Came across a good website today that provides a comprehensive list of tests that are happening all over India for various purposes. The information covers both academic tests and recruitment tests. What makes such a feature handy is that it makes planning for exams that much easier by giving us all the dates and timings. We often have to look at different places for information on recruitment exams and results which creates confusion and consumes time. The database contains all the necessary information such as application deadlines, exam details, notifications and results. Check it out.
In blog posts earlier that focused on the advantages of learning foreign languages, I talked about the upper hand that you get while looking for a job. A recently published article in The Hindu addresses the same and talks about a few opportunities that are available to students who pick up a foreign language in addition to their courses. As globalization spreads, being multilingual definitely gets you in touch with a wider audience and as a result, access to better opportunities.
According to the article, French still remains a favourite but Chinese and German are picking up fast. A student who is equipped with important soft skills and a foreign language to go with them, can command a starting salary as high as 30 grand. Some of the best places to pick up foreign languages in Hyderabad are EFLU, Ramakrishna Math and others. Click here to take a look at the article. I will be posting specific job openings in this blog soon.
Sometime back I had written about hiring activities in Wipro BPO. From the looks of things, the recruitment drive is still on and Wipro is getting up close and personal with the process. Faced with the fact that graduates coming out of the various colleges typically lack employability skills and the colleges do little to improve the situation, Wipro signed a MoU with the Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) to take the responsibility of training emerging graduates. Under the scheme, students who are passing out of regular degree colleges and who possess decent communication skills, will be trained by Wipro and subsequently absorbed.
Apart from requirements for its BPO, Wipro also needs people for various other positions such as technical support executives, human resources, accounting, supply chain and others. In order to make the most of the MoU, officials from Wipro will visit different colleges and identify students who would be suitable for these positions. The identification will be followed by a training programme where the potential employees will be trained to handle the various responsibilities and will be made to experience what working in Wipro is all about.
The company has announced two recruitment drives already for the PB Siddhartha College of Arts & Science. One in September and the second in November.
The need for increased enrollment in higher education has never been felt more as India grapples with the lack of quality talent in the professional sphere. In order to introduce more students to advanced learning and to hone their skills, the government plans to set up 735 additional universities all over the country. Deviating from the norm of a University being a space for all kinds of courses, the new universities will feature several exclusive ones that will cater to select programmes only. We can safely assume that most of these select courses will be job-oriented and in line with the current and upcoming industry demands.
While it is good to know that more people are being exposed to higher education and important skills, such a large number of new institutions can also be a cause for concern. It is not enough to set up a centre of learning; we need able people to guide the students effectively. Finding quality faculty for all these institutions will be a tough ask and we know that sub-standard faculty can turn the whole noble scheme upside down. Care should be taken to design the curriculum in a way that will cater to not only current openings but new developments in future as well. Here’s hoping that the government will use discretion and not rush to get the new institutions up and running.
More may not equate to impressive when it comes to putting your CV together. You might have been involved in plenty of stuff throughout school and college but putting everything on your CV may not turn out to be a very good idea. The key here is to filter the information and retain only those achievements which show off the skills you need to handle your professional responsibilities. Therefore the first thing on the list should be to separate what is important and what is not.
If you have a clear idea about the profile you are applying for and the specific roles you will have, try to think about the things you have done so far which are similar to what you will be doing. If you are a fresher, you can think of instances where you have captained a team or represented a school to highlight your leadership and people skills. If you have work experience, you should give importance to those roles which your future employer is looking for. The relevant information should be prominent on your CV while the other details can be listed as a separate section titled “Other Activities” if not omitted altogether.
A CV that’s crisp and straightforward is sure to stand out amidst others. More information to come in subsequent posts.
The public sector is not too far behind the private as far as providing openings are concerned. By the day, the number of government jobs are increasing and here is your chance to explore and decide where you fit in. The current vacancies range from openings in banks, BHEL, educational institutions and research teams managed by the Government of India. Last dates for application fall within this month. So if any of the positions interest you, apply right away. To see the list of organisations and specific positions they are offering, visit this link.
