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Life Insurance

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:14:24 +0000

Life insurance is a big industry today. Many people buy it whether they need it or not. The primary purpose of life insurance is to replace lost income due to a death. If you are single and have NO dependents, you don’t need life insurance. You have no one to protect. About 30 percent of all policies sold are to people in this category. Who gets the money when this person dies? Someone who has not been financially dependent on that person.
If you don’t have enough assets to pay for your own burial and the burden would fall on your parents or another family member, then they would qualify as a dependent that you would need to protect financially in the case of your death. But you would only need a $5,000 - $10,000 term insurance policy, which costs a few dollars a year.
Children are the most over insured group, while they have no need to be. Life insurance should protect children; policies should be on the parents, not the kids. If the death of child would cause you to go into debt or cause a hardship, then it may be appropriate to purchase some cheap term insurance for a few dollars a year. However, only 1 in 100 children between age 1 and 18 will die each year (10.5 per 1000). The odds are definitely in favor of the insurance company.
There are many reasons people feel inclined to buy policies on their children. One is “guaranteed insurability,” a gimmick created by insurance companies. You are told that buying a policy while the child is young guarantees his or her insurability later if the child has an incurable disease or becomes disabled. The odds of this happening are even lower than those of the child dying before reaching the age of 18. The “guaranteed” clause seems logical, which is probably why it’s the biggest reason parents buy insurance on their children.
Buying a policy on your child to cover his or her college education is another gimmick. The cash value probably won’t build up enough to pay for college; besides, why would anyone want to give an insurance company their hard-earned money for 18 years and pay commissions, fees, mortality charges, et cetera, and receive a low rate of return?
Finally, insurance companies may say that buying a policy on a child when he or she is young will lock in low lifetime rates. However, insurance costs on new policies are declining as people live longer and longer. I bought a term policy about eight years ago and am amazed at how much cheaper a new policy is today, even though I’m nearly a decade older.
If you have a policy on your child, the rates won’t be adjusted downward as policy rates in general go down; the investment return on your policy won’t increase, but the investment yield on the insurance company’s investments will increase; and insurance premiums per thousand are decreasing - more protection can be bought today for less, compared with policies purchased years ago.
When buying life insurance, the important question to ask yourself is: what impact would a death have on the money coming in? If the survivors have enough income, then you don’t need insurance. You may want some (for emotional reasons), and that is fine, but you don’t need any (for financial reasons). Please keep this distinction in mind.
With most people, there is always a discrepancy between the maximum insurance wanted and the minimum of insurance needed. Consider comfort level, what you can afford and your needs Life insurance was never intended to fill a permanent need. If you are saving money on a regular basis, putting money into a retirement plan and paying off a mortgage, these factors will change how much insurance you need and at what point you might not need any at all.

Is Getting Life Insurance Really Necassary?

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:11:47 +0000

Are you one of those people who think that life insurance is just another extra expense that’s not really necessary? We could always find something else to do with those funds, and the truth is until we have a family of our own and start to accumulate some assets, we really don’t give it much thought at all. Just like homeowner’s and auto insurance, which provides us with extra confidence that we would be covered if something were to happen, life insurance is another policy. We want our loved ones to be covered financially in case we should die. So they can afford to take care of things such as burial or cremation at least.

Since we are living in the age of credit, we tend to carry a good amount of debt through our working years. Most of us have mortgage payments, car payments, credit cards, personal loans and student loans to name a few. Many companies offer their employees life insurance coverage of some sort that could be purchased at a reduced rate. Depending on your specific situation, it may be a small amount or maybe twice your salary. There are many that choose to buy from their friendly neighborhood life insurance agent for added coverage.

Premiums are based on the type of policy and the age of the person that wants the coverage. I always get offers in the mail offering reduced coverage if I were to act right away. Term and Whole life insurance, what is the difference between the two. Term policy is just what it sounds like you are purchasing an amount for a specific amount of time. Usually twenty years the premiums stay the same and don’t have any cash value. A whole life insurance policy on the other hand does build cash values and can be borrowed against.

Personally, I think life insurance is a splendid idea, because you don’t want to leave your family with all the expenses. Many companies only specialize in that alone. And local insurance agents can help you better choose your policy. Remember, the older you get the more it costs to get insured so it would be smart to do it while you are still young and get it over with.

Definition of 36 Critical Illnesses or Dread Diseases in Insurance Policy

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:08:24 +0000

Most policy holder who bought the common 36 critical illnesses coverage (also known as 36 dread diseases), will have the definition clearly stated in their life insurance policy. Here is the definition taken from Great Eastern Life insurance policy. Other life insurance company also uses the same definition although some wordings might vary. Anyway, the general definition should be the same. Here is the list:

1. Heart Attack
The death of a portion of the heart muscle (myocardium) as a result of inadequate blood supply and being evidenced by:-
(a) A history of typical prolonged chest pain; and
(b) New electrocardiographic changes resulting from this occurrence; and
(c) Elevation of the cardiac enzyme (CPK-MB) above the generally accepted laboratory levels of normal.
Diagnosis based on the elevation of Troponin T test alone shall not be considered diagnostic of a heart attack.
Angina is specifically excluded.

2. Stroke
Defined as a cerebrovascular accident or incident producing neurological sequelae of a permanent nature, having lasted not less than six months. Infarction of brain tissue, hemorrhage and embolisation from an extra-cranial source are included. The diagnosis must be based on changes seen in a CT scan or MRI and certified by a Consultant Neurologist.
Specifically excluded are cerebral symptoms due to transient ischaemic attacks, any reversible ischaemic neurological deficit, vertebrobasilar ischaemia, cerebral symptoms due to migraine, cerebral injury resulting from trauma or hypoxia and vascular disease affecting the eye or optic nerve or vestibular functions.

3. Coronary Artery Disease Requiring Surgery
Refers to the actual undergoing of coronary artery by-pass surgery by way of thoracotomy to correct or treat coronary artery disease but not including angioplasty, other intra-arterial, keyhole or laser procedures.

4. Cancer
Cancer is defined as the uncontrollable growth and spread of malignant cells and the invasion and destruction of normal tissue for which major interventionist treatment or surgery (excluding endoscopic procedures alone) is considered necessary. The cancer must be confirmed by histological evidence of malignancy.
The following conditions are excluded:-
(a) Carcinoma in situ including of the cervix
(b) Ductal Carcinoma in situ of the breast
(c) Papillary Carcinoma of the bladder and Stage 1 Prostate Cancer
(d) All skin cancers except malignant melanoma
(e) Stage I Hodgkin’s disease
(f) Tumors manifesting as complications of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

5. Kidney Failure
End stage kidney failure presenting as chronic irreversible failure of both kidneys to function, as a result of which regular renal dialysis is initiated or renal transplantation carried out.

6. Fulminant Viral Hepatitis
This is defined as a sub massive to massive necrosis of the liver caused by any virus leading precipitously to liver failure.
The diagnostic criteria to be met are:
(a) A rapidly decreasing liver size as confirmed by abdominal ultrasound; and
(b) Necrosis involving entire lobules, leaving only a collapsed reticular framework; and
(c) Rapidly deteriorating liver functions tests; and
(d) Deepening jaundice.
Hepatitis B infection or carrier status alone does not meet the diagnostic criteria.

7. Major Organ Transplant
The actual undergoing of a transplant as a recipient of one of the following human organs:
(a) Kidney
(b) Lung(s)
(c) Liver
(d) Heart
(e) Bone marrow

8. Paralysis / Paraplegia
The complete and permanent loss of use of both arms or both legs, or one arm and one leg, through paralysis caused by illness or injury persisting for at least six (6) months from the date of trauma or illness.

