Student's Corner:- The Counsellor - 37

THE COUNSELLOR

 

 

 

   
Embracing change

Although my company has not yet announced "loadshedding", the rumour is that it's inevitable. Like my colleagues in IT, I am in total panic. Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen finance at all. Should I look at marketing? Please advice.
    Rajesh Verma

You know, there's a classic stock market aphorism: Invest when there's blood on the street. Sound advice, except when it's your blood on the street.
   The popular debate is not how much the economy would dip, but where the bottom would be, and whether at all it would bounce back. Of course it will, says the incurable optimist in me (but this is not about what I 'feel').
   The question is When? And does that mean that until that happens we stop planning for our careers?
   Instead, if we stick to the classic concepts of career selection and career retooling - choosing the field we love, and preparing for a long-term stint in that career, chances are we won't come to grief.
   So instead of moping and lending ear to all the doomsayers gathered around the water cooler (or office corridor), take stock of your current situation, review your skill-sets and experience. Better still, get a proven expert to review it for you.
   Use the slack period to acquire new skills, spruce up your bio, network with people in your industry as well as in others that interest you. Look at related upcoming fields that you idly toyed with all these years. In short, put your head down and think and act innovatively. Follow my favourite maxim: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
   No stream or profession is “recession-proof.” Every industry has its cycles — its ups and downs.When the earth shakes, all trees shake - some more some less.
   At this point, your industry may be in a down cycle. Which means you may have to settle for a lower raise / payscale than your counterparts in some other fields.
   And remember, you didn't plan this. It happens. These are cyclical events that happen from time to time - globally (although this is one hell of a whopper). Just concentrate on doing your job the best you can, volunteer to take on extra tasks - in short, make yourself indispensable.
   Also consider investing in a short-term course - that finance or marketing module, you always wanted to pursue or that language which would give you a leg-up (computer or foreign). Catch up on your fitness regime. Learn Yoga, Tai Chi, Karate, Salsa, Bhangda, whatever.
   Among others, you'll have the advantage of keeping abreast of new developments in your field. And when this downturn lifts, you'll be all shining and ready to grab the new opportunities that open up and reap the harvest and perhaps even command a huge premium. Keep learning and growing and the rewards will come - as sure as day follows night.
   Historically, our economy has shown tremendous resilience whenever it's been down for the count. There's no denying that the global turmoil has had its impact here, but since the global services sector relies so significantly on Indian talent, experts feel that if the slowdown is a short one, it could even fuel business for Indian firms as US companies look to cut costs. Perhaps this will also catalyze Indian outsourcing firms, predominantly dependant on the US market, to diversify. So, let's keep our fingers crossed. The psychological impact aside, domestic IT growth may not suffer overly.
   The question is, do you have the self-confidence and conviction to weather the storm?

 

   
Animation basket

I could not get into a good computer engineering course because I am not very good in studies. What is the scope of multimedia and animation? Could you please tell me something about these fields? I am fairly creative.
    Kushal Sehgal

So what if you couldn't crack the engineering entrances, your creativity can take you places.
   Multimedia covers a number of areas like animation, web design and CD authoring. Students who are not so comfortable with the English language can do the web designing and multimedia course easily. For hardcore programming jobs, companies prefer those with BTech or MCA degree but for multimedia and web designing jobs, these degrees are not so important. Any student who has completed a multimedia course and has a thorough knowledge can easily get a job.
   Besides this, you can also start your own DTP, multimedia or web designing business with a small investment. Several private and some government institutions offer courses in web-page designing and multimedia. But all these courses must be weighed for their worthiness with a pinch (if not a handful) of salt.
   Make sure you select one that focuses on the fundamentals of web-page designing and production processes besides relevant languages like HTML, XTML, java, etc.
   A good 6-12 month course should familiarise you with getting onto the net and working with these languages, using the various multimedia software used for animation, moving images, colouring text, etc which go on to make a web page.
   After that, the next step is to team up with a websitedesigner or developer to get the necessary hands-on exposure. You could even work as an assistant to a web-master initially. Also, it makes a lot of sense to invest in your own computer. This work requires a lot of practice and self-learning.
   While reading and practice will sharpen your skills, finally it's your talent and speed that will take you places.
   According to Nasscom, animation and gaming are set to register a CAGR of 35% and 78% respectively to reach $950 million and $300 million by 2009. Large companies like Sony Entertainment are looking at India as a market as well as a resource base for technology partnerships. By the 2009-end there will be a need for more than 30,000 animation professionals - give or take some thanks to the slowdown.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunil Sharma

   Moderator

Dil Se Desi Group

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www.dilsedesi.org

 

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Student's Corner:- The Counsellor - 36

THE COUNSELLOR

   
Beyond boundaries

I am residing in Gurgaon and I want to pursue MBA from a reputed college. Please give me a list of B-schools in Gurgaon.
   Suresh Mishra

I would urge you not to confine your choice of a B-school to Gurgaon or even Delhi for that matter. An MBA is your brand equity for life. Make sure you do it from the best school possible — regardless of where or how far in India you may need to go for it.
   