Fascinated by animation? Fond of classics like The Lion KIng and can’t stop watching Kung Fu Panda? Well how about turning your fascination into a rewarding and exciting career? Surveys reveal that animation is one of the fastest growing industries in India. Recent movies like Hanuman have made a big impact and it’s only getting started. With time, more projects will be taken up and we will see our Indian superheroes in all their glory in animation movies. Apart from movies, expertise in visual effects can also secure a place for you in the rapidly growing gaming industry. We have come a long way since Mario and Contra and a look at the new-age games developed for various gaming consoles reveal how visually rich and realistic they have become.
While there are no doubts about the demand for professionals, finding good courses can surely be difficult. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has partnered with Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics to launch a full time 3 year degree course on 3D animation and visual effects. In addition to equipping students with all the technical knowhow, the course will also groom the students in soft skills so that it becomes easier for them to secure employment. You need to have completed your 10+2 to apply for this course. Upon completion, you can look forward to joining media organizations, production houses or studios. you can also choose to become a freelancer or an independent filmmaker.
Visit the IGNOU website for course details and other relevant information.
For working executives or those who are unable to pursue a regular full-time course in business or marketing,distance learning is available to tackle all the new developments and industry demands. If you are already working and want to sharpen your skills by picking up a course, you should check out the array of correspondence courses on offer in the domain of business studies. With names like ICFAI, IICT, MIT Pune and symbiosis involved, you can count on quality and adequate job assistance. IICT offers a 10% discount on fees for working executives.
Opportunities in Business and Marketing are on the rise and according to market research, it will continue to grow and open up more avenues for students to explore. Already there are plenty of diverse fields within the rubric of business studies and as new companies come into business and existing companies continue to grow, the diversification will keep increasing and present exciting paths to us. As always, business institutes are keeping abreast of the latest developments so that students can be exposed to all the varieties which will facilitate the task of choosing a field for specialization.
For a comprehensive list of such courses, visit this page.
Acquiring good communication skills does not mean stopping at reasonably fluent speaking abilities. Communication skills involve a lot more than speaking. Once you are good at speaking, you need to figure out the nuances of effective and convincing speaking. In fact, most of the jobs that involve speaking such as BPO jobs, sales and marketing jobs and so on require you to convince your clients about the superiority of what you are selling them. If you are troubleshooting, your speech should sound professional and convincing enough for the customers to have faith in the steps that you are telling them to take. Hesitant and unclear speech can ruin the whole deal when it comes to effective communication.
So how do you go about speaking fluently and convincingly? The first thing is to know what you are talking about extremely well. If you are asked to make a presentation or demonstrate a product, make sure you research extensively and know all about your topic. The way it was manufactured/conceived, implemented, its benefits and salient features etc. Knowledge of other related products and how your product is ahead of competition will is also extremely important. Apart from speaking, use illustrations, pictures and statistics. Appear confident during your presentation and answer all questions with the same poise and confidence. You’ll do well to rehearse your presentation before facing important clients and customers.
Most companies will train you so that you get to know all about their products and services. But you need to have the willingness to learn. Memorizing tech specs and attempting to recite them from memory won’t lend your voice any air of confidence. Confident speech results from your deep understanding of the topic and the initiative to develop that understanding should come from you
Among other European nations like UK and France, Germany has emerged as a promising destination for higher education. The German expertise in engineering and automobiles is well known and what can be better than picking up the skills from Deutschland itself? More and more students are heading to Germany every year for engineering, management, law, science and education courses. To make matters easy for Indian students, The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a variety of scholarships for students who want to pursue various graduate or research programmes in Germany.
If you are planning on going to Germany, it might be a good idea to learn German so that it’s easier for you to find your way around. There are plenty of English speakers though, and some courses are also offered in English. Universities are also known to conduct crash courses in German for students coming from foreign shores. The advantage of knowing German is that it will be easier for you to get part-time jobs there and fund your study.
For information on study and courses in Germany, visit this link. For the DAAD scholarships, check this out.