,251

Central Industrial Security Force

13,900

Railway Recruitment Board

13,839

Delhi Police

10,566

Indo Tibetan Border Police Force

7,676

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

6,244

Ministry of Shipping/Road Transport and Highways

5,515

Employees State Insurance Corporation

4,753

government recruits for various job profiles and at all levels of responsibilities. The entry requirements, selection process, catchment area, and eligibility requirements are amazingly diverse. To help you navigate the job market better, we present an analysis of most of the jobs announced in the public sector during the last financial year (2008-2009). Grouped into 14 different sectors, from agriculture to service engineering, over 1.7 lakh employment opportunities that are available for an aspiring youth have been examined. While the detailed eligibility requirements and examination processes are impossible to list out, a broad overview of qualifications, tips for examination and other relevant details have been incorporated. The primary objective is to provide you a pen picture of the number, nature, selection process and prospects of available government jobs across sectors. This is in a bid to enable you to make sound decisions about your career in what would turn out to be a lifetime pursuit for most of you.

94%* 18-35**

3%

36-44

Union Bank of India

3,771

*Percentage of vacancies

Oriental Bank of Commerce

3,056

** Age groups

2%

45-55

1%

56 & above

Research Methodology Mapping Employment News and select national dailies for the past year, we created a database of all the listing of jobs of Central, State Governments, Public Sector Undertakings, autonomous bodies, Universities, and other general recruitment bodies and mid-level career promotion opportunities including those on deputation. We gathered detailed data on position, age, qualifications required, selection process, nature of recruitment and organisations. We grouped the 170,778 jobs, so identified into 14 broad categories that include specialists and others. Only recruitment by armed forces has been excluded as the exact number of vacancies is not available.

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Health Sector

M

Photographs: Outlook Group

Agriculture and Allied Disciplines

F

or the first time in modern history the 1960s and 1970s saw impressive growth in agricultural productivity aimed at making India fully self-sufficient in its food requirements. However, in the current scenario due to several factors like unsustainable use of resources, lack of scientific research, and coping with issues such as climate change, usage of fertilisers, power shortages etc. has compelled the government to have a rigorous and coherent policy to boost activities in agriculture, veterinary, forestry and allied areas. In our study we found that job openings for agricultural graduates increased considerably in banks and financial institutions and the opportunities, particularly in the rural areas are multiplying. Scientists and subject specialists were in high demand for which postgraduation (PG) in relevant area was essentially required. Specialisation in subjects like agronomy, animal husbandry, horticulture, plant protection, soil science, entomology and microbiology were the most sought after. Most of these positions were at the

Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s regional centres all over the country and at the research divisions of Indian Council for Agriculture Research . Many openings were seen at the Research Fellow (both senior and junior level) or Associate level in several projects that required at least a high second class PG or a higher degree like PhD. On an average the openings were at middle or senior level that required substantial work experience. Maharashtra Public Service Commission required over 150 Assistant Commissioners in the field of Animal Husbandry at a pre-revised pay-scale of Rs. 8,000-13,500. For such openings a Master’s degree is required and practical experience in Animal Husbandry for a period of not less than 5 years in a government department or in an industrial undertaking is a must. The responsibilities at such positions usually ask for scientific evaluation of various technical programmes and suggesting suitable remedial measures. The employment opportunities also were found at the Krishi Vigyan Kendras

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edical officers were the most recruited among the several job titles in this sector primarily at the government hospitals, public sector corporations and other organisations. The health sector openings accounted for 4 percent of all jobs across all the sectors. The opening for Nurse/Nursing officers/Sisters - the second largest among job-titles require a BSc in Nursing or diploma in general nursing and midwifery and for higher level, in addition to the said qualification, twothree years of work experience is considered mandatory. However, for some positions in a smaller organisation, you may have passed class tenth exam with an added qualification in Nursing. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi recruited more than 360 Sisters (Grade II) last year. For

Maximum job openings in Health Sector (2008-09)

Top recruiters in Health Sector (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Employees State Insurance Corporation

2,805

Uttarakhand Public Service Commission

900

875 Medical Officers

Tripura Public Service Commission

730

365 General Duty and Junior Medical Officers each

Railway Recruitment Board

556

Health & Malaria Inspector, RRB Chennai

All India Institute of Medical Sciences

364

362 Sister Grade II

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh

200

191 Assistant Professor

the post of medical officers in their specialised area, a degree in related medicine field is essential. For insurance medical officers, who were recruited in large numbers by the Employee State Insurance Corporation, in addition to a medical qualification, it is obligatory that one should have completed compulsory rotating internship and also be registered under the Medical Council of India. These officers are posted in

Position

828 Insurance Medical Officers

1,566

Medical Officers

1,394

Insurance Medical Officers

hospitals/dispensaries of E.S.I. Corporation after clearing the selection test. The other promising job opportunity in the health sector is at teaching and research positions. Last year 430 assistant professors were recruited in different medical colleges and hospitals in the country. While Lady Hardinge Medical College & Smt S.K Hospital recruited over 150 faculty members of which 68 were for assistant professorship, the

(KVK); Project Directorates on different agriculture/allied subjects, commodity boards and cooperatives. The KVKs usually employed programme coordinators, farm managers and subject matter specialsts. The recruitments are usually advertised in the Employment News and national newspapers, but one should always keep a check on the websites of the agriculture universities in the country and research institutions like National Dairy Research Institute, Forest Research Institute, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Indian Agricultural Research Institute etc. Last year, the State Public Service Commissions recruited the maximum number of people followed by research institutes of the Agriculture Council.

Vacancies

Nurse/Nursing officers/Sisters

829

Junior Residents

702

Assistant Professors

430

General Duty Medical Officers

366

Health & Malaria Inspectors

302

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh filled in 200 faculty positions. Railway Recruitment Board selected 229 Health & Malaria Inspectors which required the candidates to have a degree in science, preferably with chemistry as the main subject. The other noteworthy openings here are at the level of Pharmacists, Medical Superintendents, Radiologists, Anaesthetists and Subject Specialists.

Maximum job openings in Agriculture and Allied Disciplines (2008-09) Position

Vacancies

Assistant Commissioner

153

Senior Scientist

142

Head of various departments

50

Subject Matter Specialist

40

Principal Scientist

28

Top recruiters in Agriculture and Allied Disciplines (2008-09) Organisation/Department

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh

217

Veterinary Medical Officer

Maharashtra Public Service Commission

204

Assistant Commissioner, Animal Husbandry

Indian Agricultural Research Institute

61

Senior Scientist

Krishi Vigyan Kendra

29

Subject Matter Specialist

Central Institute of Fisheries Education

26

Senior Scientist

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Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Science & Technology

W

hen Aarti Srivastava, a polymer scientist, started looking for a job in her field, she attempted a balanced approach to both teaching and research. Her PhD supervisor at Banaras Hindu University told her she would be competitive for faculty positions, but her post-doc advisor suggested that her research outcome would be more suitable to a career in research. She thus chose a public sector oil company’s Research & Development centre where she now relishes the challenge of developing real-world products. In the past one year such openings have been advertised at different levels in different functional areas. Of the 2,627 job positions in this sector, nearly half were that of scientists at different levels.

Banking Sector - Money Matters

A

mrendra Nath Sinha, a probationary officer at the Indian Overseas Bank reflects on the need for a much wider-ranging of knowledge than was required, say a decade ago. The range of products and services which banks can offer is so extensive following the deregulation of the sector. In the previous year (2008-09), banking sector recruited the maximum number of personnel at various levels ranging from management trainees to assistant managers and agriculture officers to marketing & recovery officers (rural). However, the two most demanding job positions offered at the entry level are at the Clerical Grade and as Probationary Officers (PO). These positions draw a dominant pay-scale of Rs. 4,410-13,210 and Rs. 10,000-18,240 respectively. With stiff competition coming from private sector and foreign banks in India, most of the nationalised banks enable a greater adaptation of life-long learning to the present and future qualification needs. In the present context of an increasingly complex finance sector,

the qualifying criteria for vacancies were found to be postgraduation with relevant specialization at the middle and senior level positions. Knowledge of computers is an add on. The usual openings were for chartered accountants, cost accountants, management, agriculture and commerce graduates. The other job openings in the sector

Maximum job openings in Banking Sector (2008-09) Position

Vacancies

Clerical level

28,583

Probationary Officer

12,688

Assistant Manager

2,725

Manager

1,103

Agriculture Officer

652

Management Trainee

551

Top recruiters in Banking Sector (2008-09) Organisation/Department State Bank of India

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

27,241

20,000 Clerical Grade

Union Bank of India

3,771

2,075 Assistant Manager (Marketing)

Oriental Bank of Commerce

3,050

3,000 Probationary Officers

Central Bank Of India

2,056

850 Clerical Grade

Bank of Baroda

1,950

1,000 Clerks/750 Probationary Officers

Syndicate Bank

1,850

1,300 Probationary Officers

Bank of India

1,750

1,750 Clerical Grade

Andhra Bank

1,675

965 Clerical Grade

Allahabad Bank

1,423

1,000 Clerks cum Cashiers

Indian Overseas Bank

1,250

1,250 Probationary Officers

Canara bank

1,100

400 Probationary Officers

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While public sector enterprises such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Limited, Uranium Corporation of India Limited, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited and the like recruited several S&T personnel last year, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and its laboratories also employed many senior/ principal scientists. The number of chief scientists recruited were relatively less. Maximum job openings in Science & Technology (2008-09) Position Scientists/Senior Scientists/ Principal Scientists

Vacancies 1,196

The strategic sector has also recruited hundreds of scientists, for instance the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) recruited 500 scientists ‘B’ last year. Interestingly, a majority of those employed at DRDO were graduates from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). For such positions the Recruitment and Assessment Centre conducts a Scientist Entry Test (SET) usually advertised on their website and Employment News. The S&T sector has wide range of opportunities for personnel in all critical areas like health, education, basic science, power, protection technologies and so on. In the past few years, an increasing

number of posts have been devoted specifically to research and teaching positions in academia. Research Associates, Research Fellows & Assistants, Junior and Senior Research Fellows were very much encouraged to render their services in various projects. Academic institutes such as central and state universities, National Institutes of Technology, IITs and like regularly recruit candidates at the above positions who are later employed as faculty members. The projects were seen to be largely sponsored by department of science and technology, biotechnology, atomic energy, space ministry of environment and forests and health & family welfare.

Research Associates, Fellows & Assistants (RA/RF)

214

Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

169

Organisation

Senior Research Fellow (SRF)

108

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)

539

500 Scientist ‘B’

Principal Scientist

28

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

89

89 Field Executives

include investment officers, insurance advisors, foreign exchange manager, systems manager, financial analysts, corporate credit personnel and so on. In the coming years, it appears that the development of vocational or professional qualifications would be a priority for the Indian banking sector.

Top recruiters in Science & Technology (2008-09) Vacancies

Within banking, employers look for people with following skills: numeracy and mathematics, relationship management that makes you understand client needs; industry and product knowledge; interpersonal skills; knowledge of information and communication technology; and languages and cultural awareness.

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Maximum job openings

In our analysis, among the top recruiters, the State Bank of India emerged as the largest recruiter with over 27,200 vacancies in the last year - the largest share being taken by Clerical Grade followed by Probationary Officers (PO). The other large recruiter was Union Bank of India. The entry level eligibility criteria for the former is 12th pass with 60 per cent marks while for the POs it is graduation with stipulated percentage that varies from bank to bank. The selection for POs is through preliminary and main examination followed by group discussion and interviews (also see page 24 for details on Bank PO exam). The 2-hour preliminary exam is objective comprising English language; test of reasoning; general awareness including computer knowledge; and quantitative aptitude including data interpretation. The 3-hour main examination also has a descriptive section on English. A similar exam pattern is adopted for clerical grade but the emphasis is on numerical aptitude, reasoning and language skills. Recruitment details are available on respective websites of banks, Employment News, job portals (look for reputed ones) and national dailies.

