Essential Skills Required for Securing a Good Job.

Kolluru Ravi Chandra,

Centre Head , Tech Mahindra,

Vizag.

Dear Students.

There lot of aspects that deal with individuals being picked up for the job. Not everyone who is qualified may get a job, Hence there are certain abilities beyond qualification that one should possess to get a job.

You have to know what you need to do to get into a job, to know it you should start questioning yourself towards self-introspection. Few questions that I find relevant and important are listed below….

1. Am I ready for the Job?

In the current competitive world with lot of awareness each individual is poised with a question of what if my future studies plan does not materialize, can I opt an opportunity as a back-up just in case my primary goal is not met. In such a scenario a decent majority of the students end up with a job opportunity which they may at a later stage honour or not. By taking this path one ends up spoiling a chance for another individual who is serious about pursuing a job as well as a potential loss to the organization which invests time and money in conducting the process of employment. By doing this students unknowingly create a vacuum between the Industry and the Academic Institutes by having a poor turn up for the actual employment. So it is very much important for an individual to do a self-assessment towards their readiness and preparedness to take Job as a serious activity.

2. Are my basics in place?

Once the individual has made up their mind about Job as a serious career option, next important aspect that they need to consider is a proper Self-Assessment of their abilities. . In a short span of time during the interview session it is very tough for an organization to gauge individuals 360⁰ capabilities. Majority of individuals try to find a short cut to manage the interviews. Believe me there is no short cut or a crash course to make one successful in an interview other than having a very good foundation and knowledge on their basics. One might be successful in one interview or two but this cannot happen forever if they lack proper basics. This has been an observant fact across my journey in this Profession when we come across interviewing students. Majority of the students despite the very good scores they have in their academics fail to speak on the basics of their course curriculum, which makes it tough on the Interview Panel to judge and thus the drop outs are high.

3. Do I have the right Attitude?

Next important aspect that they need to consider is ‘Do I really have the Ability, Energy and Rigour’ to meet the challenges of performing assigned tasks. It is quite common for most of us to enquire and check with our seniors, elders who are already performing professional duties of what should we do once we take up the job. Every individual has an experience to share when it comes to being part of an organization. While these experiences are to be taken in the perspective of positivity, every student must seriously start working on their self-Strengths and Weaknesses. So individually one should be honest to self and identify the shortfalls and start working towards overcoming them so as to be successful as a professional. For some a short fall could be their ‘Public Speaking Skills’, for other it could be ‘Interpersonal Skills’ while for others it could be ‘Dress Etiquette/Body Language/Technical Abilities’. It is important to work on these areas as they definitely help in the long run.

4. Do I have what it takes to meet the challenges?

At this juncture one definitely has answers for the above 3 and is really geared up for the interview. Now having answered the basics each of you as student should think of the most important aspect of am I really having the energy and dynamism to take this job. Does my mind-set allow me to take risks as I venture into professional career? Securing a Job is one aspect and sustaining the same is altogether a different aspect. So while preparing for the interviews and venturing into career one should take small steps towards building self-courage and preparing self for the unknown.

5. Does My Learning stop here?

Last but not the least the most critical and very important thought one should bear in mind is about ‘Learning throughout their career and life’. Industry trends have shown that typical college student’s mind-set runs through a feeling that once they venture into professional career they need not study or learn anymore. While Study might not be a typical class room lecture however every day in one’s career learning has to happen. Learning is a continuous activity and one has to keep learning as long as they wish for a successful career. I believe there is no field or industry in this world where learning stops after few days of their career beginning. To be able to compete differentiate one from the other everyone has to keep learning.

To summarize having a strong foundation on the basics of academic courses, clarity of thought and a good vision for the career with positive attitude can guarantee a job. College Phase is definitely the most memorable one and everyone goes through it. But one has to be responsible and plan for career at this stage. As the saying goes ‘Time and Tide Wait for none’ pull up your socks and be prepared for future. Wishing you all Good Luck…

Career Choices in New India

R K Gupta

Email : rkgupta6156@gmail.com

Prologue

In the year 1992 India undertook economic reforms and opened its gate to globalization which followed modernization of our financial and telecom sectors, IT sector, bringing huge investment from across the world. The next ten years transformed the Indian economy one to be notice by the world. Now in 2015, after a gap of a decade of policy paralysis and scams, India is ready for another economic transformation, and this time it is going to be manufacturing and infrastructure. The impact is going to be unprecedented offering great opportunity to youth of our country. In simple terms India is reopening and is hopefully going to make up for the lost time.

Dynamics of Selecting a Career

This article has two parts. The first part is about the dynamics of selecting a career and the second part is about specific options available to graduates and under graduates.

The journey for some of you which began some years ago will now reach its first destination when you graduate from your university. It will require you to demonstrate a great deal of responsibility. The responsibility towards self, the responsibility towards family and the responsibility towards society, which over a period of time will transform you from a student to a man or a woman. Your consciousness will suddenly change to one who sees the world as the place of action and your inner self will hereafter revolve around it.