Visa issues

Please tell me something about the new point-based immigration system introduced in UK. Does it mean that it will become very difficult to immigrate there? I work in a hotel and I am very keen to move to London.
   Vikas Rajan

The new points-based system was introduced in February this year to rate prospective immigrants based on their skills. Besides making people aware of whether they could settle down in the country or not, this would increase the immigrant flow, although the prevalent view is that it has been brought about to restrict the number of people coming into the UK. Europe being in need of skilled manpower due to its declining population, the points-based immigration system would, in principle, provide a fair chance to skilled Indian workers to work and settle in UK. However, there are always some “ifs” and “buts”. Since the US slowdown has had global ramifications, jobs and hiring have taken a severe beating in the UK as well. And some sectors are more affected than others.

 

 

Right bet

I completed Master’s in Urdu in the year 2006. I also cleared NET (Urdu) with 63.11% marks. What type of jobs can I look at?
Gokul Chand

After completing a PhD in Urdu, you can take up teaching at the college or university level. With the proliferation of the media, there is a growing demand for those who can communicate with style, ease and competence. There are large number of Urdu based channels being telecast worldwide. So you have the option to join electronic media. You can work there as announcer, newsreader, anchorperson or scriptwriter. You can also work as a journalist in print media and web content creator in the online medium. Creative writing is yet another option. You can be a copywriter in an advertising agency, technical writer, public relations executive or editor. An additional course in public relation, journalism, advertising or mass communication would give you the necessary professional edge.
   You could also look at openings abroad in countries where Urdu is widely spoken. It is in the Middle-East countries and some of the western South Asian countries where you could look for job openings, but be prepared to face stiff competition from the local applicants who might have similar qualifications and the added advantage of regional and market familiarity.If you are fluent with any language other than Urdu ie English or French, a translator or interpreter's job may be worth. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) has introduced BEd (Urdu) in collaboration with Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, www.manuu.ac.in.

 

   
Looking ahead

I belong to a family of farmers in Himachal Pradesh. I have heard that cultivating aromatic medicinal plants is a very lucrative option. Hoe far this true?
   Vijay Kumar

Plants have been used medicinally since antiquity. According to the World Health Organisation’s survey, 80% of the world’s population uses plants as medicine for primary health care. Plant based medicines are used in various systems ie Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy and even in Allopathy to some extent. Nearly 90% of plant-based medicines are obtained from nature, while 10% are from medicinal plants cultivated in farms. However, owing to the growing demand of plant based medicines, there is an urgent need to grow certain medicinal plants on a large scale. Some common spices and condiments are being cultivated in farms on a large scale eg black pepper, chilies, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger, mustard, mint, onion, turmeric etc. You could also consider this option.
   India has rich plant diversity to meet the growing demands of plant based medicines, perfumery and flavouring. India’s favourable soil and climate plays host to over 320 of the 400 families of flowering medicinal plants in the world. As we have some of the rarest and most needed medicinal plants in
India, we can capitalise on this to capture a large share of the growing global trade. Organic farming would go a long way in increasing the acceptability of these plants. Pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of ayurvedic medicines, herbal cosmetics, health food, perfume industry and nature cure clinics — in India and abroad namely USA, EU, Japan and Australia constitute the major market for Indian medicinal plants. On the other hand many others like New Zealand, Germany and Korea have shown keen interest. While our domestic market alone is huge, and growing steadily, our herbal exports to the US exceed that of China.
   The National Medicinal Plants Board, www.nmpb.nic.in, expects export of medicinal and value-added products from India to double from the present Rs 800-900 crore, by 2011-12. Several states eg Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttaranchal offer incentives for plantation of medicinal herbs. The entire Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, particularly the higher reaches of Chamba, Kulu, Shimla and Sirmour districts, is home to over 3,500 species of herbs and aromatic plants. Of these as many as 70 endangered Himalayan herbs with rare medicinal properties are on the verge of extinction.
   By 2011-12 government’s new National Mission on Medicinal Plants (NMMP) expects to bring some 80,000-1,00,000 hectares of land under medicinal plants through direct financial assistance for cultivation, and an almost equal area, which will be covered by incentivising farmers who may switch over from traditional crops to medicinal plants. Some 200 nurseries are proposed to be set up, both in the public and private sector, for making available seeds of certified quality.
   New testing labs are being created through public-private partnerships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunil Sharma

   Moderator

Dil Se Desi Group

&

www.dilsedesi.org

 

Visit My Forum"Sunil Ke Adde Main" on the website, click from below to visit any of my sub forum:-

1. Careers

2. Computer Tips & Tricks

3. Medical Info

4. Management Lessons

5. My Creative Works

(Please register for free at the website to avail full facilities)

 

Visit My New Dilsedesi Student's Corner Blog Career Guidance India for Jobs,  Careers & more......