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Education - teaching for a new India

F

aculty openings in academic institutions are best suited for motivated self-starters who have gone through both the rigours and exciting facet of a higher degree, usually a PhD, while post-doctoral experience is an added advantage. The highest rewards are given to those who are able to identify and explore original problems in their fields. With the Sixth Pay Commission in place, the education sector is particularly seen to attract many people. The attraction is also due to the relatively flexible structure of the profession. There were close to 8,000 teaching jobs advertised last year in the publicfunded universities and organisations, research institutions, schools, municipal corporations, and public service commissions. Out of these, nearly 50 percent were at the entry level as lecturers and assistant professors. In view of several academic institutions being set up by the government and private sector in the country, many teaching and research responsibilities are imminent. In order to equip oneself for a faculty position, one needs to pass the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts the UGC/CSIR-NET for natural sciences. The prerequisite to appear for this test is a postgraduate degree in the respective subject. The test is conducted by the UGC twice a year usually in June and December. There are two papers of which the first tests your teaching and research aptitude, while the second paper is designed to test your knowledge in the subject. Employees State Insurance Corporation and Uttarakhand Public Service Commission recruited about 1,500 assistant professors/ lecturers. Banaras Hindu University also recruited nearly 500 faculty in last year. Major recruiters also include different ministries, Railways and defence services.

Maximum job openings in Education Sector (2008-09) Position

Vacancies

Lecturer

2,543

Assistant Professor

1,018

Professor

728

Associate Professor

641

Top recruiters in Education Sector (2008-09) Organisation/Department

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Employees State Insurance Corporation

1,638

501 Assistant Professors

Uttarakhand Public Service Commission

1,404

1,404 Lecturer

Municipal Corporation of Delhi

1,003

1,003 Teachers

Banaras Hindu University

470

436 Lecturers

Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board

453

290 Trained Graduate Teachers

Engineering

T

oday’s engineers and technologists continue to revolutionize the way we live. At the risk of being simplistic, in general, an engineer’s position stresses theory, analysis, and design while a technologist’s job incorporates applications of the same. Last year saw more than 10,500 jobs in engineering domain, not to speak of technicians who are dealt separately in the section on service engineering. Job-titles in demand were Junior Telecom Officers (JTO), Graduate Engineer Trainees (GET) and Junior Engineers. Public Sector Units (PSU) in particular aggressively looked for fresh engineers to be appointed as executive trainees in the pre-revised dominant pay scale of

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September 2009

Finance & Accounts - bean counters

T

he option in finance involves development of theoretical and practical approaches to financial management, security analysis, and portfolio management as also the analytical study of money markets, real estate, insurance, options & futures and financial institutions. However, the moment we grouped accounts in the category all jobtitles with large vacancies overshadowed the vacancies in finance sector. In finance, several banks like UCO Bank, Canara Bank, Andhra Bank and Dena Bank recruited Chartered Accountants in two figures. Similarly the public sector organizations like Food Corporation of India, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and National Highways Authority of India recruited finance managers, deputy managers, and financial analysts in nearly same quantum. In accounts category, maximum vacancies were found to be as accountants/accounts officers both at senior and junior level followed by account assistants, trainees, and auditors. The other promising thing to note here is the openings in insurance in this sector. Jobs in insurance involve working for the betterment of individuals and

businesses by managing risk, anticipating potential risk problems and protecting from catastrophic losses. Last year Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) recruited 30 actuarial administrative officers that required a pass in papers of Actuarial Society of India (IAL/ ASI) apart from a basic degree. Largest recruiters for accountants were LIC, Food Corporation of India, and Railway Recruitment Board in the pre-revised dominant pay-band of Rs. 5,000-8,000 and Rs. 7,500-12,000. Employees Provident Fund recruited nearly 100 audit personnel last year. Skill-sets in demand for accountants in particular are financial statements preparation, general ledger accounting, ad-hoc reporting and inter-company reconciliation.

Rs. 12,000-17,500. Some of the big recruiters were Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Damodar Valley Corporation, and National Thermal Power Corporation. The GETs were recruited in different disciplines, for instance NTPC sought 160 trainees in Electrical, 220 in Mechanical, 60 in Civil and 90 in Control & Instrumentation engineering.

To be selected, candidates have to write a test comprising a little over 120 multiple-choice questions of the relevant subject discipline and all those short-listed appear for GD and Personal Interview before the respective company’s Central Selection Board. Application and selection formalities are now increasingly being done online. The recruitment information is available on the

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd

Position

Vacancies

Accountant/Accounts Officer

400

Accounts Assistant

245

Trainees - Accounts

79

Chartered Accountants

132

Auditors/Audit officers

98

Top recruiters in Finance & Accounts (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)

130

100 AAO Accountants

Food Corporation of India

106

54 Assistant Accounts

Employees Provident Fund Organisation

93

41 Assistant Audit Officer

Railway Recruitment Board

59

30 Accounts - Junior Accounts Asst

National Highways Authority of India

57

32 Accounts Officer

UCO Bank

75

75 Chartered Accountants

Top recruiters in Engineering Sector (2008-09) Organisation/Department

Maximum job openings in Finance & Accounts (2008-09)

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

websites of these PSUs. Other openings in this domain were: Section Engineers, largely recruited by Railway Recruitment Boards; Scientific officers or Scientists (by Ministry of Communications & IT) and Assistant Engineers, (by state power corporations) as also Network and Design Engineers; Architects and Mining Supervisors in government or government-supported establishments. Maximum job openings in Engineering Sector (2008-09)

3,945

3,545 JTOs (Telecom)

Position

Vacancies

879

879 Junior Engineers

Junior Telecom Officers

3,945 2,036

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

855

750 Engineering Trainees

Trainees - Engineering

Railway Recruitment Board

821

86 Section Engineers at RRB, Bhopal

Junior Engineers

1,332

National Thermal Power Corporation

602

Executive Trainees

Section Engineer

407

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited

442

Executive Trainees

Scientific Officers/Scientists

341

57

careers

360

September 2009

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Administration - the glue that binds

A

dministrative jobs are classified under Central and State. While central government jobs are branched into All India Services and Central Services, a similar categorisation is seen at the state level. Most of the jobs in this group were small in number but at higher ranks from directors to heads of government undertaking and from joint secretary to secretary level. Vacancies in larger numbers were listed by Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), insurance firms and government. For higher echelons, aspirants need to write Civil Services Exam conducted by UPSC at the central level or a similar exam conducted by the State Public Service Commissions. Last year,

various insurance corporations, scientific research organisations, and government departments listed more than 600 vacancies at Administrative Officer’s level in the dominant pay scale of Rs. 8,000–13,500/Rs. 11,110-20,910. RRB recruited close to 750 Assistant Station Masters and Depot Material Superintendents. Ministry of Home Affairs employed over 50 Intelligence Officers at its Narcotics Control Bureau. The eligibility at entry level for above jobs is a graduation degree and selection is done through written test, GD and interview. Recruitments happened in Ministry of Finance, Defence, ESIC, Department of Animal Husbandry and Food Safety & Standards Authority of India. Maximum job openings in Administration (2008-09)

Top recruiters in Administration (2008-09) Organisation/Department

Vacancies

Railway Recruitment Board

576

Assistant Station Masters (164 at RRB Chennai)

Maximum job openings

National Insurance Company Limited

153

Administrative Generalist (50) & Specialists (103)

Department of Personnel & Training

113

Border Security Force

90

Position

Vacancies

Administrative Officer

618

Assistant Station Master

532

113 Deputy Superintendents

Deputy Director

135

51 Assistant Sub Inspectors

Director/Head/Secretary

113

Office Support - the nuts & bolts

N

early 8,000 job vacancies were listed in this category that include lower division clerks (LDCs), stenographers, office assistants, draughtsman, private secretary, typist, library attendant, telephone operator, receptionist and messenger and at a higher level job titles like upper division clerks, section officers, and office superintendents among host of others. In all there were 3,018 positions of clerks and 3,125 posts of office assistants which together account for 78 percent of all positions in Maximum job openings in Office Support (2008-09) Position

Top recruiters in Office Support (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Office Assistant

3,125

Lower Division Clerk

2,889

Stenographer

this category. Section Officers account for just over 2 percent of all positions. A sizeable number of LDCs were also employed by Ministry of Shipping and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. For entry in clerical grade, one needs to appear in a written exam in two parts: first is an objective paper of 200 marks equally divided into sections on reasoning ability and clerical aptitude; English language; numerical ability and general awareness. Part two comprises a typewriting test.

780

Vacancies

Life Insurance Corporation

2,771

Maximum job openings 1277 Office Assistants at LIC (Northern Zonal Office)

Municipal Corporation of Delhi

815

815 Lower Division Clerks (LDCs)

Military Engineer Services

569

169 Lower Division Clerks (LDCs)

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September 2009

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Security - the men in uniform

A

fter banking, maximum job openings were in security. The State Police, Industrial Security Forces, Border Security Force/s and even Banks employed security personnel, although majority were at the constable level in the dominant pay scale of Rs. 5,20020,200. Educational qualification for Constable-general duty is a pass in class 10/10+2. Other job-titles in the sector included security and vigilance officer, assistant commandants, security supervisors and coast guards. The sector had 35,632 jobs which accounted for 21 per cent of total vacancies in the last one year. Total vacancies for post of constables was 34,459 or 97 per cent of all security openings. CISF, Delhi Police

and ITBP together accounted for 68 per cent of the jobs or 22,340 men and 1,486 women constables. For selection, one needs to qualify physical efficiency test and written test. For example at CISF, the former consists of events like race, long and high jump which carry 25 marks and the latter consists of both objective and descriptive test for 50 marks. The exam assesses candidates’ general awareness, knowledge of elementary maths and ability to observe and distinguish patterns and basic knowledge of language. Interview and special qualifications like creditable achievements in sports, NCC, scouts/guides or any extra curricular activity have a weightage of 15 and 10 marks respectively. Maximum job openings in Security Sector (2008-09)

Top recruiters in Security Sector (2008-09) Organisation Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

Vacancies 13,499

Maximum job openings

Position

Vacancies

12,095 Men & 1,178 Women Constables

Constable

34,459 269

Delhi Police

10,553

10,245 Men & 308 Women Constables

Assistant Commandants

Indo Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP)

6,944

6,933 Constables

Security Officer

232

Sashastra Seema Bal

2,644

2,644 Constables

Assistant Sub Inspector

161

Non-technical Jobs - support staff

T

he job titles in this category include Store Keeper, Security Guard, Driver, Labourer, Peon, Washerman, Gardener, Laboratory Assistant, Blacksmith, Sweepers among others. The total number of vacancies in the last year was close to 5,000 or about 3 percent of total number of vacancies. Apart from the major recruiters listed out, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Ordinance Factory, Railway Recruitment Board, Sashastra Seema Bal and Military Engineering Services also employed sizeable number of people. Candidates with educational qualification of class VIII at the minimal level need to apply for the above listed job titles. While the prevalent age group for such aspirants was observed to be 18-25 years, the dominant prerevised pay scale was Rs. 2,550-3,200 and Rs. 3,050-4,590. Unskilled labourers, however, need to be literate up to

class V in order to be eligible. An additional qualification of an ex-serviceman is generally essential for the job of security personnel in establishments such as CISF or Border Security Force. The applications are aplenty for these positions as the hopefuls consider this as a safe and secured option. The other advantage is the adherence to office timings which in case of most of the private firms is highly ignored.

Maximum job openings in Non-technical Category (2008-09) Position

Vacancies

Drivers

1,352

Labourers

1,316

Store Keeper/Assistant Store Keeper

322

Safaiwala/Safai Karamchari

149

Chowkidar

107

Top recruiters in Non-technical Category (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Ministry of Shipping/ Road Transport & Highways

689

353 Driver Mechanical Transport

Indo Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP)

557

Driver - Constable Driver

Central Industrial Security Force

285

44 Sweepers

Western Naval Command, Headquarters

341

208 Assistant Store Keepers

Naval Dockyard

753

698 unskilled labourers

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September 2009

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Specialists: Management, Social Science, Computers, and Law

T

he specialist category includes professionals from the field of Management, Social Sciences, Law and Computers that excludes computer engineering. Management Trainees, in particular those who graduated from Business schools in less than 1-3 years were the most in demand with organisations like Steel Authority of India Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation, Uranium Corporation of India, NHPC Limited formerly called as National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd and Syndicate Bank recruiting them in different functional areas like finance, human resources and marketing. The Social Sciences had fewer positions that asked for applications for the posts of regional officers in Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) also asked for applications from those willing to pursue PhD for 40 doctoral fellowships in the open category and 15 in the northeast category. In computers, programmers/assistant programmers that have a diploma or degree in computer applications were asked to apply for nearly 250 positions. Similarly job titles like Administrative Officer and Manager-IT/Systems were advertised for in organisations like Employees Provident Fund, Andhra Bank and Oriental Insurance Company Limited. In Law, several banks like the Central

Maximum job openings in Specialists Category (2008-09) Position

Category

Vacancies

Management Trainees

Management

555

Assistant General Manager

Management

233

Customer Relations Assistant

Management

192

Regional Officers

Social Science

150

Doctoral Fellowships

Social Science

55

Executive/Legislative/Protocol Assistants

Social Science

44

Programmers/Assistant Programmers

Computers

239

Administrative Officer

Computers

150

Manager - IT/Systems

Computers

124

Law Officers

Law

108

Restorers

Law

80

Top recruiters in Specialists Category (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Steel Authority of India Limited

300

Maximum job openings 300 Management Trainees

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd

192

192 Customer Relations Asst

Food Corporation of India

139

57 Assistant General Manager

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

150

150 Regional Officers

Indian Council of Social Science Research

55

55 Doctoral Fellowships

Parliament of India

44

34 Executive/Legislative/Protocol Assistants

The Oriental Insurance Company Limited

150

150 Administrative Officer

Employees Provident Fund Organisation

127

127 Programmers

Andhra Bank

75

75 IT Officer

High Court in various states

258

80 Restorers Delhi High Court; 74 Personal Assistant in Patna High Court

Central Bank of India

70

70 Law Officers

Bank of India and Bank of Maharashtra looked for law officers in the prevalent pay band of Rs. 14,300-18,300. The eligibility criteria for a law officer in banks is a mandatory law degree with 60% marks and active practice at the Bar for 5 years or as law officer in legal department in a commercial bank/financial institution. The High Court in various states were on the look for Restorers in the pay-scale of Rs. 5,200-20,200 short-listed through a two-hour written examination based on multiple-choice questions in language comprehension, general awareness, mathematics and reasoning. Restorers or Junior Judicial Assistants are selected after a two-stage exam comprising comprehension/essay writing, type-writing and in interview.