I am sure most graduates today are well informed and connected to the reality and challenges around them. The opportunities and options available to them are huge and selecting the best suited option is no easy task, but whatever one may decide the most important factor is his own self, his own traits, his own mind set. What is good for “A” may not necessary turnout to be good for “B” and therefore the first step in choosing a career should be to evaluate yourself very critically.

The second step is to remember that there is nothing like a right or wrong approach. We are normally told that if a person was successful, it was because his approach was right. No, it may not be always true. I would say perhaps the best way to decide your approach would be to experience it yourself. Nothing can replace your own experience. Decide a field or a sector that excites you the most, then pick up an internship, assignment or employment that will give firsthand experience and then evaluate your excitement keeping your personality in mind.

The next step is to realize that we are normally surrounded by the people who will not waste any time telling us that we should innovate. Well innovation definitely pays and every one could innovate – but remember that it requires a great amount of passion, a passion to bring the change, a passion to reject things till we find the right ones, a passion to wait and remain passionate. Similarly whole lot of people out there will tell you be an entrepreneur. Well for some the option of being an entrepreneur born out of fascination or necessity is definitely to be considered at some point but not by ignoring the ground reality. However how does one know if he or she would be successful in innovation and entrepreneurship? One way to look at it is that Innovation and Entrepreneurship would happen automatically if you are “Enterprising”. The Innovation and entrepreneurships are not the product by itself, rather I put it as  byproducts of being enterprising. An attitude of being Enterprising is the key to success in any assignment, whether in an employment or in your own enterprise. As an enterprising person one should be enthusiastic in whatever he does, always ready for action, ready to learn , ready to explore, ready to be informed, ready to experiment , ready to adopt, ready to take failures head-on and most importantly he or she should not be a prisoner of his or her own self. You should cultivate the habit of being enterprising at work, this will lead you to entrepreneurship and you will be surprised that innovation will just happen. This practice will give you much needed self-esteem which is most precious in life. This will place you out of the box and you will be recognized as an innovator.

Let us see two sets of examples. In both cases enterprising individuals some have achieved innovation and some have achieved entrepreneurship.

Ex. 1:

Mr Narayan Murty once said that those were the days in 70s when he, Mr Bill Gates and like many others were writing codes for various computer OS, languages and Apps. Mr Murty after leaving Patni computers ventured out and started Infosys but Bill Gates continued writing codes. Both were enterprising individuals with some difference. Mr  Murty who worked earlier in a computer software company developed a mind set to create a bigger and better enterprise than one where he has worked , thus his enterprising endeavor took him to the route of Entrepreneurships while at the same time Mr Bill Gates who set his mind on simplifying the operating system wanted to end the dominance of Main Frame OS of IBM landed in to creating Windows Operating System and codes for programming languages, in simple terms his enterprising endeavor took him to the route of Innovation. Today Infosys  many times depends upon Microsoft  tools whereas I don’t know if any time Microsoft depends upon Infosys nevertheless  both were the outcome of enterprising journey where one person ended up as an entrepreneur and other person ended up as an innovator.  

Ex. 2:

Now another example About 40 years ago Virani Brothers  Bhikhubhai, Chandubhai & Kanubhai Virani  started selling potato chips in a cinema hall in Rajkot Gujrat . Some years latter their enterprising attitude took them to become entrepreneur who created a huge empire of Balaji Namkeen ( Revenue Rs 1000+ cr/ Vauation Rs 5000+ cr). Incidentally recently I noticed similar enterprising venture by one Jayachakra (well ,I do not know them at all nor know their back ground) from Hyderabad who introduced namkeen puff packet just imagine for Rs 2.00, yes sir Namkeen packet for two rupees only , I am lost in my imagination if only enterprising endeavors of  jayachakra continue for a decade or two where it will ultimately lead them is any body’s Guess. 

About Career Choices

The graduates completing their Bachelors degree while choosing higher education options should prepare to consider streams with new age technology such as Logistic Management, Digital Marketing, Port Management, Hospitality Management, E - Commerce, Digital Computing, Clinical trials, Retail Management, Bio Technology etc. The further professional certification alongside regular Post Graduation could provide impetus to one’s CV. Internships in the field of your liking definitely helps in acquiring experience which will helps you in many ways.

The graduates with Post Graduate Degree can choose a career in Research, or Employment or setting up their own enterprise. Some job experience can give you discipline and needed exposure for setting your own business. This will also make you more responsible.

Today India is reopening after a gap of ten years which will present huge opportunities to enterprising youth. I know several people from prestigious universities and institutes like IITs, IIMs, and Ivy League, etc. have quit their very lucrative jobs in MNCs like Goldman Sach, J P Morgan, Amazon, Microsoft, McKinsey, Bain, Tatas, Infosys, etc to set up their own business in diversified fields. The investments are available from VCs, angel and PE funds. The startup scene is heating up in New Delhi NCR and Bangalore. So do not ignore the great opportunity.