9. Multiple Sclerosis
Unequivocal diagnosis by a Consultant Neurologist confirming the following combination, which has persisted for at least a continuous period of six (6) months:
(a) Symptoms referable to tracts (white matter) involving the optic nerves, brain stem and spinal cord, producing well-defined neurological deficits; and
(b) A multiplicity or discrete lesions; and
(c) A well-documented history of exacerbation and remissions of said symptoms / neurological deficits.

10. Primary Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Means primary pulmonary hypertension with substantial right ventricular enlargement established by investigations including cardiac catheterization, resulting in permanent irreversible physical impairment to the degree of at least Class 3 of the New York Heart Association Classification of cardiac impairment, and resulting in the Life Assured being unable to perform his/her usual occupation.

11. Blindness
The total, permanent and irrecoverable loss of the sight of both eyes. Certification by an ophthalmologist is necessary.

12. Heart Valve Replacement
The actual undergoing of open-chest surgery to replace or repair cardiac valves as a consequence of heart valve defects or abnormalities that have occurred after the date of issue or date of reinstatement of this contract. Repair, via valvotomy, intra-arterial procedure, key-hole surgery or similar techniques are specifically excluded.

13. Loss Of Hearing / Deafness
Total, permanent and irreversible loss of hearing in both ears as a result of disease or accident. Medical evidence in the form of an audiometry and sound-threshold test must be provided.

14. Surgery To Aorta
The actual undergoing of surgery via a thoracotomy or laprotomy to repair or correct an aortic aneurysm, an obstruction of the aorta or a coarctation of the aorta. For the purpose of this definition, aorta shall mean the thoracic and abdominal aorta but not its branches.

15. Loss of Speech
Total and irrecoverable loss of the ability to speak for a continuous period of 12 months. Medical evidence to confirm injury or illness to the vocal cords to support this disability must be supplied by an appropriate (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist.
All psychiatric related causes are excluded.

16. Alzheimer’s Disease / Irreversible Organic Degenerative Brain Disorders
Deterioration or loss of intellectual capacity or abnormal behavior as evidenced by the clinical state and accepted standardized questionnaires or tests arising from Alzheimer’s Disease or irreversible organic degenerative brain disorders excluding neurosis, psychiatric illness, and any drug or alcohol related organic disorder, resulting in significant reduction in mental and social functioning requiring the continuous supervision of the Life Assured. The diagnosis must be clinically confirmed by an appropriate consultant.

17. Major Burns
Third degree burns covering at least twenty percent (20%) of the Life Assured’s body surface area as measured by “The Rule of 9” of the Lund & Browder Body Surface Chart.

18. Coma
A state of unconsciousness with no reaction or response to external stimuli or internal needs, persisting continuously for at least 96 hours, requiring the use of life support systems and resulting in a neurological deficit, lasting more than 30 days. Confirmation by a Consultant Neurologist must be present.
Coma resulting directly from self-inflicted injury, alcohol or drug misuse is excluded.

19. Terminal Illness
The Life Assured must be suffering from a condition, which in the opinion of an appropriate Medical Practitioner is highly likely to lead to death within 12 months. The Life Assured must no longer be receiving active treatment other than that for pain relief.

20. Motor Neurone Disease”
Motor neurone disease of unknown aetiology is characterized by progressive degeneration of corticospinal tracts and anterior horn cells or bulbar efferent neurons. These include spinal muscular atrophy, progressive bulbar palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and primary lateral sclerosis.
Diagnosis must be confirmed by a Consultant Neurologist.

21. AIDS Due To Blood Transfusion
The Life Assured being infected by HIV virus or AIDS provided that:
(a) the infection is due to blood transfusion received in Malaysia or Singapore after the commencement of the Policy; and
(b) the Life Assured is not a haemophiliac; and
(c) the Life Assured is not a member of any high risk groups such as but not limited to homosexuals, intravenous drug users or sex workers.
Notification and proof of incident will be required via a statement from a statutory Health Authority that the infection is medically acquired.

22. Parkinson’s Disease
Unequivocal diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease by a Consultant Neurologist where the condition:
(a) Cannot be controlled with medication; and
(b) Shows signs of progressive impairment; and
(c) Activities of Daily Living assessment confirm the inability of the Life Assured to perform without assistance three (3) or more of the Activities of Daily Living.
Only idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease is covered. Drug-induced or toxic causes of Parkinsonism are excluded.

23. Chronic Liver Disease
End stage liver failure evidenced by permanent jaundice, ascites, encephalopathy and portal hypertension.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy and liver failure secondary to alcohol or drug misuse is excluded.

24. Chronic Lung Disease
End stage respiratory failure including chronic interstitial lung disease.
The following criteria must be met:
(a) Requiring permanent oxygen therapy as a result of a consistent FEV1 test value of less than one liter.
(Forced Expiratory Volume during the first second of a forced exhalation); and
(b) Arterial Blood Gas analysis with partial oxygen pressures of 55mmHg or less; and
(c) Dyspnoea at rest.

25. Major Head Trauma
Physical head injury causing significant permanent functional impairment lasting for a minimum period of three (3) months from the date of the trauma or injury. The resultant permanent functional impairment is to be verified by a Consultant Neurologist and duly concurred by the Company’s Medical Officer and must result in an inability to perform at least three (3) of the Activities of Daily Living either with or without the use of mechanical equipment, special devices or other aids and adaptations in use for disabled persons. For the purpose of this benefit, the word “permanent”, shall mean beyond the hope of recovery with current medical knowledge and technology.

26. Aplastic Anaemia
Chronic persistent bone marrow failure which results in total aplasia of the bone marrow and requires treatment with at least one of the following:
(a) Regular blood product transfusion
(b) Marrow stimulating agents
(c) Immunosuppressive agents
(d) Bone marrow transplantation

27. Muscular Dystrophy
The diagnosis of muscular dystrophy shall require a confirmation by a Consultant Neurologist of the combination of 3 out of 4 of the following conditions:
(a) Family history of other affected individuals
(b) Clinical presentation including absence of sensory disturbance, normal cerebro-spinal fluid and mild tendon reflex reduction
(c) Characteristic electromyogram
(d) Clinical suspicion confirmed by muscle biopsy
No benefit will be payable under this Covered Event before the Life Assured had reached the age of 12 years next birthday.

28. Benign Brain Tumor
A life-threatening, non-cancerous tumor in the brain giving rise to characteristic signs of increased intra-cranial pressure such as papilloedema, mental symptoms, seizures and sensory impairment. The presence of the underlying tumor must be confirmed by imaging studies such as CT Scan or MRI.
Cysts, granulomas, malformations in or of the arteries or veins of the brain, haematomas, tumors in the pituitary gland or spine and tumors of the acoustic nerve are excluded.

29. Encephalitis
Defined as severe inflammation of brain substance, resulting in permanent neurological deficit lasting for a minimum period of 30 days and certified by a Consultant Neurologist. The permanent deficit must result in an inability to perform at least three (3) of the Activities of Daily Living either with or without the use of mechanical equipment, special devices or other aids and adaptations in use for disabled persons. For the purpose of this benefit, the word “permanent”, shall mean beyond the hope of recovery with current medical knowledge and technology.
Encephalitis as a result of HIV infection is excluded.

30. Poliomyelitis
Unequivocal diagnosis by a Consultant Neurologist of infection with the Poliovirus leading to paralytic disease as evidenced by impaired motor function or respiratory weakness. Cases not involving paralysis will not be eligible for this benefit. Other causes of paralysis (such as Guillain-Barre syndrome) are specifically excluded.

31. Brain Surgery
The actual undergoing of surgery to the brain under general anesthesia during which a craniotomy is performed. Bur Hole and brain surgery as a result of an accident is excluded.

32. Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis causing inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord resulting in permanent neurological deficit lasting for a minimum period of 30 days and resulting in a permanent inability to perform at least three (3) of the Activities of Daily Living either with or without the use of mechanical equipment, special devices or other aids and adaptations in use for disabled persons. For the purpose of this benefit, the word “permanent”, shall mean beyond the hope of recovery with current medical knowledge and technology.

33. Other Serious Coronary Artery Disease
The narrowing of the lumen of at least three major arteries i.e. Circumflex, Right Coronary Artery (RCA), Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD), by a minimum of 60 percent or more as proven by coronary arteriography. This benefit is payable regardless of whether or not any form of coronary artery surgery has been performed.

34. Apallic Syndrome
Universal necrosis of the brain cortex, with the brainstem remaining intact. Diagnosis must be confirmed by a Consultant Neurologist and condition must be documented for at least one month.

35. AIDS Cover of Medical Staff
Infection by any Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) only if the Life Assured is a Medical Staff as defined below, and that such infection was considered by the medical authorities involved to be caused by a needlestick/sharp instrument injury or by exposure to blood or bloodstained body fluid which occurred after the commencement of the Policy. The accident must have occurred whilst the Life Assured was following his normal occupational duties and reported in accordance with the established occupational procedures for such accidents. The Life Assured must, within 5 days of the accident have undergone a blood test indicating the absence of HIV or its antibodies but a further blood test performed within 6 months of the accident must indicate the presence of HIV or its antibodies after the commencement of the Policy.
However, the benefit payable will not apply if any medical cure is found for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or the effects of the HIV virus or a medical treatment is developed which results in the prevention of the occurrence of AIDS.
“Medical Staff” is defined as Doctors (General Physicians and Specialists), nurses, laboratory technicians, dentists (surgeons and nurses), ambulance workers who are working in the medical centre or hospital or dental clinics/polyclinics in Malaysia.

36. Full Blown AIDS
The clinical manifestation of AIDS (Acquired Immune-deficiency Syndrome) must be supported by the results of a positive HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) antibody test and a confirmatory Western Blot test. In addition, the Life Assured must have a CD4 cell count of less than two hundred (200) and one or more of the following criteria are met:
(a) Weight loss of more than 10% of body weight over a period of six (6) months or less (wasting syndrome)
(b) Kaposi Sarcoma
(c) Pneumocystic Carinii Pneumonia
(d) Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
(e) Active Tuberculosis
(f) Less than one-thousand (1000) lymphocytes
(g) Malignant Lymphoma

Fact File- Life Insurance

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:59:27 +0000

Life insurance helps your dependents to be financially secured in the event of your death. When you buy life insurance you stipulate the figure you want the policy to pay out when you die - this term is the sum assured. The premium you pay is based on this amount, and on your age and gender. Your payments will also be based on the type of cover you choose. There are two fundamental types of life insurances: term assurance and whole-of-life cover, and there are many variations within these categories. Term assurance is often purchased at the same time as a mortgage, and usually covers the same 25-year period. If you haven’t died at the end of the period, you don’t get anything back. It is a simple insurance with no element of investment which protects your family by paying out a lump sum should you die within a specific time period. There are several types of term assurance. Level term gives the same payout during the whole of the life of the policy which means that you beneficiaries would receive the same amount whether you died on day one of the policy or whether you died right at the end of the term. It is usually bought with an interest-only mortgage, where the debt only has to be paid off on the final day of the mortgage term. Decreasing term assurance is where the payout reduces by a set amount each year, finishing at zero at the end of the term. Since the level of cover declines during the term, premiums on this kind of insurance are cheaper than on level policies. This cover is usually taken out with repayment mortgages, where the debt occurs during the mortgage term. Increasing term assurance means that the potential payout rises by a small amount each year. It is a good way of protecting the original policy amount against inflation. With convertible term assurance, the policyholder has the choice of switching to another type of life insurance for instance a “whole of life” or endowment policy in the future. If a person does take up this option; they do not have to submit any further medical evidence. Instead of paying a lump sum, family income benefit gives the policyholder’s dependents regular payments from the date the policyholder dies to the end of the policy term. Whole-of-life insurance consists of a policy that lasts throughout your life. This means that your dependents are guaranteed to be paid whenever you die. Premiums are considerably higher than for term assurance since you are certain to die while holding the policy. There are various types of whole-of- life policy - some offer a fixed payout from the beginning, others are tied to investments, and the payout will relate to their performance. Unit-linked policies are the most popular investment - linked policies usually tied to funds, and with - profits policies, which give bonuses. Whole- of -life policies are usually reviewable, often after 10 years. At this point your insurer can decide to increase your premiums or lower the cover it offers. Life insurance can be bought on-line or from the high street through insurance companies themselves or from some friendly societies. Many sell directly to the public. Other outlets selling insurance include comparison websites, banks and building societies and mortgage brokers. Factors affecting monthly premiums include the sum assured, sex, age and whether or not you are a smoker. Some companies insist on a medical before offering cover, but this is not as common as in the past. Premiums for life insurance alter over time, and if you do have a policy it might be worth shopping around to find out if you can get a more cost-effective deal. You can normally cancel your existing policy without penalty - but make sure you have another one in place before you do so.

Work Place Politics

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:05:23 +0000

God has endowed all human beings differently, and intentionally, it appears, otherwise this world would have been a dull place. The interplay of these personal attributes scripts the everyday drama that is enacted all around us, be it Corporate Offices, Government offices or any other institution you can think of. You can call it inter personal games or politics. Personal aspirations, ambitions, competition or simple desire to have fun or settle scores lends momentum to the games people play at the work place. You can also call it work place politics. A few examples of work place politics which every one of us experiences or comes across are stated here-after. Female officers in armed force/politics/administration services alleging being side lined by their male seniors make frequent news in the media. This only indicates male chauvinism & their baser instincts to exploit or restrain their female colleagues. A number of suicides by female officers due to such stress have been reported in the media. More recently, the allegations made by Ms Kiran Bedi, and her subsequent resignation from police force is a live example.

(i) Seniors giving bad reports, consistent nagging and unsavory remarks for alleged under performance of juniors, especially women or few extraneous reasons are every worker’s nightmare. Pliability seems to play an important role than performance.

(ii) Back biting against each other to win favor of seniors, spreading misinformation, forming groups is quite common at work place. (iii) Seniors putting obstacles in performance of juniors, giving wrong advice, conveying wrong impression to the seniors to extract favors or exploit, is very common to the corporate sector.

(iv) Seniors encouraging formation of groups by misleading and misguiding.

(v) Upright & competent Officer being superceded or sidelined due to external influence or for lack of pliability.

(vi) Seniors not providing proper infrastructural facilities and sufficient and competent work force but fixing high targets to project their juniors as failures.

(vii) Not communicating properly and then blaming for non-compliance or wrong compliance

All these techniques /games spoil the work environment and give sleepless nights to the straight and honest worker. It affects their performance also.But why should we become a victim of this work place politics? A little caution and tact can help avoid this virus. You can try the following:-

(i) Observe self discipline in attendance, performance and behavior. Principled behavior always pays dividends.

(ii) Do not discuss colleagues, especially, seniors with everyone. Confide only in the trusted ones after having tested them. Better mind your own business.

(iii) Never discuss your personal problems. Nobody has time to solve them because everyone has ones own set of problems. You can be exploited for your weaknesses by a show of false sympathy. (iv) Never ask for a favor, learn to manage with what you are entitled to otherwise you may be exploited or asked to do things which you will not otherwise do.

(v) Give due respect to everyone whether they deserve it or not because if they take offence, they are in a position to harm you.

(vi) Avoid groupism. A neutral attitude is best at work place.

(vii) Do not show allegiance to anyone otherwise you may get branded and disliked by others.