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September 2009

Service Engineering

T

his category includes all such vacancies where a professional is likely to be involved in fabricating, operating, testing and troubleshooting, and maintaining existing equipment or systems. In other words, the job vacancies included anyone holding a qualification in vocational training (say diploma from Industrial Training Institute or Polytechnic) who was qualified to typically install, test, and maintain products in the field and was integral to the manufacturing process. This sector accounted for nineteen percent of all job-vacancies in our study. The maximum openings were for the job title Assistant Loco Pilot/Loco Pilots by the Railway Recruitment Board. The other job openings apart from the ones listed in the table in sizeable numbers were that of fitters, mining sirdars in coalfields, technical officers, assistant workshop superitendents, chargemen, crane operators, electricians, foremen and machinists. Railway Recruitment Board in various zones collectively looked for nearly 10,200 people in this sector, while the Ministry of Shipping/ Road Transport & Highways advertised for over 4,150 jobs in service engineering. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd also announced close to 1,300 vacancies, of which 789 posts were for Station Controller Train Operators. The Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET) which is the agency responsible for implementing vocational training programme in the country has observed the need for skilled personnel for openings in both manufacturing and services in India. The latest annual report of DGET (2007-08) states that in order to sustain adequate supply of semi-skilled workers, and also for value creation through dynamic vocational training policy and infrastructure, 6,906 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI)/ centres (1997 in government sector and remaining 4,909 in the private sector) are functioning all over the country. These ITIs have a seating capacity of 9.53 lakh and they impart training in 110 trades. The general educational

qualification needed for applying to positions such as foreman, fitter, chargeman or junior supervisor is a diploma in a relevant discipline from an ITI or a similar institute. The positions such as assistant technicians, craftsmen, laboratory assistants and junior attendants require 10/10+2 pass and relevant experience depending on the nature of job and responsibilities. Recruitments also happened in Public Sector Enterprises like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited that recruited over 250 Operating Technicians and Eastern Coalfields Limited that emloyed Mining Sirdars. The Department of Atomic Energy also advertised for more than 100 stipendiary trainees in different areas, mainly for their Hyderabad Station.

Maximum job openings in Service Engineering (2008-09) Position

Vacancies

Assistant Loco Pilot

3,958

Technicians

3,620

Junior Engineers

2,980

STA/Technical Assistant

2,823

Social Security Assistant

2,382

Telecom Technical Assistant

2,364

Superintendent

1,537

Fire Operator

1,242

Top recruiters in Service Engineering (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Railway Recruitment Board

10,190

2,588 by RRB Allahabad of which 1,636 for Assistant Loco Pilots; 1,505 at RRB Bhopal of which 1,059 for Technicians

Ministry of Shipping/Road Transport & Highways

4,158

1,537 Superintendents

Employees Provident Fund Organization

2,394

2,382 Social Security Assistants

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

2,270

397 Telecom Technical Assistants at BSNL Punjab

Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board

1,482

Delhi Fire Services - 1,242 Fire Officers

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

1,480

750 Supervisor Trainees

Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited

1,390

1,390Technical Helpers

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September 2009

Cover Story

Govt./PSU jobs

Others: Music, Dance, Theatre, Arts; Hospitality; Media; Language; and Sports

T

here were fewer jobs in government and public sector organisations in disciplines like Music/ Dance/Theatre/Arts, Media, Hospitality, Language, and Sports. The job titles in Music et al that were in demand last year included painters, photographers, instrument players, dancers and vocalists. Organisations looking for such posts were Indian Railways, National School of Drama, Kathak Kendra, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Banaras Hindu University and Ministry of Shipping. In Hospitality, the National Aviation Company of India Ltd called for applications to fill 547 posts of Trainee Cabin Crew at a pay package of Rs. 28,000 per month. Media jobs were advertised the least last year. 21 Junior Proof Readers were advertised by Parliament of India, while other organisations announced their requirement of Public Relation Officers and Sub-Editors in this domain. In languages area, Rajbhasha Assistant and Hindi language translators were the most sought after. One needed a Master’s degree in Hindi and about two years of relevant experience for the above posts. Other job-titles too were linked to Hindi language as there were openings such as Maximum job openings in Others Category (2008-09) Position

Category

Vacancies

Photographer/ Cameramen

Music etal.

09

Painter

Music etal.

11

Trainee Cabin Crew

Hospitality

547

Cook

Hospitality

156

Junior Proof Reader

Media

20

PR Officer

Media

5

Rajbhasha Assistant

Language

80

Hindi Translator

Language

54

Sports Quota NCC

Sports

93

Sports Persons

Sports

76

Hindi officer, Hindi typists and official language officers. Largest recruitment was through the RRB and Public Service Commission, Uttar Pradesh. Even banks such as UCO, Andhra, Canara, Dena, Allahabad and Bank of Maharashtra called for applications for official language officers. Indian Railways recruited the maximum number of

sports personnel in different disciplines like hockey, football, tennis, cricket, volleyball and badminton. This category had one percent of total job vacancies in a span of one year. The other job was that of Assistant Coach in institutes required a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Diploma in Coaching from an institution like NIS Patiala.

Top recruiters in Others Category (2008-09) Organisation

Vacancies

Maximum job openings

Ministry of Shipping/Road Transport & Highways

11

Painters

Centre For Personnel Talent Management

04

Photographers

National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Air India)

547

Trainee Cabin Crew

Central Industrial Security Force

69

Cooks

Parliament of India

21

Junior Proof Readers

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

7

Assistant Producer, Video Editors

Railway Recruitment Board, Guwahati

75

Rajbhasha Assistants

Public Service Commission U.P.

23

12 Urdu, 11 Hindi Translators

National Cadet Corps

92

Sports Persons

North Central Railway

36

Sports Quota Hockey

Concluding remarks

W

ith over 1.7 lakh jobs, the government and public sector still collectively account for about half of the jobs that are available in the organised sector and hence are very much in demand, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. But what motivates individuals to opt for public service varies. Prof. Purshottam Agarwal, Member UPSC when quizzed about civil services said, “Services as a word is integrated into sheer conceptualization of a government job, which is why it is termed as public service. In terms of diversity, challenges, and ability to make a difference, no other job can match civil services.” On the other hand, it is iron clad security that a government job offers, that motivates many aspirants, is the opinion of J.Subhramaniam, Research Director, NTPC. Whether it is service orientation or security, a public sector job offers scope for both.

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September 2009

First Person

D. Purandeswari

“Neither the UGC nor AICTE Acts have the teeth to punish” D Purandeswari, the Minister of State for HRD held the same portfolio in the previous ministry as well. She spoke to Mahesh Sarma, on how the ministry is working towards making the system effective, efficient and transparent.

Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group

every state is supposed to have a fee committee in place, an admission regulatory committee in place and see that fees is not abnormally high. Regulations as a stifling factor is completely different, we need to look at it outside this context.

Q. Can an institution which has been granted deemed university status go ahead and set up ten other unaccredited academic institutions as constitutent colleges ? A. In order to get a deemed university status, any institution has to go through a certain process, which I am sure these institutions too would have got through. Q. Not quite. Some of these institutions have received deemed university status and have opened constituent colleges which are presented as under-the-same –umbrella colleges. A. There are deemed universities and there are universiQ. It is argued that regulations are stifling in nature and ties that have been asking for their constituent colleges to a lot of institutions outside the regulatory regime are per- be recognized as part of the deemed university. But, we forming well. Your comments. permit only very good colleges to get affiliated. They cannot A. We need to have a regulatory mechanism in place bring any other college and affiliate them to their univerbecause anybody just can’t open up an institute in a ten-room sity and call them their constituent colleges. That’s not building and say that I am imparting edupermissible. The entire deemed-to-be cation to students–without faculty or... the university process is now coming under fee is abnormally high. As per our national the scanner. We will check the institupolicy on education, education cannot be tions which were awarded the status for profit. Supreme Court judgments have and the process under which they were also pronounced that education is not a granted the status. We will also review profit-making business, rather it should the performance of these institutes. That be accessible to everybody, even to the is the reason why we have stalled issumost disadvantaged child in our sociance of deemed university status to any ety. To translate all these thoughts, it is institution now. The higher education secand say I am necessary that we have a regulatory tor is now undergoing a lot of reforms imparting education” mechanism in place. That is why, foland these measures are all part of the lowing the Supreme Court judgement, reform mechanism.

“Anybody just can’t open up an institute in a 10-room building

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September 2009

Q In the 100-day agenda reform list, the Ministry talked

about bringing to book the colleges/universities engaged in malpractices. What are these 25 malpractices? A They are still in the process of formulation. This is again in tune with the Supreme Court judgement which says that education has to be affordable, accessible and quality-oriented. But, even as I say that, we need to also understand that almost 85% of education is through the private sector. We appreciate the role private sector has played for proliferation of higher education; but at the same time, private sector also has a social responsibility that they need to live up to.

and more. We don’t even know the employability opportunities the education is going to provide.

Q So, the Act would ensure that we are not taken for a ride?

A Of course. And besides, we could at least catch hold of the wrong doers and question them, which we are not able to do now.

Q The other worrying aspect is that of faculty shortage. A We agree to the fact that we have a 25 to 30% shortage

of teaching faculty as of now. So, to bridge that gap we have increased the retirement age to 65, even up to 70 if they are regulatory bodies are brought under one super regulator? deemed to be medically fit. The brain gain that is happening A In order to go for a deemed university status, the institutes in our country because of the global meltdown, we are trying need to have approval of National Board of Accreditation to work on that and see if we can actually attract these guys (NBA) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council back into our universities. Unfortunately when IT boom hap(NAAC). They assess the infrastructure, the programmes pened, a lot of individuals headed to the West because of the before qualifying them for a deemed unilucrative pay packages. And we did not versity status. NBA is with AICTE, NAAC have researchers stepping in to fill their with the UGC and since they don’t see eye gap leading to faculty shortage. So, now we “We don’t want to eye, delay happens in the accreditation have increased the number of Junior and process. So by bringing them all under one Senior Research Fellows with attractive roof we are making the process easier and pay packages. probably more transparent. People have Besides, we have an early faculty inducquestions on transparency. tion programme where we identify stuwith the potential of doing research, or tying-up with dents Q So now the new regulatory agency, bring them into the teaching profession the accreditation, the recognition and and then slowly give them time to do Indian institutes” the evaluation bodies would be at arm’s research even as they are teaching so that length? we can bridge the gap of faculty shortA Hopefully, they should be because we age. These are some of the measures that have decided on a National Council for we are looking at, but at the same time “It is essential that Higher Education as announced by Shri encouraging research is very important Kapil Sibal but now we’ll have to work on for us. We are spending about 0.3 % of we usher in a foreign the nitty-gritty of it and see how we could our GDP on research whereas deveeducation bill to actually bring all of this together. Because loped countries spend anywhere between we cannot have inspection happening in a 2 to 3% of their GDP. And again, out of watertight compartment, and awarding of the 0.3 %, 80% is by the public sector. recognition happening in another. Ideally The private sector has to step in and they should be at arm’s length but at the in a big way, which somehow they haven’t same time the distance shouldn’t be so done so far. We are looking at these long that it takes us days and years to walk aspects. up to the other compartment. Q There are no penal provisions for Q What is your take on the Foreign Universities Bill? erring institutions which tend to mislead students and A There is a lack of policy now as far as foreign education is claim a few precious years of their life? concerned. Foreign education providers are making use of A Unfortunately, when we define a university it is ideally one this deficit and are making a back door entry. They are, in all that is recognized under the UGC Act. It is also unfortunate probability, unrecognized institutions. They are giving pro- that UGC or AICTE Acts do not have the teeth to punish. grammes which are not worth anything in their own home That is why we had actually constituted the Yashpal comcountry and are taking our children for a ride. So, it is essen- mittee, even before it went into a larger term of reference tial that we usher in a foreign education bill to regulate the where it was looking at the regeneration of the system. We actukind of institutions that are going to come. We don’t want to ally constituted it to look into the AICTE and the UGC Acts have somebody walking into our country and setting up an and see how we could improvise on the Act. We are looking at institution here, having a tie-up programme and teaching our that aspect but whenever there is a complaint to that extent, students which is not good for our country. Besides, the fee we have been talking to the state governments. There is also a these providers are charging is to the tune of Rs. 12 lakh concerted effort happening from the state government.