Conclusion

If you are completing your Undergraduate degree it might be a good option to not jump in to another degree programme, for at least an year or so. You may allow yourself this time to figure out what you want to do and what is your comfort level. Is it a job or research or your own enterprise. Meanwhile take up an internship or a regular job in the sector of your choice and prepare simultaneously for your PG programme from an institute of repute. Please remember brand does matter.

If you are a Post Graduate student then as you pass out, start working on an idea and take up  an employment in the sector to gain experience. After spending an year or two, venture out to set up your enterprise. You should do well to understand that no idea is small or big, even if it is wild you must debate, discuss and criticize it and I am sure you will land in to a gold mine.

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Place To Fly         Before joining NIST I was only a normal human being and once after joining it turned me gain many skills and identify my talents. My thoughts started going high and could not be stopped by anyone and this made me confidently attend MAT examination and started attending many interviews. In each and every interview I've only heard praising me for my spontaneous and confident answers. This only happened with the liberty provided to me at NIST. - Pooja, BBM Final Year.

How to study in Modern Scenario        The earth has revolve around the sun once again and the cycle of seasons repeat once again but the time will never come back. So every second in our life is very important. when our birth takes place we start following our parents, society and teachers. This continues from childhood to post graduation. I am saying that following parents and teachers is good and following in all conditions is not good. By listening to the lecture we get only 10% of knowledge by applying them in a practical way we get a 100% knowledge about it. When teacher asks to solve any problem within a limited time, do not stop that work until you complete it. By doing so we may feel happy and satisfied. -Madhavi, BBM Final Year

- Raviteja Asst. Prof.

The Anchor       I feel very happy to share my views in this E magazine. I want to share my experience regarding my anchoring career in our college. I am always very active and talkative person in my class. One day suddenly HOD madam called me and told me that I had to anchor the event. First my friends discouraged me that I did not suit as an anchor. But later they were stunned by seeing the way I managed the event. Now I am confident enough in managing any event in college or in any organization. I am very much thankful to the management for their incredible support. Now I am very confident enough and I got experience how to behave on the stage and before audience. Actually this helps me to settle in a good position. -Syamala, BBM Final Year .

The Interview I want to explain about interview because it is important to all students. Interviews mainly take place in 3 steps written test, interaction with the manager and SWOT analysis. In every interview written test takes place and the candidate will be interviewed to test communication skills and achievements and they find out our strengths weaknesses and threats. Nowadays many students are focusing on certificates but not on skills. I think everyone should develop skills which are useful to do a job. -Alekhya, BBM Final Year

Not only human being, each and every living creature works hard to survive in this universe. To me photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something very interesting in an ordinary place. What I find is little to do with the thing you see but what I capture will make you remember little things. -Prakash Majumdar

- Roopa, BBM Final Year

The Singer My name is Roopa. I like singing. When I was in 9th class I started learning music. My first guru Mrs. Dhanunjayarao garu. I learnt Karnatik music from her. She encouraged me a lot. Ii learnt not only music from her and also learnt about how to sing in front of others and how to express the feeling when singing. Like this I learnt from her so many things. And my second guru is Mrs. Bhaskaramma garu. I learnt Annamayya Keerthanalu from her. And my third guru is Mr. Rajasekhar garu. I learnt Annamayya Keerthanalu from him. When I was in 10th class I sang in front of Mr. S.P. Bala Subramanyam garu. It was a very good experience. I cannot forget that experience in my life and Mr. Rajasekhar garu gave me the opportunity to sing in his album in 2012. I did it well and I got an opportunity to sing with the music director Mr. Nehal garu in 2012.  When I came to my graduation my HOD madam, Dean sir and other faculty members and my friends have encouraged me to sing whenever there is a celebration in college. Every event starts with my song. I felt that I want to learn more and more and by this I was learning traditional songs. I have a good name in my college. Some of my MBA friends do not know who is Roopa but they only know singer Roopa. I did 20 programmes with my gurus. When I started first program I had stage fear but now I do not have stage fear. I can sing in front of anyone.

How to Raise a Young Achiever First know the importance of school. To succeed in school is not about getting top grade it is about developing a lifelong love of learning and enjoying the classroom atmosphere being independent, giving an opportunity to make his or her self confidence and decision making skills which are important for his or her development. Be at peace with yourself Remember each day brings opportunities for achievement. Self confidence is all about positive energy but over confidence is all about negative energy whatever we do we must remember that there are only 24 hours in a day that means don't waste the time. Time is more valuable than money. If you have a talent show it whenever and wherever you can. Somewhere sometime you will be recognised and identified. Be bold be strong and know that you are the creator of your own destiny whatever you think that you will be if you think it yourself weak you'll be weak if you think yourself strong you will be strong. -Manga Lakshmi, BBM First Year.