We cannot eliminate work place politics but we can surely avoid becoming a victim. A little caution and effort from your side can make your workplace a wonderful place to be in.

V.K Bhandari

Unhealthy Pay Packages

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:59:01 +0000

The outsourcing boom in

India has opened up immense job opportunities for the Indian educated youth from every stream. Such hefty pay packages and quick growth opportunities were unheard of a few years back. Foreign assignments have become a routine affair. Engineering graduates from all streams and from all sort of Engineering colleges are landing good jobs in BPOs, Software development Companies. Commerce and business management graduates are getting good jobs in private sector banks, insurance companies, Investment and financial services Companies.

Law graduates are getting employment with legal process outsourcing companies. Science graduates and post graduates are getting excellent job opportunities in the field of Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacovigilance, Patent writing, technical writing etc. Even ordinary graduates with good communication skills are in good demand. This has reduced the incidence of unemployment among the educated youth. It has also increased the income level of middle class, increasing the purchasing power in the hands of the young. This is quite evident from the success of Branded Goods Stores, Hospitality Sector, Air Lines, Shopping Malls etc. This is the class that spends money. The young do not seem to know what to do with so much money. Aspirations are getting higher and higher. No one seems to be satisfied with one’s present assignment. Attrition rates are very high due to hopping from one company to another in search of higher pay packages. Institutional loyalty is becoming a rare commodity inspite of all efforts by employers to please their employees. Arresting attrition rates have become a challenging task for HR professionals, who are working on innovative incentive plans to satisfy ever rising aspirations, but today’s youth have alarming restlessness and desperation to achieve everything in a short span of time. Where is it all leading our youth? Of course, to more frustration, physical and emotional exhaustion. The age long 8 hour work shift is unimaginable today. Everybody is expected to work at least 12 hours and beyond and the lure of money and lavish life style compels them to obey. They are working like machines, breakfasting, lunching and dining in the office premises, coming home only to get a wink. The bachelors have no time for their parents and the married have no time for their spouse and children. Frustration is writ large on their faces. Socializing is limited to partying with their groups only. There is no time or energy left for sex or starting a family for the married ones. Incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension among the youth is increasing at an alarming rate.

It is time we should awaken, otherwise it will be too late and our young will look older than our old. Why cannot some civilized working hours be enforced? The promoters of these companies should not be concerned about their profits alone. The work force may collapse some day. The Government has also given free hand to these companies. Let the hiring and firing be their choice but human work hours are must to save our youth. Let the packages be a little low and more people to work. Night shifts are common in units working 24 X 7 but the shifts are of 8 hours only and nobody works the night shift for long periods.

Indians are family oriented. Neglect of family definitely tells on one’s psyche. One may work under pressure and stress to keep one’s job or to compete with the peers, but in the process one gets detached from one’s employer. The only thing that remains is peer pressure and money. Till these people are at peace with their families and get sufficient opportunities for leisure and enjoyment, no loyalty should be expected from them. Old HR principles are relevant even today. The only thing that has changed is the attitude of the employers. The companies worried about attrition may give thought to this aspect. Graduates from IIMS and IITS, are already awakening to this malaise and have started preferring jobs that do not involve working for long hours though offer lower pay packages. Time to wake up and reflect!!

V.K Bhandari

Chewing skills can improve Oral Hygiene

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:54:03 +0000

Tooth decay is the most preventable of diseases. YET.

· Even with fluoridation, oral hygiene, dental health education
and fissure sealants, tooth decay is still the most common and
expensive food related disease with the economic impact of heat
disease, diabetes and obesity.

· Almost all cavities occur where food is left trapped after
eatng, between teeth and inside grooves on chewing surfaces where the
brush, toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum and saliva, cannot reach.

· Over 80% of cavities occur inside grooves on chewing surfaces
where saliva and fluoride have no access and very little food is
trapped compared to that trapped between teeth.

· Food left on teeth after every meal or snack is the source of
carbohydrate like sugar that cause all cavities. Particularly food
trapped inside grooves under chewing pressure.

Dental treatment with fillings or fissure sealants on chewing
surfaces, prevents food being trapped inside grooves and reduces
decay progression a further 50%.

Few cavities occur, on tongue, cheek and lip surfaces of everybody in
both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, where food is not left on
teeth and saliva has easy access after eating and also fluoride has
easy access when brushing to neutralise acid and repair demineralised
tooth.

Tooth decay is easy to prevent on all tooth surfaces where everybody
in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas, has better evidence
based Dental Health Education that develops simple convenient habits
that do not leave food containing carbohydrate like sugar on teeth
after eating while fluoride and saliva have easy access, particularly
when brushing to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth.

Supertooth and Good Food Friends is a better dental health education
project that has been developed online for schools, communities and
dental health professionals with teaching aids including a glass
model that shows how food is trapped under chewing pressure,
displacing previously trapped food.

Some foods like nuts, are hard to displace. Chewing sealant foods
like nuts or cheese before meals or snacks, displaces previously
trapped food and helps prevent food being trapped and any
carbohydrate changed to acid.

Chewing such sealant foods, special formulations or celery string
after eating, helps saliva displace trapped food, neutralise acid and
repair demineralised tooth.

While the brush has easy access to clean tongue, cheek and lip
surfaces of teeth, trapped food prevents access of fluoride
toothpaste and saliva between teeth and inside grooves to neutalise
acid, repair and toughen demineralised tooth like on accessible
surfaces.

Chewing toothpaste on the end of a special NDK foam strip, forces the
toothpaste between teeth and inside grooves, promising much greater
prevention of tooth decay within about two years, for adults as well
as children in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.
www.ndk.biz/ red

Fluoridation is not universal, and not fully effective without a
project like Supertooth.

· Fluoridation greatly reduced tooth decay but took ten years
between 1976 and 1986 to reach maximum effect, and only for children;
not for adults.

· After fluoridation, dental health education and oral hygiene
have made no further reduction in tooth decay and needs to be more
evidence based.

· There has been an increase of 21% in cavities for 6 year old
children since 1996.

· Fluoridation is still not available in many communities,
rural areas, some cities like

Geelong Victoria and even the state of

Queensland in

Australia.

A better, convenient, easy, evidence based personal tooth care
project like Supertooth (supertoothndk. org) is needed to improve
current dental health projects in all communities so cariogenic food
is not left on teeth after eating, to help prevent demineralisation
and improve remineralisation for all age groups.

There is a database for the community, for schools but the one for
dentists we need some feedback to see what is possible and convenient
for dentists.

Flip the Script: 34 Scripts and Ideas for Getting Back at Telemarketers

Nishkam Chatrath — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:48:55 +0000

Clever, effective and downright hilarious ways to smack down unwanted marketing calls.

The Federal Trade Commission has just slapped Do Not Call Registry offenders with $7.7 million worth of penalties. With a figure like that, it’s clear that telemarketers are finding that boundaries are a problem. But that doesn’t mean you have to take their abuse — fight back using these 34 tools and tactics.

Ideas

Get guidance and suggestions for the best ways to get telemarketers off your back.

1. Counterpitching: This Web designer suggests that you offer your services to the telemarketer on the other end of the line. Alternatively, you can also pretend to be in the business that they’re selling from and make them feel silly for calling.

2. Time to Fight Back: This article details ways to get back at telemarketers. You can waste their time, attempt conversational techniques and more.

3. Do Not Call: Check out this list for ideas to use when called by a telemarketer. You’ll find toilet humor as well as guilt tactics.

4. How to Deal With Those Damn Telemarketers: Follow these tips when you get a telemarketing call. Some of the most important are: Don’t just hang up, and make sure you say both “no” and “take me off of your list.”

5. Having Fun With Telemarketers: Here, you’ll find 20 fun ideas for making telemarketers wish they’d never called you. Highlights include a marriage proposal and a few ways to waste their time.