Q Will the system start functioning effectively if all the

any foreign university walking in, setting up an institution here

regulate the kind of institutions that are going to come”

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September 2009

Advisory

10 questions

by Bharti M Borah

W

hen you are called for an interview, remember not to appear focused on yourself, money or the TA/DA that you would need to be reimbursed. Do not appear fake. Honesty and frankness is appreciated, in the right dosage. Be prepared to ask your own set of questions during the interview to help decide whether you want to join or not. 1. What will be my scope of work, roles and responsibilities ? It’s important to have an idea of the requirements as an employee. Nivedita Ghosh, Consultant and Client Manager, ABC Consultants advices, “Seek clarity on the duties and responsibilities for that position so that it does not come as a surprise package to you.”

2. What are the skill sets required for effective performance in the given role? Understand what is required from your side, if analytic ability or thinking out of the box are needed, you need to be able to deliver on the same count. According to Nishant Mohan, Director, VentureBaron Technology, a Mumbai-based company, “This helps in understanding if the company is aligned similarly or if you would find it difficult in aligning yourself to the organization’s goals and objectives.” 3. What is the guidance offered in the initial stages in the organization? This will decide how smooth your transition will be into the company. If effort is made to help you fit in, chances are the effort will reflect into other aspects as well. More willing the organization is to hand hold during the initial period, more you will deliver better and more is the intention of the company to make the relationship work. It is like the company investing in you. 4. Is there an acclimatizing camp to get used to the systems, work culture of the organization? Many companies place high importance

10 questions to ask in an interview The right questions asked with earnestness, at the right time is a clincher in the selection process

that this is not personal and a process, be willing to change and mould yourself into your job. 7. What is your salary structure and other benefits? Most employers will make an offer, so you rarely have to broach the topic. Be careful in your negotiation process, don’t appear to be too money-minded. Mohan warns, “Try and understand the salary break-up because an unfavourable break-up may result in lower income and more taxes.” 8. How much does the company invest in their employees through learning and development programmes? Srinivasan, HR Director, HCL Technologies feels that your career landscape is also determined by the kind of career development programmes that are offered. Know what you can expect, be aware of whether you will get it or not if you join.

9. What would be your reporting structure? It’s important to understand this process early so that you avoid making any blunders as part of the company. Many companies state there is no hierarchy, it is better to understand that it does exist. Openness should not be Illustation: Gouri Nanda taken as a given, be sure to maintain a certain decorum and ethical on this, reflecting the organization’s abil- approach at work. ity to deliver on its promises and investment into human resources. Srinivasan, 10. What does the organization think HR Director, HCL Technologies says, about work-life balance? “It’s important to know this so that you At a personal level this is important to have a clearer idea about whether you be kept in mind. Srinivasan shared, “It will find the right fit,the atmosphere is will not be a question that puts to rest formal or informal.” your mind in terms of deliverables but it would give you a sense of how flex5. What are my KRA’s based on which ible the company is in terms of other I would be assessed? needs.” All employees are evaluated based on An interview is a two-way process, be the key result areas. Know how your prepared to be able to respond to an contributions will be rated, be prepared opportunity to ask questions. Rememand be willing to deliver. ber each work space is a learning experience, be open to change and handling 6. Is there an annual appraisal system challenges as part of your work. No where my deficiencies would be dis- work should be impossible. Give it your cussed for self improvement? best shot and not be scared to accept Be open to appraisal and always strive your limitations, work hard to learn at towards self improvement. Remember work and achieve success.

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Teachers’ Talk

Regulation not control

Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest would always come into play ! Q. Why did it take so long for Symbiosis to

come under regulatory body? A. Symbiosis University is different from other academic institutions. When it was conceptualized in 1971, I was a professor at the Ferguson College. I was often told by foreign students, particularly from Afro-Asian countries that despite the proximity factor in terms of culture, language, geography and so on they were still discriminated. Thus as a first step we created a Symbiosis International Cultural Centre. However, for enduring interaction and mutual understanding, we thought it would be far better if we offered education programmes. Government of India gave us land and we opened the Law School and soon started offering courses in management and computer programmes that were affiliated to Pune University. The opening of several autonomous institutions was primarily due to the need of the hour in the 1990s. Thus, it was a gradual process and in 2002 we got the deemed university status.

Q. How much of a regulatory insight is

essential? A. Oh! Absolutely. But there should not be control. The regulatory mechanism in education should be akin to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). This would ensure autonomy to the educational institutions and at the same time prevent the wrong doers.

Q. What is your opinion on the recom-

mendation that higher education commission should replace all other regulatory councils like AICTE, Medical Council, Bar Council etc? A. I do agree. I have lost count of how many councils this nation has. These bodies should be redundant. There should be a one-window mechanism to clear all the proposals. It will be timely and hassle free.

use of that surplus in advancing education and research. I would also like to say that there is nothing called charity in higher education, unlike primary education or even if we talk about school education. We must change our mindset to look at education that is offered at the college level. Lately education has become a business with least investment. Top industrialists are seen to invest in education and interestingly industry associations like FICCI have started organizing seminars on higher education, research potential in academia and such themes.

Dr. SB Mujumdar President & Founder Director, SYMBIOSIS

Q. What is your view on foreign universities coming to India? A. I am open to it. However, with too many educational campuses of foreign universities, there should be a minimal level of check by a regulatory authority. But to me, at the end of the day, Darwin’s theory would come into play. Q. What do you think needs to be done in the education sphere in the country?

A. I think GLP is the answer – Globalisa-

tion, Liberalisation and Privatisation. Most of the grant-in-aid institutions have refused to change and they are growing in size. There is a need for more institutions and I feel private institutions should be encouraged. The National Knowledge Commission has also emphasised the need for 1500 universities. But do you think the government would spend so much on the infrastructure? There are other problems, that of shortage of quality faculty, resources and autonomy. I feel all the universities should be independent entities. The other issue is that in most of the universities very little research is going on. (As told to Nimesh Chandra)

Q. Should profit-oriented institutions be allowed in the education sphere? A. I do not see a problem there. But I would rather term it as surplus generation and this surplus should be incidental. You could make 69

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There is nothing called charity in higher education, unlike primary education.

Advisory

INTERVIEW WEAR

by Sumita Vaid Dixit

T

here’s a wonderful scene in The Pursuit for Happyness, where Chris (Will Smith) is asked by an interviewer: What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on and I hired him? What would you say? Chris: He must’ve had on some really nice pants. Wearing the right attire for job interviews shows you understand the nature of the business and you are familiar with the dress code of that field, thus increasing your chance in getting the job. Business fields such as accounting, banking, servicing, consulting and law require formal attire, whereas creative industries like advertising and technology are more flexible concerning the attire.

All about shirts and trousers

Clothes do make an impression and the right kind, if you pay a little attention to your interview wardrobe. HR professionals say that a candidate’s attire could actually make or break their chance of getting selected. Since how you look is going to be important, stick to the simple rules of dressing that you learnt in school. In other words, dress up conservatively, and you can’t go wrong. Wear single colour shirts. Stripes on shirts look good, but they shouldn’t be too bold or too thin and too close to each other. A white coloured shirt is a popular choice, but even a pink or a pistachio coloured shirt is perfectly acceptable as business formals. And a pair of plain cuff-links with an inconspicuous design gives a touch of sophistication. The length of the trousers should be just right; it should fall well and not bunch up at the bottom. Tapering trousers are in vogue, but make sure that it doesn’t taper to the extent of hugging your calves and ankles. Dark blue and solid grey go well with most of the shirts. Avoid self-print or striped trousers. And the suit should match your trousers. But if you want to try out different coat colours don’t sway beyond charcoal grey, dark blue, brown, fawn. A black suit looks too formal and is less appropriate for job interviews. The sleeves of the suit jacket should not cover that of the shirt

What to wear to Studies show that recruiters make up their minds in the first two seconds of the interview, so how you dress makes a big impression completely. About half an inch of the shirt’s sleeves should be seen. While it is not entirely necessary to mention this but still avoid jeans or denims for interviews.

The knotty bit about ties

Now comes the knotty part. The double-knot tie is the right size to wear. Remember the way you tied the knot in school and the principal agreeably nodded? Yes, keep that in mind. A larger tie knot can give you a more confident look while a symmetric one looks elegant. As the four-in-hand is a small and asymmetric tie knot, it is less preferred; however, President Barack Obama wore a woven silk necktie with a four-in-hand

A quick check

Ladies, go for Indian wear

Men’s interview attire ■■

Solid colour, conservative suit

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White long sleeve shirt

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Conservative tie

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Dark socks, professional shoes

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Very limited jewellery

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Neat, professional hairstyle

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Go easy on the aftershave

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Neatly trimmed nails

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Portfolio or briefcase

Women’s interview attire ■■

Solid colour, conservative suit

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Coordinated blouse

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Moderate shoes

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Limited jewellery

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Neat, professional hairstyle

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Tan or light hosiery

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Sparse make-up and perfume

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Manicured nails

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Portfolio or briefcase

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knot with a large dimple on inauguration day. Choose a tie knot that fits the collar opening of the shirt. For example, a small tie knot like the four-in-hand suits shirts with a narrow collar opening, while a large tie knot like the Windsor suits shirts with a wide collar opening. As for the ideal length of your tie, the tip of the wider end should be at the same level as your belt. And be wise in deciding the colour of the ties. Ties with dark colours are preferred. For example, dark blue and dark red; needless to say that it should be coordinated with your shirt. The pattern and colour should not distract the recruiter. So no large polka dots or bold, shiny patterns or pictures; it should look formal. Silk ties are a good choice.

September 2009

Depending on the position you have applied for and the industry, a cotton sari can be a good choice for an interview. A nicely pinned up cotton sari looks elegant when paired with a conservative cotton blouse (half sleeves, preferably). Sari is a good choice for tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors. While salwar-suits do look elegant, managing the stole can be a task, unless it’s of a material that stays and you don’t have to keep adjusting it in its place. A kurti and salwar is, in fact, a better option. Since there’s no stole with it, with the right pattern and colour, it can look formal and business-like. But no heavy sequins or embroidery! Traditional nose pins are acceptable, provided they are small and pretty. Don’t wear any gawdy stuff. As for necklaces and earrings, small is beautiful and smart.

an interview

belt then match it with black shoes, a brown belt with brown shoes. Recruiting companies say it’s a good idea to match the shoes or the belts with the colour of the spectacles, handbags or briefcases. So keep that in mind, as well. We all know that shoes should be polished; black is a safe colour, and no pointed, long shoes. And ladies: no fancy heels, stilettos, and bright colours. Women could wear a medium width belt with formal trousers; it gives a neat look. Choose a plain black belt, and resist fancy buckles. Make-up could be kept to a minimum. Lipstick: light pink or brown. Both mat and gloss are fine but avoid glitter in lipstick.

Hair-say

Nothing looks neater than a short haircut in men. Gel your hair to avoid any stray hair sticking out, but do not overdo it or back comb your hair as it will send out a wrong message.

Wear the right dress to

show you understand the nature of the business and

increase your chance in getting the job

Illustration: Gouri Nanda

Western outfit is a safe choice

However, for most sectors western wear is the perfect choice. A formal shirt and trousers, and low-heeled pumps, preferably black, or any dark colour – no purple, please – would go well. And if your pumps are peep-toes then please pedicure your nails. If you want to paint them, only light colours.

In case you plan to wear a skirt, then it should be a formal, well-fitted, black or grey skirt that reaches below the knees. With a formal skirt, stockings are a must. No fishnet stockings but plain, skin coloured ones. They look graceful.

Belt, shoes, bags and the works

Gentlemen, if you are wearing a black

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Women could wear their hair in a bun, neatly held in pins or a plain black scrunchy. A high, top bun will look right for the aviation sector. If you wish to wear your hair open, then blow-dry and set it. When you comb or brush your hair, please brush the stray strands off your shirts or tops. In case there’s a dandruff problem, take care of it; white skin flakes on a dark suit is not a good idea. As for bulging pockets, body-piercing, tattoos, low-waist trousers and male jewellery common sense would say: avoid it, please. One gem stone ring is fine; too many might show you in a different light. And a last piece of advice: don’t drench yourself in cologne or deodorant; it can give your recruiter a headache the moment you enter. A gentle spray is enough. And just before you leave, have a last look in the mirror. You know you are looking great!

Feature

executive leisure

by Navan Ignatius

R

eading habits never die. It’s just that people do not get to see any books,” says Sunder Nookala. “They only come across them in airports or on pavements.” That realisation made Nookala and his friends Krishnan Madhabushi, Prashant John and Mithesh Damania launch a corporate library service. The four IIMAhmedabad alumni decided to launch a company that would help readers get their hands on any book under the sun. They called the company Kwench, an allusion to meeting the thirst for reading. All a reader needed to do was ask and Kwench would deliver the book he wanted. The idea was simple: if the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain. Nookala became the CEO of this ondemand library. Starting with just Rs. 36 lakh pooled in by friends and family, the four friends got the ball rolling. They decided to launch operations in Mumbai first and bought 3,500 books, which were stored in a rented warehouse. Simultaneously, they started making cold calls to rope in corporate clients. The Rs. 36 lakh ran low, but Kwench found a saviour in the Indian Angel Network. “Kwench built a unique delivery platform combining technology and logistics to bring books and other learning aids to Indian corporates. We liked the business model since it has the potential for geographic scalability,” says Shankar Maruwada of Indian Angel Network, which invested an undisclosed amount in the start-up in March 2009. He is one of the two people from the VC fund on the Kwench board. It took a while for Kwench to get going. The fact is, many working folks—Kwench’s target audience—simply do not have the time to read books as much of their day gets taken up by work. And, in Mumbai, there is, of course, the interminably long commute between home, the office and back. The little time left over, if any, is spent with the family, watching TV, or finishing more work on the Internet. But, says Nookala, 34, many actually make the time to dive between the

covers of a book. “There are crazy Tintin fans among CEOs and CFOs”. And that discovery has helped Kwench make a business out of reading. Since its launch in June 2008, it has inked deals with 32 corporate clients, including Yes Bank, Vodafone, Tata AIG, Ogilvy and Wipro for library services. Employees of these companies log on to Kwench’s website and order books online. Within 24 hours, Kwench’s delivery boys, dressed in smart blue uniforms, deliver them—at

the employee’s desk or at his home. Today, apart from Mumbai, the ondemand library offers services in Pune and Delhi-NCR, as well. And it has 11,000 titles to choose from. These books cover 40 categories ranging from healthcare and ayurvedic remedies to self-help books, literature, management and philosophy.

Professional show

It helped that all four in the group have

The Librarians Kwench, a Mumbai-based start-up, wants to help corporate employees satiate their thirst for books. And, it seems to be on the right page

Priyam Dhar/Outlook Group

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tons of professional experience behind them, having worked in global companies in the areas of finance, consulting, supply chain and marketing. So, while the enterprise resulted from gut-feel, it took shape from a fairly measured view of the world. Still, to validate their idea, the four friends decided to have some reality checks before setting sail. With the help of their batchmates at IIM-A, they conducted a survey on the reading habits of employees. The results were encouraging. The team met CEOs, CFOs and HR

heads of different companies they knew, and discussed their plans with them. The business model obviously has something for the corporates. Apart from building the knowledge base of their employees, it offered them another way to show they cared. Why Kwench? Though many big corporate houses have their own libraries, Nookala says they are “not well-maintained”. Outsourcing their academic and library requirements to Kwench make sense as it saves them the operational hassle. “For us, it was an opportunity to

Shankar Maruwada Indian Angel Network

“Kwench built a unique

delivery platform combining technology and logistics to bring books and other learning aids to corporates”

help our teams widen their horizons,” says Gautam Bhushan, Head of Learning and Development, WNS. Nookala fondly remembers the day Tata AIG became a client. “It was fantastic. We had 550 orders the very first day.” As Tata AIG’s Learning Head, (he is now with PricewaterhouseCoopers), Shom Suvro Chatterjee was involved with roping in Kwench. “We were keen to foster the habit of reading among employees,” he recalls. But getting big clients was not easy. In the months following its launch, Kwench managed to rope in just two clients, Yes Bank and WNS. Worse was to follow as the world slid into a recession. “Those were the worst days,” says Nookala, shaking his head at the memory. “We had left our jobs and were stuck at home. Every day we were making desperate calls. It lasted till February. From then on, orders started trickling in.” Once they had some big names in the bag, it was a little easier to convince others. But figuring out what people wanted to read, keeping stocks updated and maintaining an efficient supply-chain was difficult. Most of the distributors in the country still follow primitive methods. Nookala is hopeful that things will improve once they move on to a better technology platform. Kwench’s proprietary software runs inventory modules and makes intelligent recommendations based on the reading habits of people. The tough days during the recession were used to put in place such technological infrastructure, says Nookala. The company hosts a meeting with users on a quarterly basis for recommendations and suggestions. And though Kwench essentially positions itself as a library, people can also buy and gift books through its website. For borrowers, an attractive feature is the ‘no late fee’ policy. It has also tied up with the Harvard Business Review School of Publishing and Amar Chitra Katha Group for the distribution of audio books. There are no half measures for the Kwench promoters. “We want to be India’s Amazon,” says Nookala. -Outlook Business

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Course Review

| MSc Nanotechnology

Studying small particles for a big career As miniaturization becomes prevalent, demand for professionals who master the underlying principles that enable the process would rise exponentially Fast Fact Select Schools: IITs, NITs, Amrita, Amity, SASTRA Courses: MSc/MS/MTech Specialisations: Nanomaterials, Nanobiotechnology,Nanoeletronics Course fee: Varies from 15K - 1.5 lakhs Fellowships: Available only for MTech/PhD Career Avenues: Research and development and application development, in both firms that develop and deploy nanoscale technologies and applications as well as user sectors like automobiles, aviation, pharma, textiles etc.

by Team Careers360

O

ne millionth of a millimetre or 10-9 m, is a nanometre, and study of matter at that level is nanotechnology. Initiated as an idea by Nobel Prize winning physicist, Richard Feynman in early 1950s, nanotechnology caught up as a separate discipline only during the early 90s. The nanotechnology initiative set up in 2000, by the US federal government played a crucial role in providing seed funding for long-term research in the area. It has also caught up well in Europe. India was one of the early entrants in the domain, thanks to the pioneering work of Prof. CNR Rao, Linus Pauling Research Professor at JNCASR. Says Prof. Rao in an interview, “India, still has not realised the full import of a general purpose technology like nanoscience. It has the potential to usher in a new industrial revolution.” The recently announced National Nano Mission is a step in the right direction, says Prof. Rao.

Material versus molecular

Nanoscientists operate from either of these major vantage points. Some are excited about the behaviour of materials, when brought down to nano levels. In other words here scientists deal with reducing materials to nanosizes and observing the changes in their properties and behavior. Prof Lubik, a leading scientist contends that, “material such as gold, which is chemically inert at normal scales, can serve as a potent chemical catalyst at nanoscales. Much of the

“An MTech is a ‘hands on’ programme where

students become skilled in the technology and learn to apply it to a variety of biomedical areas”

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fascination with nanotechnology stems from these different phenomena that matter exhibits at the nanoscale.” On the other hand, another group of scientists are interested in using nanoscience to assemble individual atoms into a desired molecule so as to evolve molecular-level machines. But research in this domain is very much in infancy world over, and India has negligible presence in the area. But India does operate in the domain of using the conventional technologies used to manufacture nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles.

research Centers ■■

National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Chandigarh

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Agharkar Research Institute, Pune

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National Chemical Laboratory, Pune

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National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur

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National Centre of Biological Sciences, Bangalore

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Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

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Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai

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SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata

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Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

always advisable to go for an MTech in nanoscience rather than an MSc, since an MTech invariably would come with a fellowship/stipend support. The best place to pursue a nanotechnology Master’s is USA, since the nano initiative of 2000 has resulted in five world class centers being set up at Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern, Columbia and Renesseller. Each centre focuses on one special area. Germany too offers some good institutions like the centre at Dresden to work on nanoscience. But the best place in UK would be either the Imperial College, which offers a Master’s degree by research, or the University College of London, which offers an MSc in nanotechnology.

Where can you study?

Nanotechnology studies say even anti-cancer genes can be selectively transported into cancer cells

Are you eligible?

A majority of the institutions in the country offer MTech in nanosceince, and you have to be either a BTech or BE or hold a first class Master’s degree in basic or applied sciences. Different institutions, depending on the research specialisations prefer either science or engineering graduates. So examine the nature of research in the institution and type of faculty they have before short-listing the college. Mostly private universities offer Master’s level courses in nanoscience,

and generally MSc in nanoscience is through research as Amity offers. Here the basic eligibility is either a BTech or basic degree in Physics, Chemistry or allied sciences. If you are a science graduate, it does make sense for you to do a Master’s in applied sciences before you go for an MTech degree says Prof. A. Choudhry, Professor at Centre for nanoscience at Guru Jambeswar University of Science and Technology. According to Prof. Bipin Nair, Dean, Amrita Centre for Biotechnology, it is

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Nanoscience is still evolving in India. Just over 15 colleges offer programmes in the discipline. So your choices are in fact limited. The best place to study nanoscience is the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore. It has one of the largest concentrations of researchers working on different aspects. And the best part about this institution is entry is possible at all levels. Exceptionally bright graduates can enrol for an integrated MS/PhD programme. And the best part is almost all students get a stipend of Rs.8,000 per month at least in the initial years which go up as you progress. Some of the NITs offer MTech programmes which are also a good bet, especially if you are GATE/CSIR/ JRF qualified candidates. Naresh Yadav, an

Course Review

| MSc Nanotechnology

Best Indian institutions

Top global institutions

Name

Website

School

Centre

Indian Institute of Science

www.nano.iisc.ernet.in

Cornell University

Center for Nanoscale Systems in Information Technology

USA

JNCASR

www.jncasr.ac.in

Northwestern University

Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC) for Integrated Nanopatterning and Detection Technologies

USA

IIT Mumbai

www.iitb.ac.in/~crnts/ preamble.html

Harvard University

Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center - Science of Nanoscale Systems and their Device Applications

USA

Amrita University

www.amrita.edu/acns

Columbia University

Center for Electronic Transport in Molecular Nanostructures

USA

Amity University

www.amity.edu

Rice University

Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology

USA

NIT Bhopal

http://manit.ac.in

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures

USA

Guru Jambeswar University

www.gju.ernet.in

University College of London & Imperial College of London

London Centre for Nanotechnology

UK

SASTRA University

www.sastra.edu/centab/

INL, Braga (wef-2010)

Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory

IIT Delhi

www.iitd.ac.in

PortugalSpain

IIT Kanpur

www.iitk.ac.in/nanoscience/

NIT Kurukshetra

www.nitkkr.ac.in

NIT Rourkela

www.nitrkl.ac.in

research associate. But these positions are only available for PhD programmes.

What do they teach?