6. Anti-Telemarketing Action Kit: This guide from UCAN (Utility Consumers’ Action Network) details ideas for keeping telemarketers at bay. You’ll learn how to hurt them financially, waste their time and get payback.

Scripts

Telemarketers have them, why shouldn’t you? Use these scripts to turn the tables on telemarketers.

7. EGBG Counterscript: Download this counterscript as a PDF and use it the next time a telemarketer calls. It offers an excellent flowchart format with lots of options and rebuttals.

8. Telemarketing Script: Use this list on telemarketers. It is full of questions that they are required, by law, to answer. If they call you again after this conversation, you can file against them.

9. Junkbusters Anti-Telemarketing Script: This resource from Junkbusters has a fact-finding script that’s useful for stopping calls and suing telemarketers that won’t leave you alone. It even has a way to make them spend more time on you.

10. Stop Junk Calls: With this script, you can make sure that telemarketers are aware of your rights and will put you on their “Do Not Call” list. The script is preceded by lots of helpful tips and guidelines for stopping telemarketing and slapping violators with the law.

11. Anti-Telemarketing Script: Qualify telemarketing callers as potential lawsuits with this script of questions. Refusal to answer any of these questions can result in a fine.

12. Fun With Telemarketers: This conversation with AT&T ended with a very frustrated telemarketer. The person behind the fun did it with lots of repetition, confusion about earning rates and making the agent go around in circles.

Inspiration

Check out these videos and recordings to see what others have done to get back at telemarketers.

13. Telemarketer Phone Prank: This guy gives a telemarketer the runaround. He offers funny commentary as well.

14. How to Prank a Telemarketer: On this site, you can listen to lots of hilarious telemarketing recordings that are sure to give you some great ideas. The most recent one was a prankster who told a telemarketer he was calling a murder scene and would need to be contacted for questioning.

15. Choo Choo Telemarketer Prank Call: This payback prankster plays with a train whistle. The telemarketer doesn’t get very far.

16. Phone Losers of America: This collection of recordings has a number of telemarketing call pranks. The prankster claims to hate children, bargains with a caller for concert tickets and just plain acts like an idiot.

17. How to Respond to a Telemarketer the Seinfeld Way: Jerry Seinfeld turns the tables on a telemarketer by asking for his home number. It’s a simple but effective tactic.

18. Burping at Telemarketers: Peter Coffin responds to telemarketers with gas. The telemarketer isn’t quite sure how to handle it.

19. How to Piss Off a Telemarketer: Chris Pirillo strings along a newspaper telemarketer by playing dumb about the company’s Web site. She even claims their service is “better than Google.”

20. Top Ten Ways to Harass a Telemarketer: This video details 10 ways to string along a telemarketer. Some of the ideas include putting them on hold, speaking another language and requesting to call them back at home.

Legal Action

If you’re really fed up, you can use the tactics outlined in these guides to hit telemarketers where it really hurts: their bank accounts.

21. How to Make a Telemarketer Cry (or, Suing Bozos for Fun and Profit): Follow this laywer’s guided story to find out how you can get back at telemarketers through the legal system. You’ll find detailed explanations of the law and a great list of resources.

22. Suing Telemarketers Simple and Cheap: This guy has made more than $6,000 suing telemarketers with little monetary and time investment. Check out his collection of rules and guidelines to make it easy for you to get back at telemarketers in the same way.

23. Suing a Telemarketer: How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Follow this teacher’s guide to suing telemarketers. You’ll also find alternatives to a lawsuit.

24. Zen and the Art of Small Claims: Learn how to sue telemarketers in small-claims court with this 10-chapter guide. It covers everything from what you can sue for to collecting your reward.

25. Report Prerecorder Junk Calls: Prerecorded telemarketing calls are not allowed, and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) wants to know about these prohibited calls. Report them using this guide from Private Citizen Inc.

26. Don’t Let Them Off The Hook: Follow through with telemarketing violators using these tactics. This source includes a list of rebuttals to common lies companies will tell you to convince you that you don’t have a case.

27. How to Sue Telemarketers in Small-Claims Court: This guide from UCAN offers a step-by-step guide to hurting telemarketers where it really matters. It has a script, as well as tactics for controlling the call.

28. Are You Taping This?: Find out if you can tape telemarketing calls in this resource. It lists states with one-party consent and two-party consent.

Technology

Get a little help fighting back against telemarketers with these tools and devices.

29. Asterisk Telemarketer Torture: VoIP users can set up unusable menus that will torture telemarketers. This guide includes infinite loops, errors, cascaded menu choices, and lots more fun and torturous options that will amuse you and drive telemarketers crazy.

30. Autodialer Jamming Call Tone: With this tone, you can jam telemarketers’ autodialers used to determine the best call times. All you have to do is add it to your answering machine, and the calls should drop within a few weeks.

31. Sorry Gotta Go.com: Visit Sorry Gotta Go.com to download MP3s that are sure to get telemarketers off the phone. Favorites include the microphone feedbck testing center and the Oscar Mayer jingle.

32. Active Caller ID: With Active Caller ID, you can set up auto hang-up parameters. This feature includes the option to play hang-up messages like dialer jamming call tones.

33. TeleZapper: Use the TeleZapper to protect your landline from computer-dialed calls. The device plugs into your phone jack and covers all of the phones, extensions and answering machines on the line it’s connected to.

Pure Fun

34. Justice For the Telemarketer: If all else fails, you can just get back at telemarketers by taking out your frustrations on this animated pest. Choose from a nuclear option, electrocution, aliens and more.

By Inside CRM Editors

Using Social Networking for Job Search

Nishkam Chatrath — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:41:33 +0000

People use social networking for making new friends, discussing issues with like minded people and also use social networking for dating. Though social network is mainly used to find people for dating, this article will help you understand how you can use social networking to improve your job and career prospects

Social networks provide a fresh avenue for professionals to make new contacts without the time expenditure incurred attending mixers or scheduling lunches. Based upon the six degrees of separation theory, whereby you and anyone you could want to meet are separated by a maximum of six people/connections, social networks have become an extremely helpful resource tool for job hunters and employers alike.

Unlike sites built on classified ads, a social network like ViralCommerce.com promote traditional networking, building relationships by e-mail and interviews. Instead of hunting for a specific job, members of the network look to reach out and expand their network ¬ in turn expanding their job opportunities. Often, building connections with other members results in accessing top jobs that aren’t published in classifieds or traditional job postings.

The concept behind using social networks to find a job is easy: The more connections you make within the network, the more friends-of-a-friend you can meet, and the better your chances of finding an employer or key contact who can make an introduction resulting in employment for you.

Network Online

Why do it all online? Why not take the concept and just apply it to your own existing inner circle? The answer: Diversity. Chances are, the people who are already in your network probably feel the same way you do about pretty much everything. You probably agree on most matters and likely have a large number of similar contacts. And those contacts that you don’t already know, you probably weren’t even aware your colleagues knew. They didn’t think to introduce you because the obvious synergy between you wasn’t obvious to them.

Using a social network gives you access to your colleague’s contacts without them having to determine who you would or wouldn’t benefit from knowing.

You can search through contacts and request an introduction with ease. In addition, because most social networks aren’t limited by demographics the diversity is incredible.

Of course, it’s recommended that you use online tools to complement, not replace, traditional efforts. Networks aren’t an instant fix. It takes time to build relationships, but once they’ve been established the pay off is great. Think of it as a whole new set of contacts and opportunities, or perhaps the tool that might just help you land your ideal job. After all, it’s not what you know it’s who you know.

Source: Careercurry.com

The Importance of Career Networking

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:44:28 +0000

Having a network always helps you in many ways. Searching for job is one of them. Read this article to understand how networking can help you build your career and help you get to your dream job.

The importance of career networking shouldn’t be discounted when you are in the midst of a job search. In fact, career networking should become a part of your daily work and career-related endeavors. Your career network should be in place for when you need it, both for job searching and for moving along the career ladder. Since you never know when you might need it, it makes sense to have an active career network, even if you don’t need it today.

Career Networking Tips

1. Who to Include in Your Career Network
Your career network should include anyone who can assist you with a job search or career move. It can include past and present co-workers, bosses, friends with similar interests, colleagues from business associations, alumni from your university, or acquaintances you have met via online networking services. Your network can also include family, neighbors, and anyone who might have a connection that will help.2. What Your Career Network Can Do For You
Over 80% of job seekers say that their network has helped with their job search. Networking contacts can help with more than job leads. They can provide referrals to or insider information about companies you might be interested in working for. They can provide information on career fields you might want to explore or what the job market is like on the other side of the country. Your network can give you advice on where to look for jobs or review your resume. The possibilities are endless.

3. Keep in Touch - Work Your Network
Don’t just contact those who can help when you have just been laid-off from your job or decide you want to look for a new position. Keep in touch with your network regularly - even if it’s just a brief email to say hello and to ask how they are doing. People are more willing to help when they know who you are.

4. What You Can Do for Your Career Network
Networking shouldn’t be a one way street. If you come across an interesting article or a relevant job listing, share it with your network. The point of having a career network is to have resources who can help, but, you should reciprocate, whenever you can. 5. Keep Track of Your Network
Keep track of your personal career network somewhere. Whether it’s electronically or on paper, make sure you know who is who, where they work, and how to get in touch.

6. Online Career Networking
Online job searching networking does work. Sites like LinkedIn, MyWorkster and a variety of other online career networking websites can help you get in touch with other networkers at specific companies, with college affiliations or in a certain geographic area. In addition, if you’re a college graduate, your institute may have an alumni career network you can access. When networking with people you don’t know, make sure that you know what you want. Are you looking for company information? Do you want to know about job opportunities? Be specific in what you ask for.

7. Networking Events
Networking in person works too. If you belong to a professional association, attend a meeting or a mixer. You’ll find that many of the participants have the same goals you do and will be glad to exchange business cards. If your college alma mater holds alumni networking events (many schools hold them at locations across the country) be sure to attend.

Source: careercurry.com

How to deal with Office Politics?

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:41:31 +0000

A survival guide that will help you battle your way through office politics.

Irrespective of where you work, office politics is here to say. People gossip, are jealous, have favorites and just enjoy attention by playing their part in office politics. Here is a guide to help you deal with Office Politics.

Office politics is here to stay and it’s a fact whether we like it or not that we will always be a part of it.

1. Grapevine Syndrome
Each organization has a grapevine. It’s not that organizations across the globe are designed that way, but the people working in them create the grapevine. One should always learn from the grapevine and be very careful what we feed into the grapevine. Because what goes around comes around.

2. Salary Syndrome
It’s in your best interest never to discuss salary with your co-workers or peers. It’s true that in this world of competition there is a possibility that two people at the same level in the organization can have steep differences in their salaries. Such steep differences always create problems. It causes jealously in the mind of the other co-worker which induces him to mess your performance. Believe me, this happens!!!

3. Judgment Syndrome
Never ever pass judgment or remarks on anybody. For all you know you might be in a similar situation. The behavior of passing judgment or remarks is derived out of professional jealously. One should always keep his personal feelings away from professional relationships

4. The favorite syndrome
Accept that people will always have favorites, as this is human nature. Look at yourself; even you will have someone whom you are partial to. Do not let this dampen your enthusiasm for work. Instead of complaining about favoritism you should try working harder. Sooner or later the upper management will notice you. 5. The tough boss syndrome
Learn to live with your tough boss. Many people decide to quit their jobs in search of an ideal place to work in. Believe me, there is no ideal place, it’s up to you how you make it. Therefore you should learn to live with your boss and understand him. Sooner or later he will respond accordingly.6. The I don’t care management syndrome
What do you do if the management is fully aware of the extreme politics situation and at times also feeds a bit of politics into the system? I would then suggest that you better start hunting for other options because such an organization has already dug its grave and caste its stone. But before you jump to another organization, always do your research well. Ask your friends working for the other company. They will help you with insider information. The reason why you should do this is because you don’t want to land up in another organization with a similar issue.

Source: Careercurry.com

Sand Animation (Must watch)

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:26:34 +0000

Animacion con arena - sicaf Sand animation

(Click on the link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNzu6bqG9gs

Create Value

Arshia Bhandari — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:42:55 +0000

Time flies… .the years pass and the life goes on. There are moments that hold us in rapture; there are times that bring us sorrow, sometimes its just good, happy and fine. But at times it’s just that the life has come to a stand still….. This humdrum is the time when we need to innovate and discover the potential and the newness of each and every moment of our life how old or stale it may look to us. In a simple situation in an office where hours, days and years pass by doing the same work where stress levels might be so high, that it takes its toll on health both mental and physical, it is all the more important. We make this effort when we start believing that we have to create value. When we decide that not any moment should go by without teaching me a lesson however small or trivial it might be. It’s about creating value at home, in office, in relationships and in every sphere of our life. There’s a simple secret to this which can be summarized in a simple statement: ‘life is as you take it’. In a single situation your life can be a hell one day and heaven the next. If you look closely, the only difference in these two days would have been your reaction to that same situation. One day you would have been the part of problem and on the other day…part of the solution. So as Bob Ratterman puts it in one of his articles:
Be part of the solution, not the problem. If we follow this simple philosophy, we are on our way to absolute happiness…..a life state that is not relative and dependant on the circumstances.

How to overcome failure in Life?

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:59:26 +0000

Have you ever faced failure in life and don’t know how to overcome it? Are you still dwelling on your past wherein you should be concentrating more on your future? Read on and find out how to overcome adversity in life.

Life is smooth till such time a wave of adversity does not swipe us off the ground. Ups and downs are part of life and there is nothing we can do about it because the Universe has its own way of working. Things that we desire the most are not given to us and what we get is not what we desire.

We all have a goal, the desire to succeed and also work hard towards it. During our struggle to meet our goals, we succeed at times and at times we face very sever and adverse failures, but then that’s not the end of road. Some people fight back and many succumb to the circumstances.

It is not wrong to fail, but it is a crime if you don’t get back up again and try. Look around you… look at the birds and animals. They keep trying to survive by hunting for food, at times they get it early and at times they fail. But if they start thinking that this whole process of finding food does not result into anything, then they would not survive.

If you fail and hit the ground hard, always remember, the only way where you can go is UP.

In the words of Henry Ford:
“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.”

Following are some tips to help you overcome failure:

1. Stop blaming yourself and people associated with you
You might have tried very hard and failed but you should always remember that not all circumstances are under your control. When people fail, they usually don’t try to find out why they failed, but instead they start blaming themselves.

Do you blame yourself for a failure? Do you really think that you were responsible for your failure? Do you really think that despite trying very hard, you did not get through? We all try hard and then at times we fail. Many reasons could be attributed to it. Instead of blaming ourselves (which is easy), we should try to find the reason why we failed. By doing this, not only will you have a greater understanding where you went wrong, but you will avoid repeating the same mistake in the next attempt.

2. Don’t ever think that all your efforts have been wasted
To achieve something in life a dedicated effort is required. Some people give it their 100% and some people don’t. But no matter what, none of your efforts ever get wasted. In the process of trying again and again, we gain experience of the mistakes we should avoid to achieve the desired result. Taking the example of Thomas Edison, the man who invented Light Bulb, he failed over 1000 times before he could derive at the bulb that we use today. At a press conference he announced that he now knows 1000 ways of how not to make a light bulb.