SELECT Nanotech Companies in India ■■

Dabur Research Foundation, Ghaziabad

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Nano Cuting Edge Technology Pvt Ltd, Mumbai

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Velbionanotech, Bangalore

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Indian Nano (Intellectual property holding arm of The IndiaCo Group), Pune

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Monad Nanotech Pvt Ltd, Mumbai

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Center For advance Research & Development (CARD), Bangalore

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Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad

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Cranes Software International Ltd, Bangalore

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SSb Technology, Mumbai

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U-Shu Nanotech, Vadodara

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Innovations Unified Technologies, Mumbai

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Forevision Instruments , Hyderabad

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Tata Chemicals Innovation centre, Mumbai

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Panacea Biotech, Delhi

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Lifecare Innovations , Gurgaon

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Yesh Nanotech, Mumbai

alumnus of NIT, Bhopal says that in terms of facilities, one can never beat the IITs or IIScs, but still his institute did have a very good faculty. The IITs that have amazing facilities do not yet offer a formal degree, but you can always enrol for a PhD programme there. The few private universities like Amrita, Amity and SASTRA offer good facilities, but are relatively expensive, unless you manage to get to work as a project/

Nanoscience is truly interdisciplinary in nature. The nature and structure of the course depends upon the area of specialisation that the course focuses on. Normally the three chief divisions of nanotech are nanomaterials, nanoelectronics and nanobiotechnology. And the concentration of courses would be a function of your specialisation. For example, for its MS programme by research, Amity offers courses in biosciences, instrumentation, quantum concepts and nanostructures, synthesis of nanomaterials etc. in the first two semesters, and students then select an optional paper depending on the domain they want to specialize in. As Dr.Shanti Nair, Dean, Amrita Centre for Nanosciences says, “An MTech is a ‘hands on’ programme where students learn to apply concepts and become skilled in the technology and learn to apply it to a variety of biomedical areas.”

Where would you fit in?

There are two major areas where qualified professionals are in great demand, nanomaterials, nanoelectronics and nanobiotechnology. Nanomaterials and nanoelectronics are the biggest employer with over USD 100 billion worth coatings and composites manufactured for applications in diverse sectors like automobiles, textiles, aerospace, and consumer durables amongst others. Candidates with an MTech/PhD in

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Country

material sciences stand a good chance of a vibrant career in all these sectors. Job opportunities could either be in firms that develop nanomaterials or in the user sectors, as a specialist involved in application development. Nanobiotechnology is a vibrant area, though its economic impact pales when compared to nanomaterials. Some of the areas wherein research is currently happening are nanomedicines, noninvasive surgery, sutureless surgical applications, targeted surface medical applications, nanoprobes...the application possibilities are endless. Concludes Dr. Jeyaprakash, Asst. Professor, Karunya University, “From converting sunlight into power, to targeting a drug to a single malignant cell, from creating sensors in the form of biochip to the ability to produce garments which can act as a chemical shield, possibilities are immense in this domain”

Previous Course Reviews B.Pharm studies - sure shot prescription for jobs MSc Environmental Science Computer Science: Computing your way into a careers Actuarial Science: Where demand always exceeds supply MSW: A springboard to professional social work

www.careers360.com

Book Review

Assessing Your Career

Perfect career: when and where A how-to guide on planning that perfect mid-career move. A must read!

Assessing Your Career: Time for Change?

Ben Ball Universities Press Rs. 175 146 pages

by Priya Naik

T

here is a single right career for each one of us. A good degree from a great institute, followed by a fantastic job leads to a career graph which moves smoothly upwards. Most people follow a stable and steady-line career, which ends with a comfortable retirement. Rubbish! So says Ben Ball in his book Assessing Your Career: Time for Change? In the real world, he points out, career paths can sometimes turn downward, and a good job doesn’t always

mean more money and being confused about what to do with one’s career is normal. That’s reassuring, because most people think they are the only ones confused about what to do next in their careers. Ben Ball is a psychologist and has work experience in career counselling. As the director of the Career Development Unit at the University of Sussex he has published books, which is why this book has a very credible feel to it. He looks at case studies, examines career dilemmas and offers practical solutions on the art of carving out a career. Indeed, Ball makes an effort to achieve what he has set out to do: help the reader in addressing professional issues, improve work style and get a job you are good at. In order to do so, the author has compiled exhaustive “exercises” to help analyse yourself and what you should be doing. One of the more interesting ones is the action plan he draws up for a reader and steps on planning your career (see table). Ball also encourages the reader to identify what his or her unique work values are. Does job security matter more or work that is socially useful? Do you prefer a pleasant working environment or would you rather have a job where a lot of travelling is required? Answering these innumerable questions, Ball argues, are a way of ascertaining what sort of a job would suit you the most.

Career planning steps Assessing yourself

Find out what you are really good at and focus on that. Make a list.

Researching ideas and opportunities

Envision future opportunities. Seek and assess relevant information. Look for people who can mentor and guide you.

Making connections

Gain feedback on your ideas for career development. Identify personal priorities.

Taking action

Write and carry out an action plan. Communicate effectively.

A useful chapter is What your Employer Can Do for You and answers the simple question: why should your employer be concerned with your career development? The author gives plausible advice on how to involve your employer in your personal development. Well-researched and with case studies to illustrate real problems, the book is quite handy in figuring out your careers issues. The dense academic language can be a handicap at times. There are some things however, which one doesn’t need to be told. For example, “As recent research shows, the more ‘decided’ we can be about our overall career direction, the more likely we are to be successful in our search for work.” But sometimes we need to be told what needs to be and this book does just that.

Recommendations What Colour is Your Parachute? Paperback: 456 pages Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2008

A good guide for both freshers and mid-career executives who want to change their job. Written in a breezy ‘how-to’ mode, it is a good read.

Now What?: The Young Person’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was

Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Fireside, 2008

Paperback: 322 pages Publisher: Dell, 1995

The right book to pick up when you are straight out of college and wondering what to do next.

A self-help book to discover what you want in life and how to get it.

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1000 Best Job Hunting Secrets Paperback: 496 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2004

A practical guide on how to make impressive résumés and other neat tricks to nail the job.

Campus Review

Amirta Vishwavidyapeetam

A research university in the From a single campus college in 1994, Amrita is now a multi-campus, interdisciplinary Fast Fact Courses: BA,MBBS,MD BTech,MSc,MBA, MTech,Phd Three faculties - 35 departments. No. of Seats:Varies between 10 and 150 Campuses: Coimbatore,Kollam,Cochin, Bangalore and Mysore. Admission: Thorough entrance examination/UGC-NET/GRE/GMAT Placement Services: Available (claims about 90% placements) Colloborations and Exchange programmes: 14 Nos Course Fees: From 30K to 2.5 lakhs per annum Sponsered Projects: DST, Princeton, EU and others

by B Mahesh Sarma

‘A

mma’s Grace, Love, Divine Design’ are unlikely words one expects to encounter while discussing ‘patents, technology transfer, collaborations and transdiciplinary research’. But, in conversations with vice- chancellor Prof. Venkat Rangan, both sets of words come with the same level of ease. And in the course of my interactions, I realize that Amrita is a secular institution wearing its spirituality on its sleeve.

What is on offer?

So, from a normal arts and science degree, to a PhD by research in nanosciences the university has over 100 plus programmes, offered in five campuses, all in south India. Set up under the auspices of Mata Amirtanadhamayi Trust, as an engineering college in 1994, the institute has grown into a five-campus, 13-discipline accredited university in the last decade-and-half. Situated on the foothills of the Anamalai hill ranges, Coimbatore is set in sylvan surroundings. The facilities are state-ofthe-art, and some of the machines like the nanoscale fabrication facility are world class. The library and computing facilities match up to the levels of similar universities, though the institute must consider round the clock access. An overview of the disciplines and the campuses is presented alongside (see table 1). Most of the degrees have joint disciplinary parents. For example, the MTech in nano-biosciences has inputs from the School of Biotechnology, centre

for nanosciences and Amrita Research Labs, as well as the engineering school, comments Professor Venkat.

The spiritual roots

“Education for a life” is the credo of the university and the campus takes its life-building focus very seriously. It is a 100% vegetarian campus; it does not serve even eggs. Respect to elders is an unwritten code, and removing footwear before entering the class room is a norm. Students must either be residents of the campus or stay with their biological parents and commute as day scholars. As Ramya, a student claims, “This is one campus where our parents love it more than us”. Ramya has reason to grumble. As a girl student, she gets just two out passes a month (permission to go out of the campus). Security is a given at least within the Coimbatore campus (the reviewer visited just that campus), and clearly Hindu cultural values are sacrosanct in the campus. How far students imbibe them and how relevant these values are for their chosen profession is a debatable point, but as Dr.Nikhil K Kothurkar, a young faculty opines, “It is like an oasis, it establishes that excellent professional work can be combined with selfless motives and performed with a sense of service.” This campus proves the possibility of such a phenomenon. Concurs Prof. Parameswaran, Dean Corporate Relations: “Even during this recessionary year, all the IT companies honoured each one of their offers. And one reason is the ability of our students to go beyond the norm and do what is required”

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Amrita university has a rich blend of superior learning experience plus strong placement record

Academics

Ranjit, a third year engineering student, sums it up: “Like every other university, in each semester we have two great teachers, two average, one mediocre, but the difference is everybody tries their best.” Teaching, especially in a campus where many teachers are residents, happens both outside and inside the classroom. Prof. Devanathan says, “We are taught using examples of the austere life of resident swamijis, and their work ethics seeps through to the students and staff.” Yet anther value-add, is the visiting faculty from foreign schools, but the quality, duration and level of involvement vary from school to school. While management students vouch for their value-adding inputs, students from other disciplines are not too excited about the same. But invariably, the possibility of

making institution of higher learning

spending a semester abroad appears to be one of the attractive features for most of the students, though the number (49 last year) is very small as of now.

Getting onboard

Entry into the different programmes such as MBBS, BDS, BTech and MBA is through national-level entrance examination, for other programmes schoollevel entrance examinations decide the admission. A certain percentage of the seats are reserved for NRIs and PIOs. Cost of education varies from about Rs. 35,000 for a general arts or science degree to Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum for an MBBS or MBA degree, depending on the campus. Cost of living, too, varies from city to city.

Is it a research university?

With just two PhD awards, 90+ research projects, a cumulative outlay of over Rs. 23 crores, and just over 17% of the total

Spread of disciplines across Amrita campuses Disciplines

Coimbatore

Amirtapuri

Cochin

Bangalore

Mysore

Allied Health Sciences

–

–

Y

–

–

Arts & Sciences

–

Y

Y

–

Y

Ayurveda

–

Y

–

–

–

Biotechnology

–

Y

–

–

–

Communication

Y

–

–

–

–

Dentistry

–

–

Y

–

–

Engineering

Y

Y

–

Y

–

Management

Y

Y

–

Y

Y

Medicine

–

–

Y

–

–

Nanosciences

–

–

Y

–

–

Nursing

–

–

Y

–

–

Pharmacy

–

–

Y

–

–

Social Work

Y

–

–

–

–

faculty holding PhD degrees, Amrita as of now does not present the picture of a great research school. But as the Pro Chancellor Brahmachari Abhayamrita Chaitanya says, the institute is not into the number game. He says the parsimony in award of a PhD degrees according to him would go a long way in establishing the research credibility of the university in the long run. Agrees a PhD scholar I met at the engineering school. “It is difficult as hell, but where else would I get real time projects like the WINSOC (use of wireless sensors for critical applications)?” The burgeoning international tie-ups with ivy-league universites also add to the research potential. But what tilts the balance in favor of the university is the presence of a medical school, and a band of dedicated research professors.

Devotees turned academics

The biggest boon the university has is the dedicated band of faculty and administrators who are also ardent devotees of Amma. It translates into superior learning experience for the students. But all great institutions all over the world, over a period of time, have outgrown their founders and their religious overtones. Amrita now presents a cozy picture of a group of people bound by the invisible thread of Ámma’. Anybody who does not believe in her would feel left out as of now, not by design, but by default. And that might hinder their ability to attract talent which is secular, but could

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help the growth of the institution.

Where does it all lead to?

Thankfully, the rat race still has not caught up with the university. The university has a very active placement cell, and the aggressive research tie–ups (over 90 in number) that offer potential placement possibilities. The authorities agree placements are tight, but claim to place a substantial number, through campus recruitments and off campus interviews. As Professor Parameswaran says, “We work hard to place even students who have left the campus, if they are unemployed.” Jayasurya Pavitran, a first year MBA student, claims, “The ability to see things in perspective stands us in good stead. Placements matter, but a good work ethic, and the willingness to move beyond the call of duty matters more. I know, if I work well, I will get it right.” Amen !