Never get disheartened and always enjoy learning the new things that you discover on your way to be successful.

3. Try another approach
You try once, twice and then thrice… with a similar approach; and then what do you do? Give Up!!! Have you ever thought that the approach that you use to achieve something is wrong and would require either a complete new way of looking at things or would require you to tweak your approach a little and then try again? All scientific discoveries and inventions have taken years of hard work and dedication. Do you think that doctors and scientist across the world have got a working model of their inventions in the very first attempt? Do you think that for all repeated attempts at their inventions they followed a similar approach? I think you got the answer.

4. Take a break for a while
When we try hard to achieve goals in life we sometimes get into the rut of doing things which has an effect our thinking process. Without a good thinking process and creativity how do you propose to achieve what you desire the most? In my personal experience taking a short break helps when you feel that you have reached a road block on proceeding ahead. This short break recharges you and helps you to think of a solution which you have never thought of before. Spend sometime with friends and family. Try to socialize a little and when you feel that you are completely recharged give your dreams a second shot.

Some useful quotes to inspire you
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.”
George Bernard Shaw

“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.”
Herbert B. Swope

“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
Oscar Wilde

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
Michael Jordan

“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.”
Muhammad Ali

I would like to conclude which I learnt when I was a child “Try, Try again till you succeed!”

Source: Careercurry.com

Self Determinaton Is The Key To Success

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:56:52 +0000

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. It is only with self determination that you can get the tough going. If you feel that you have no place to go and life has knocked you off your feet, that is the time you require all the will and self determination to stand up, dust yourself off all hassles and march ahead.

Determination is one the greatest assets we can possess. Determination can bring out the best in us. Determination is the tool we use to defeat discouragement. Determination is the tool we use to overcome temporary failure to prevent failure from becoming permanent. Determination is the tool we use to produce patience. Determination is the tool we use to feed our faith and starve our doubts to death.

Determination builds character. It helps us become a more reliable person. It helps us meet our commitments. It helps us prioritize and manage our time to maximize positive results.

Determination is the tool we use to give us the will to win. Determination is the tool we use to help us win in spite of our limitations. Determination is the tool we use to dig ourselves out of a hole. Determination is the tool we use to improve our relationships. Determination is the tool we use to reach our goals. Determination is the tool we use to succeed.

Determination Quotes

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.
Gail Devers

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
Albert Einstein

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
Og Mandino

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.
Tommy Lasorda

Some are destined to succeed, some are determined to succeed.
H. H. Swami Tejomayananda

When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.
Paulo Coelho

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi.

A true story of Determination

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting

New York with the

Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling.

Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

“We told them so.”
“Crazy men and their crazy dreams.”
“It`s foolish to chase wild visions.”
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap

Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years

Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular

Brooklyn

Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The

Brooklyn

Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence. Never let someone else place limitations on your potential. With determination, you can become whatever you want to be.

Source: Careercurry.com

What do you mean by an Interview?

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:39:16 +0000

An interview is a process by which one can judge that the person being hired by him is up to the mark for the job or not. An interview is a pre-assessment of the person who is going to work for the company. In this article of mine I am going to check on those points where a person gets stuck especially for those who want to go for the BPO Industry.

First of all we need to know about what is a BPO industry and does it work. The full form of the BPO Industry is Business Process Outsourcing Industry. It’s a kind of industry in which the business of one company is outsourced (handed) to another company for the management of their clients and even for making sales and appointment for the respective company. For example, suppose that we have Airtel as a service provider for the cell phone communication. It gives its process to another company known as IBM to manage its clients and to generate leads for Airtel consultants for the sales of their cell phone connections. Then this company IBM hires some people known as Customer care Executives, Technical Support Executives and many more to handle their process for Airtel post paid and prepaid products. To get job in this kind of industry is very easy and difficult as well. Here I am listing some of the views of mine to clear the interview. These interviews are just the work of some tactics that are to be learnt in a proper manner.

These Interviews are generally having 4 rounds:-

Group Discussion (G.D.) round.
Aptitude Test
H.R. round
Operations Round (Opps. Round)

In these types of interviews all the four rounds are the elimination rounds.

Group Discussion or the GD roundIn this round the HRs find out those people who are the best in their fluency of English and are confident enough to face a crowd of people standing in front of him. Those who are confident enough are selected to move for the second round.

Aptitude TestAptitude Test we need to secure minimum of at least half of the marks of the total number of questions to qualify to next round that is the HR round.

H.R. roundIn the third round the HR of the call centre asks you about your profile and about the matter written in Curriculum Vitae or in your Resume. He finds the confidence in you for that specific job.

Operations Round (Opps. Round)The fourth and the last round is the Opps. Round or the Operations Round. In this round the Operations Manager of that particular process checks upon your communication skills and the accent you are using while speaking.

Tips to clear all the four phases of the interview.

For the first round we need to be confident while speaking on any topic. We should not hesitate while speaking and we should not make any pauses in our speech because all these count to your selections. If you are not able to speak on the topic that they gave you, then, ask for about a minute or so to think on the topic and then start slowly on the topic. REMEMBER: - Start it in a good manner and finish it with a conclusion that should be impressive so that it leaves a good impression on the interviewer.

For the fourth round that is the Opps. Round remember to be in your neutral accent of your speech do not use any kind of accent such as the American Accent or the UK Accent or the Australian Accent. If you speak in any Accent because this will prove to be fatal for you. This might lead to your rejection.

If you have any kind of your problems that you cannot work in night shifts or rotational shifts do not disclose until your training is complete because this amounts to disqualification of your training or you might not be able to get the offer letter for your joining because they want people who can work for them in shifts and at what ever time they give to you. But if you are into the company and you have completed the training then they will have to make arrangements for you people. That’s the best way to keep you at the safest side and also to solve problems.

By: Manav Swahney

How to power up your presentation?

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:35:36 +0000

Have a presentation nearing!!! You always get the nerves and shivers while presenting. This presentation will help you advance your career ahead. Read on to find out how to improve your presentation skills for lifetime.

The packaging is as important as the product it self

Before the Presentation

1. Know the subject well
Nothing is more important than knowing the subject well. The subject that you speak on should be well researched and learnt before you present on it. While learning the subject or preparing for the subject, many doubts creep up on the topic that intend to speak. In such cases, you should try to hunt up more information on it and strengthen your concepts.

2. Know the audience well
Most of the times we know the profiles of the audience who would attend the presentation. You could either be presenting to the top management, your clients, your people or a mix of both.

Knowing your audience gives you a good advantage as you can prepare for your presentation and anticipate questions that they might have. It gives you an opportunity to prepare visuals and material accordingly. You can pace your presentation and customize your presentation accordingly.

3. Preparing the presentation material
You could either be using Transparency sheets over an Over Head Projector (OHP) or could be using colorful Power Point (PPT) Presentation Slides. I would suggest that if given a choice, you should be present via PPT or a similar tool with Open Office.

With such tools you can present the topic using visuals aids and colors. Like it’s said that “A picture is worth a Thousand Words”. Using visual aids really helps a lot. The audience gets your message which is registered in their brains for a long time. But care should be taken to avoid graphics and color abuse. I have seen many presentations where to many colors and visuals were used. Such a practice misdirects the audience and carries them away from the message.

Always remember that you need to put in your slides in the most logical manner so that the audience can connect from one slide to the other.

4. Rehearse well
All the people who you have seen giving great presentations rehearse well and practice the presentation routine. Rehearsing how to get up, saying the opening line and running the presentation in front of a mirror or with friends/family is important.

Even the most experienced presenter will rehearse many times. Its important that justice be done to the topic and the audience who give you their valuable time by presenting the topic well.