Previous Campus Reviews Jadavpur University, Jadavpur IIIT, Bangalore TERI University, New Delhi Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata Manipal University, Manipal

www.careers360.com

Scholarship

CHARLES WALLACE INDIA TRUST

One-stop fund for creative pursuits Fulfil your academic and artistic ambitions with the Charles Wallace India Trust awards in arts, heritage conservation and humanities Fast Fact For: Artists, Professionals, Writers, Academics, Journalists Website: http://www.britishcouncil. org/india-scholarships-cwit.htm Last Date: Depends on programme. Selection Process: Applications are submitted with research proposals. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed.

by Priya Naik

J

oyoti Roy’s task is to defy time. She spends her day lifting old, priceless and ageless materials, shaking off their layers of dust and restoring them to their original splendour. As an art conservator at INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage) Joyoti had been working for a few years on this when she realized she wanted to look at better conservation and preservation treatments available for acrylics. Art conservation as a career, however, is still new in India. It was then that she turned to the Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT). The Trust is one of the rare funding bodies, which encourages original research in the finer arts of life: theatres, art, writing and a host of other creative arts. The CWIT fulfilled her ambitions under the fully funded award for art conservation. Joyoti spent three months at Tate Britain, London for her internship on the conservation of contemporary paintings. Working at Tate, which is one of the most visited

art galleries in the world, fuelled Joyoti’s passion further in conservation and also brought about vital changes in her professional life. Whether it is for a mid-career or a young professional, the CWIT is a great way for acquiring exposure and expertise in the field.

What’s on offer and how to get it

The CWIT has a number of funded programmes on offer (see table). They vary between three months and year and between disciplines. They vary between being fully funded or partly funded and they also vary between disciplines. There are programmes on journalism, on writing, heritage conservation, South Asian studies etc. The programmes on offer are niche ones, clearly designed for someone interested in that specific area of study. And there is a reason for that. The CWIT is clear about how it sifts candidates: they look for passion, commitment and a clear idea about what you want to do. Drafting a Statement of Purpose (SoP) is then not about writing about yourself in pretty words. You need

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CWIT scholarships open up many doors, not just in the UK, to concentrate on your work

to be clear about what and how you are going to do it. The CWIT does mention that work experience bears a factor on the success of your application. The Trust is in fact, designed to help mid-career professionals to expand their horizons and learn something different and new. Swati Pal who completed her PhD in theatre and has received CWIT support twice, points out that often the deciding factor is not work or research experience but the sincerity of the scholar and the legitimacy of the research proposal. The panel examines how far it would contribute to the growth of knowledge in that particular area.

Vikas Dilawari who was a CWIT scholar and is now on the interview panel for heritage conservation states clearly what the trust looks for. He points out that the scholarship aims to select the person who has a zeal and commitment towards conservation and this is gauged from: l his/her background, academically as well as professionally l the course or scholarship he/she is applying for l and from letter of intent what the person intends to do after the course. The panel reviews this by seeing the presentation and asking questions. Swati advises on how to make a clincher of a proposal. If the scholar could show evidence of having built up contacts and a clear plan of action, it underlines the

“Charles Wallace India Trust is one of the rare funding bodies that encourages

original research in fine arts”

seriousness of the scholar’s intent. Also, the attitude of the scholar matters. The proposal must convey his or her dedication in the pursuit of the subject along with conviction in the proposal. The attraction for CWIT is much more than financial aid for higher studies in the UK. Joyoti points out that more than

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the financial aid it’s a matter of prestige and honour and people in India also understand that. The money is rarely the attraction for prospective applicants. CWIT also encourages really original ideas and is willing to take on something never been worked upon before.

Unplugging creativity

Scholars, artists and academics turn to the CWIT because it’s sensitive to the needs of creative people. Writers for example, love the fellowship of up to three months which the CWIT offers. Parismita Singh who was at the University of Kent under the Writer’s Fellowship and is a graphic novelist likes to call it a “gift of time”. She explains, “A fellowship is great for someone writing a book, as most people balance a day job

Scholarship

CHARLES WALLACE INDIA TRUST

Name

Funding pattern

Study areas

Deadline

Fully-funded awards in arts and heritage conservation

Fund covers fares, accommodation and living costs and fees, where applicable

Management of heritage projects or sites; Conservation of paintings and materials such as timber, stone, brick, metal (including metal structures), textiles, paper, armour, photographs and film; Management of museums.

31st October 2009

Grants for Indian doctoral students already in the UK

£1000

History, literature, archaeology, philosophy, performing and creative arts

15th January 2010

Grants for short academic studies

£1000

History, literature, archaeology, history of art, philosophy, performing and creative arts.

15th January 2010

or other commitments while writing, and a fellowship gives you a chance to get away and concentrate solely on your work for a few weeks. You have a choice of interacting with people in the campus, and sitting in on a talk or a lecture, or you can just sit and write. These can be ideal conditions to finish a book, or even begin one.” Parismita had already published her graphic novel, The Hotel at the End of the World (Penguin, 2009). Her time at Kent helped formalize her thoughts for her next work, an anthology.

Funding your future

The research grants of up to 1,000 pounds towards costs in the UK can be a little inadequate given the high expenses there. Successful scholars therefore pad up their funding through other means. Having been a CWIT twice, Swati Pal is now quite an expert on how to manage with limited funds. She says, “It’s a good idea to combine the CWIT funding with some other scholarship.” When she went to participate in the community theatre conference hosted by the University of Exeter, she managed a UGC scholarship as well. And when she was funded in 1997 to present a paper at Oxford University, she stayed with friends, to cut down on costs. Finally, the CWIT opens up many doors, not just in the UK. It’s a way of making international connections and having a great platform to share your intellect with experienced professionals who have been working in the field. And finally, it’s a thumbs up for your expertise in the field.

Programmes available

Fully-funded awards in arts and conservation: Ten of these are on offer, and the only awards which are fully funded. They are strictly for specialists of arts and conservation with the objective of international exposure for students in

“The Fund is strictly for

serious research work with little time for thrills or frills” Vikas Dilawari

this field. The Trust encourages applicants who have worked for a while and frequently professionals also apply. There are also short term internships at various places such as the Tate Conservation Department. Professonal pacement award: This award in Museology – Curating, Museum Conservation or Archaeology is in collaboration with the Nehru Trust for the India Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This is an annual fellowship for a curator, museum conservator or archaeologist to take up an attachment at the Victoria and Albert Museum or any other institute. Visiting fellowships: These are for

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Indian academics, translators and writers to spend three months at a specific university in the UK. Writer Fellowship at University of Kent, Department of English: Three months’ Writer Fellowship at University of Stirling, Centre of Commonwealth Studies. Translator Fellowships, British Centre for Literary Translation, University of East Anglia: Generally two awarded, both usually from January to March i.e. two months. There is now no upper age limit for Translator Fellowships Iqbal Sarin Visiting Fellowship in Journalism. Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies - Three months. (Focussed, specially on mid career journalists specialising in aspects of culture in social life . Short research or professional visits: Applicants interested in post-doctoral studies are preferred. There are 10-15 such grants for academic research scholars and professionals. Grants for doctoral studies: These are for Indians pursuing doctoral studies at UK universities who are in their penultimate or final year. Three or four grants are given every year. So if you are an art expert or a conservation specialist or just interested in culture, CWIT is the place to go.

Previous Scholarships Fulbright fellowships for studies in US Swedish Institute Scholarships DAAD fellowship for studying in Germany Erasmus Mundus fellowships for studying in Europe Endeavour Programme for studying in Australia

www.careers360.com

Ask Us

Career choice

A regular MBA is more preferred than one acquired through distance learning Q. I am a 34-year-old woman with DOEACC ‘A’ Level diploma. How can I enter software industry? Should I pursue an MCA through correspondence or is MBA (IT) from IGNOU a better choice? Vineeta, through email A. ‘A’ Level curriculum is not completely responsive to the industry needs. So that by itself may not take you to your desired objective. If the choice is between two correspondence courses then an MCA is better than MBA (IT) since in an MCA you would learn more computing. Also an MCA is the minimum entry requirement for any software company. While you are at it, also look for jobs in small software development organizations. That would give you real life experience in managing projects, albeit on a small scale. Q. I have taken admission in Lovely Pro-

fessional University in MBA Hospital Management Programme. Give some information on this university. Manish, through email A. LPU is a private university recently set up. LPU has reasonably good infrastructure. Being in a tier 2 city, for internships and live projects, you may have to venture out of Jalandhar. I would advise you to do your course well, and look out for small projects to do, during the course of the programme, so that you have some ability to apply the concepts you learn.

Q. I am currently working as an air host-

ess, and pursuing my graduation through correspondence. My question is:-Is doing MBA necessary to shift my industry. Without doing MBA where else can I apply for a job/s? Priyanka C, Bangalore, through email A. An MBA definitely puts you on a different orbit, but the orbit is a function of the institute you study in. First finish your graduation and during the final year, prepare for CAT and give it a try. Your percentile would give you an idea of where you stand. Based on the percentile decide what you want to do. With a correspondence degree, it might be very difficult for you to find a career other than in

the fields you mentioned where your current work experience would come handy. You may also want to try a creative/off beat profession where a degree does not count.

Q. I am a first year

Engineering student. But I want to change my stream and pursue a career in economics. Are there any reputed colleges offering BSc degree in Economics? Or doing B.A (Eco) is a viable option? Please guide me in this regard. Harsh Verma, through email A. That is a drastic change. There are a whole lot of reputed colleges offering Economics. Some IITs, BITs Pilani offer integrated MA Economics programmes. Please tell us, location preferences, your 10+2 marks etc. so that we will be able to advise you accordingly.

Q. I am a BCom graduate, planning for

MBA in HR or finance, having work experience of 3 years. Is it advisable to do an MBA via distance education or part-time? Is there any disadvantage? Pragati, through email A. Companies still prefer candidates with full-time MBA. If you can spare the time and resources you should do a full-time programme. If not, a part-time MBA is a good solution. It helps you keep a job as well. A regular MBA is a more preferred degree than a distance mode MBA but if it is knowledge that you are seeking and job is never a problem to you then a good DL might work for you.

Q. Please tell me the best institution for BBA course all over India? Rahul, Through email A. There are quite a few colleges which offer good undergraduate course in business studiies. One of the best courses on offer is from the Delhi University. Entrance requirements are very stiff, but the institute boasts of a very good placement record 83

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Hospitality as a sector provides worldclass training

While pursuing an MCA always look for jobs in small software development organizations. This would give you real life experience in managing projects and an opportunity to apply what you have learned in theory

Ask Us

Career choice

Queries answered on careers360.com Q. I finished my BTech and wish to join the

army, navy or airforce, please tell me the opportunities available. Prakash, through email

Q. I want to know about doing MBA from

Chennai institutes like Dr.MGR Eucational & Research Institute, SSN, SRM University, Sathyabama University, Karunya University, Nehru colleges. Which is better - studying in an ordinary university or deemed university? Pavin, through email

Q. How and where should I study forensics?

Neha, through email

Q. What is the scope in pursuing an MTech environment engineering course? Bensri, through email Q. What and where can one explore botany and are there internships available? Vineet, through email Q. Which is better - MCA degree or MSc

comp science/IT? Pallavi Majumder, through email

Q. I am a first year Electrical and Electronics Engineering student. What additional courses can I do to enhance my credibility in the job market? Rohit, through email Q. I am interested in exploring options for

job-based immigration to Canada. After having over 6 years of work experience as a financial analyst, how should I apply? Sridhar, through email

Q. Is it a good option to do PG diploma in human resource from ICFAI? Kjhala, through email

Q. I am working in software industry and I am planning to do an MBA in real estate. With 2 years of work experience and decent GMAT score, which are the schools I can apply internationally? Kishan Singh, through email Q. How can a student get selected in DD or AIR after doing MJMC? Jagdeep Singh, through email

Q. I am a fresh BCom graduate. What is

Q. Tell me about the career prospects in

the remuneration of CA, CS, ICWA, MBA respectively. Prabhat Sharma, through email

Q. What are the job prospects of doing postgraduate diploma in human rights programme from IIHR, New Delhi in distance mode? Deb, through email

Q. I have completed my BCA this year and got selected for the Wipro’s WASE programme. I need to know whether it is advisable to go for this course or is it better to stick to some MCA course from regular universities? Aneesh, through email

Vocal Music (Fine Arts)? Sudipta, through email

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Careers360, receives hundreds of questions every month. Some select answers are published here. All the queries are answered on our website. Visit www.careers360. com and post your queries to us

Course Alerts

scholarship listing

un jobs/psu

mdp

Ready Reckoner A compilation of actionable information, segmented and presented on a thematic basis and sorted out according to their deadlines course alerts Discipline

Institution

Location

Deadline

Website

MBA

International Business

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

New Delhi

03/09/09

www.iift.edu

MFSc

Fisheries Sciences

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

Chennai

04/09/09

www.tanuvas.tn.nic.in

PhD

Veterinary

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

Chennai

04/09/09

www.tanuvas.tn.nic.in

MPhil

Clinical Psychology

University of Calcutta

Kolkata

07/09/09

www.caluniv.ac.in

Certificate

Management

Indian Institute of Management

Indore

15/09/09

www.iimidr.ac.in

BA/BCom/ MA/MCom/ MSc

General courses under Distance Education

Kurukshetra University

Kurukshetra

18/09/09

www.kukinfo.com

PG Diploma

Computer Applications

Kurukshetra University

Kurukshetra

18/09/09

www.kukinfo.com

Appreciation Programme

Sustainability Science

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Delhi

20/09/09

www.ignou.ac.in

Diploma

Computer Aided Product Design

University of Pune

Pune

22/09/09

www.cadcamguru.com

MBA

Rural Management

Institute of Rural Management

Anand

30/09/09

www.irma.ac.in

Certificate

Dairy Management

Institute of Rural Management

Anand

30/09/09

www.irma.ac.in

Executive PG

Management

Indian Institute of Management

Bangalore

30/09/09

www.iimb.ernet.in

PhD

Agriculture and Allied Sciences

National Academy of Agril Research Mgt

Hyderabad

30/09/09

www.icar.org.in

MBA (DL)

Management

Jiwaji University

Gwalior

30/09/09

www.jiwaji.edu

scholarship

Programme

Name

For whom

Contact information

Amount

Deadline

CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award 2009

An Indian team, a company or an organization responsible for technological innovations originated in India or that must have highly innovative Indian component

www.csir.res.in

Rs. 10,00,000

10/09/09

Mahindra All India Talent Scholarships for Diploma Courses in Polytechnics

Children from lower income group families having secured admission in government recognised polytechnics for Diploma Courses

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Mahindra Towers 2A, Bikaji Cama Place, New Delhi-66

Rs. 5,000 per year

10/09/09

National Fellowships

Students of Basic Sciences, Engineering and Medicine willing to take up research careers in these areas

www.iisc.ernet.in/kvpy

Rs. 4,000 - 7,000 per month

11/09/09

National Olympiad Programme

Students from schools registered for National Standard Examinations which is the first stage of the Olympiad Programme in the respective subjects

http://olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in

Special merit awards

15/09/09

Biotechnology Overseas Associateship for Scientists in NorthEast

Scientist of Indian origin with PhD, working in any of the northeastern states of India working in different areas of biotechnology

www.btisnet.gov.in/neof.htm

Rs. 50,000 per month and contingency grant of Rs 5 lakhs/year

30/09/09

ICAR-SRF (PGS)

Scholars with Master’s degree (55%) in concerned discipline willing to pursue PhD in Agriculture and Allied Sciences

http://www.naarm.ernet.in

As applicable to SRF

07/10/09

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UN JOBS

Course Alerts

UN Jobs/psu

scholarship listing

mdp

Position

Institution

Deadline

Location

Further Details

Finance Analyst

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

04/09/09

New Delhi www.undp.org.in

Education Specialist

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

08/09/09

Gaza

www.unicef.org

Health Specialist

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

08/09/09

Harare

www.unicef.org

Adviser (Communication and Information)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

09/09/09

Tehran

www.unesco.org/employment

Program Officer

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

10/09/09

New Delhi www.unops.org

Economic Affairs Officer

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

14/09/09

Bangkok

Program Officer Prison Reforms

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)

15/09/09

New Delhi www.humanrightsinitiative.org

Consultant

Asmae - Association Soeur Emmanuelle/Sevadham Trust

15/09/09

Pune

[email protected]

Senior Social Policy Specialist

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

15/09/09

Nairobi

www.unicef.org

Assiatant Liaison Officer

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

24/09/09

Paris

www.unesco.org/employment

www.unescap.org/jobs

Government jobs in India Organisation

Position

Location

Deadline

Website

Triveni Kshetriya Gramin Bank

Officer Scale-I (38)

Uttar Pradesh

04/09/09

www.tkgbrrb.org

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Assistant Registrar (30)

Multiple

07/09/09

www.ignou.ac.in

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Junior Assistant-cum-Typist (219)

Delhi/Regional

07/09/09

www.ignou.ac.in

Indian Space Research Organisation

Scientists/Engineers 'SC' (24)

Multiple

07/09/09

www.isac.gov.in

Guru Nanak Dev University

Faculty members (32)

Amritsar

07/09/09

www.gndu.ac.in

Central Electricity Supply Utility of Orissa

Management Trainees (26)

Bhubaneswar

10/09/09

www.cescoorissa.com

Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board

Scientific Posts (50)

Multiple

11/09/09

www.icar.org.in

Life Insurance Corporation of India

Sr. Marketing Executives-contract (100)

Multiple

12/09/09

www.licindia.com

State Bank of India

Clerical Staff (11000)

Multiple

15/09/09

www.statebankofindia.com

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Professor(17), Associate (18), Asst. (26)

Delhi

15/09/09

www.ipu.ac.in

Border Security Force

Constable-General Duty (1217)

UP/Delhi

15/09/09

www.bsf.nic.in

Central Pollution Control Board

Assistant Environmental Engineer (12)

Delhi

15/09/09

www.cpcb.nic.in

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

Executives/Managers - Law (43)

Multiple

16/09/09

www.bhel.com

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited

Junior Hindi Translators

Mumbai

17/09/09

www.npcil.nic.in

Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics Scientists (not specified)

Hyderabad

21/09/09

www.cdfd.org.in

Corporation Bank

Probationary Officers (50)

Multiple

25/09/09

www.corpbank.com

Corporation Bank

Clerks (575)

19 States

25/09/09

www.corpbank.com

Corporation Bank

Chartered Accountants (15)

Not Specified

25/09/09

www.corpbank.com

Indian National Centre for Ocean Info Services

Scientist ‘B’ (7); Scientific Assistants (11)

Hyderabad

30/09/09

www.incois.gov.in

High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

Assistant Review Officers (468)

Allahabad

30/09/09

www.allahabadhighcourt.in

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360

September 2009

Course Alerts

scholarship listing

Name of programme

Sept ‘09

Fees (Rs.)

IIM Indore

Managing Innovation for Competitive Advantage

07 – 09

25,000

IIM Bangalore

Business Analytics and Intelligence

07 – 10

54,000

ASCI Hyderabad

Data Analysis for Business Research

07 – 11

27,500

IIM Ahmedabad

Hospital Management

07 – 11

65,000

NITIE Mumbai

Managerial Leadership & Team Building

07 – 11

XLRI Jamshedpur

Indian Accounting Standards

07 – 11

29,000

IIM Indore

CEO Round Table: Perspectives on Strategy

14 – 16

—

IIM Kozhikode

Analysis of Financial Statements

14 – 16

15,000

IIM Lucknow

Corporate Communication and Media Relations

14 – 16

25,000

ISB Hyderabad

Leadership Skills for Top Management

14 – 18

150,000

IIM Ahmedabad

Winning Edge: Comm. Strategies for Leaders

14 – 19

70,000

XIM Bhubaneswar

Teamwork Competency for Star Performers

15 – 17

12,000

NMIMS Mumbai

Logistic Management

18 – 19

6,000

MDI Gurgaon

Finance for Non–Finance Executives

21 – 25

40,000

IIP Chennai

Certification for Packaging of Hazardous Cargo

23

3,000

IRMA Anand

Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Alleviation

22 – 25

—

CFTRI Mysore

Molecular Biology Approches for Microbiological Studies & Applications

25

4,494

NMIMS Mumbai

Basic Statistics for HR Executives

25

3,000

mdp

In detail

R&D Management Managment deveLopment programmes

Institution

un jobs/psu

SJMSOM, IIT Bombay: 17-19 Sept. 09 Fee: Rs. 15,000/10,000 for persons from industry/executives from National Labs and faculty from academia. The programme targeted at senior/middlelevel executives, techno-entrepreneurs and consultants, focuses on linking R&D with business strategy and measuring R&D effectiveness as it deliberates on emerging issues through case studies.

Watch out for Management Development Programmes (MDPs) in October 2009 Institution

Name of Programme

Dates

Mainly for whom

ISB Hyderabad

ISB-Kellogg Global Advanced Leadership Program

03-10

CEO, SBU heads of firms with global business exposure

XLRI Mumbai

Balanced Scorecard-Making it Actionable-process, Methodology & Techniques

05-07

Senior Executives in functional areas covering HR/ Marketing/Operations/Finance

24,000

ASCI Hyderabad

Leadership for Managing Change

05-09

Senior and middle-level executives

30,000

IIM Bangalore

Finance for Decision Making for non-finance Mgrs.

05-09

Heads of divisions/functions, middle-level managers

60,000

IIM Lucknow

Finance for Non-Finance Executives

05-09

Any executive interested in finance functions

IIM Ahmedabad

Infrastructure Development and Financing

05-10

Senior executives/IAS officers involved in infrastructure

70,000

IIM Kozhikode

Valuation of Real Financial and Intangible Assets

12-14

Accounting/finance managers of consulting firms/KPO

15,000

XLRI Jamshedpur

Demand & Business Forecasting

12-14

Senior/middle-level managers from any functional area

21,000

XIM Bhubhaneswar

DSS for Functional Managers

14-16

Front line managers in decision making in any functional area; academics committed to DSS research

12,000

IIM Calcutta

Mergers and Acquisitions

24-29

Middle/senior executives in the area of corporate finance/planning/strategy/M&A/investment banking

30,000

IMI New Delhi

Supply Chain Mgt for Competitive Advantage

26-28

Decision makers, managers in cross-functional areas

25,200

IRMA Anand

Social EntrepreneurshipTransformation Leadership

26-30

Professionals involved in similar line of responsiblities

-

MDI Gurgaon

Effective Leadership and High Performing Team

26-30

Middle/senior executives in different functional areas

40,000

IIFT New Delhi

Cross Cultural communication and Business Etiquette in International Business

28-29

Executives dealing with international trade or business

8,500

NMIMS Mumbai

Situational Leadership for Personal Effectiveness

30-31

Executives who have to play leadership role incl. NGOs

6,000

87

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September 2009

Fees in 600,000

-

Up Close

RAHUL DRAVID

Where straight drive is a way of life Reuters

A committed cricketer, Rahul Dravid discusses how he looks at his profession Q. Was professional cricket on your mind when you were in college? A. I always wanted to be a cricketer. By the time I went to college I was already playing Ranji trophy. But I pursued a commerce degree as a back up . Q. What do you remember the most when you think of your school life? A. The most endearing moments have come on the field. The moments of triumphs I shared with my friends in the hockey and cricket team. Q. Playing cricket is costly. How did you manage it?

A. I was still in college when I received

my first salary. I was on a contract with HAL and I was paid Rs. 1,000 as scholarship or salary. I got Rs. 900 in hand because Rs. 100 was deducted for my Provident Fund. I spent the money on myself, my bike, and the petrol for the bike. Actually, going to college and not asking for pocket money from my parents was a nice feeling.

Q. What’s most satisfying? Profession of passion or one which pays?

A. You have to love your profession if

you want to have a huge satisfaction from what you are doing. If you do well then it pays well. In that case, it becomes

an ideal scenario. You are doing what you love and getting paid for it too.

Q. Which teacher / professor do you remember the most and why? A. My school principal (Father Dennis Coelha) will always remain very very special. He encouraged me a lot to do well in cricket. Q. How do you overcome failure? A. By trying to learn from it. A failure

gives me an opportunity to look ahead and assess how can I can improve. Every sportsman has to learn to deal with failures because it is not possible to win always.

Q. Anything that you fear the most? A. Nothing. Q. You belong to the ‘90s generation. Anything special?

“You have to love your profession if you want to have satisfaction from what you are doing”

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September 2009

A. It was a generation that saw lots of changes. It saw the nation witness changes from an older system to technologically advanced. It was a huge challenge but they succeeded. It was a great thrust forward for the entire nation. Q. How is your previous day like before a competitive match?

A. As normal as any non-competitive

day. But during the season it mostly depends on how the team is doing, on the practice sessions. But I generally concentrate on staying relaxed and sleep well.

Q. Your professional life must have some fascinating and despairing moments. Can you spell them out? A. The most fascinating was obviously the Test debut at Lord’s (in 1996). Getting to play for India was an ambition that I had pursued and it was such a thrilling feeling. The biggest disappointment was being eliminated in the first round of the 2007 West Indies. It was shattering. Q. Would you like to live for fun or live with a purpose?

A. With a purpose. It is fun if you achieve your purpose. It is nice to enjoy both

(As told to Urmila Rao)