5. Arrive at the venue before your audience does
This gives you a psychological advantage. When you get there early visualize the audience in front of you. In your mind follow the routine well that you have rehearsed. Look at the props available at the venue. Props like the podium, infra red laser pointing device, etc. If there is a prop that you are not comfortable with, try playing with it for a while and train yourself on it. Checking for tech equipments is a very important part. Always make sure that all your devices and equipments are working perfectly well.

On a cautionary note, when you run the presentation on the projector, avoid the instinct to make last minute corrections. No corrections should happen at the venue as you might completely blow it away with all your rehearsals.

During the Presentation

1. Manage your voice
The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices.

Voice modulation is very important for a great presentation. If the presenter speaks in a monotonous tone, there is a fair chance that the audience would mentally close its doors and windows of listening. This is not because you are boring them to death, it’s because the attention span of a person is very small as every person’s mind wanders. To control this default behavior it is necessary to modulate your voice. By increasing the pitch and emphasis of your voice occasionally on important points, helps the audience to absorb the information disseminated.

There are two good methods for improving your voice:

Listen to it! Practice listening to your voice while at home, driving, walking, etc. Then when you are at work or with company, monitor your voice to see if you are using it how you want to.
To really listen to your voice, cup your right hand around your right ear and gently pull the ear forward. Next, cup your left hand around your mouth and direct the sound straight into your ear. This helps you to really hear your voice as others hear it…and it might be completely different from the voice you thought it was! Now practice moderating your voice.

2. Manage your body
Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care…even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

Throughout you presentation, display:

Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker’s credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.
Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more.
Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding.
Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.
Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other’s space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak.
Voice: One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices.

3. Manage your nerves
The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes “canned” as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.

First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. Actors recognize the value of nerves…they add to the value of the performance. This is because adrenaline starts to kick in. It’s a left over from our ancestors’ “fight or flight” syndrome. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them.

Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises. Listed below are a couple to get you started:

Before the presentation: Lie on the floor. Your back should be flat on the floor. Pull your feet towards you so that your knees are up in the air. Relax. Close your eyes. Fell your back spreading out and supporting your weight. Feel your neck lengthening. Work your way through your body, relaxing one section at a time - your toes, feet, legs, torso, etc. When finished, stand up slowly and try to maintain the relaxed feeling in a standing position.
If you cannot lie down: Stand with you feet about 6 inches apart, arms hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders forwards and the backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly clockwise, and then counter-clockwise.
Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience, and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over what you are going to do from the moment you start to the end of the presentation.
During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, “I can do it!”
You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension! Channel the energy into concentration and expressiveness.
Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to you.
Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue on after the mistake. If you pick up and continue, so will the audience. Winners continue! Losers stop!

4. Manage your audience
No matter what you do, you will find some members of the audience who would either misbehave or would not pay any attention at all. Ultimately the effect of this is that your goal of presenting the topic to the audience gets defeated.

You need to manage such people. The obvious question is how. Sometimes politely making a general statement like “For the benefit of all the audience I would recommend if some people in the audience could be a little more attentive, it would help”.

Then at times you will encounter people who below to your same peer group and pass unnecessary remarks to sabotage your presentation. What do you do then? You need to assert to them that you could settle that question or remarks after the presentation is over and that it isn’t fair that the pace of the presentation suffers as there are other people in the audience who will benefit from the content of the presentation.

During the Presentation

Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!
Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest. Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic good enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience.
Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points.
Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them…and make sure you do!
Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation.
If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, “Yes, I understand your position…” or “I’m glad you raised that point, but…” The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend to think of “us verses you.” You do not want to risk alienating them.

Tips and Techniques For Great Presentations

Eleanor Roosevelt was a shy young girl who was terrified at the thought of speaking in public. But with each passing year, she grew in confidence and self-esteem. She once said, “No one can make you feel inferior, unless you agree with it.”

If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does not know if they should read along with you or listen to you read.
Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends to make you look unprofessional. It is OK to put one hand in a pocket but ensure there is no loose change or keys to jingle around. This will distract the listeners.
Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword to slay a dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it down, otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your “sword”, instead upon you.
Do not lean on the podium for long periods. The audience will begin to wonder when you are going to fall over.
Speak to the audience…NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience.
Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone voice. Use inflection to emphasize your main points.
The disadvantages of presentations is that people cannot see the punctuation and this can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally be punctuation marks.
Use colored backgrounds on overhead transparencies and slides (such as yellow) as the bright white light can be harsh on the eyes. This will quickly cause your audience to tire. If all of your transparencies or slides have clear backgrounds, then tape one blank yellow one on the overhead face. For slides, use a rubber band to hold a piece of colored cellophane over the projector lens.
Learn the name of each participant as quickly as possible. Based upon the atmosphere you want to create, call them by their first names or by using Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
Tell them what name and title you prefer to be called.
Listen intently to comments and opinions. By using a lateral thinking technique (adding to ideas rather than dismissing them), the audience will feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile.
Circulate around the room as you speak. This movement creates a physical closeness to the audience.
List and discuss your objectives at the beginning of the presentation. Let the audience know how your presentation fits in with their goals. Discuss some of the fears and apprehensions that both you and the audience might have. Tell them what they should expect of you and how you will contribute to their goals.
Vary your techniques (lecture, discussion, debate, films, slides, reading, etc.)
Get to the presentation before your audience arrives; be the last one to leave.
Be prepared to use an alternate approach if the one you’ve chosen seems to bog down. You should be confident enough with your own material so that the audience’s interests and concerns, not the presentation outline, determines the format. Use your background, experience, and knowledge to interrelate your subject matter.
When writing on flip charts use no more than 7 lines of text per page and no more than 7 word per line (the 7 7 rule). Also, use bright and bold colors, and pictures as well as text.
Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of day can affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section in training circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than listening to a talk.

Most people find that if they practice in their head, the actual talk will take about 25 per cent longer. Using a flip chart or other visual aids also adds to the time. Remember - it is better to finish slightly early than to overrun.

Source: Careercurry.com

Institutes that provide Call Centre Trainings

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:14:55 +0000

Akiko Sherman Infotech
http://www.shermanindia.com/

INDIA, Head Office
13/9, Padam singh,

Chowk Ajmal Khan Road
New Delhi- 110005

North Star Call Centre College
B-109, Sector - 5, NOIDA – 201301 (U.P.),

India.
Phone : (91)-118-4421848, (91)-118-4421849, Fax: (91)-118-4519484
E-mail : Contact Us

Ian Stern
http://www.holistic-enterprise.com/
A-62 DDA Complex (Ring Road)
Defence Colony, New Delhi -110 024
Ph: (011) 460 2690
E-mail: Contact Us

ProEdge Solutions (P) Limited
Above UTI Bank, Srinagar Colony Main Road,
SrinagarColony, Hyderabad 500 073
Tel : +91-40-6347799, 3747389

Trans-India Management Systems
305, University Plaza, Vijay Cross Roads,
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad-380009
Phone-+91-79-7913147, 7912940
Email : Contact Us
http://www.trans-india.biz/

Edu Tech India
http://www.edutechindia.com
7/2 Brunton Road
Bangalore-560025
Ph: +91 80 505007
Email: Contact Us

Edu Tech India
http://www.edutechindia.com
No.8 (old no.30)
Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam
Chennai 600006
Ph: +91 44 28207999
+91 44 8311777

Edu Tech India
http://www.edutechindia.com
402, Fourth Floor
Shri Kant Chambers (Near RK Studios)SION-TROMBAY Road,

Chembur
Mumbai-400071
Ph: 022-55993745/46

Edu Tech India
http://www.edutechindia.com
62, Second Floor, Lakshmi Market,

New Delhi 110067

Mobile: 9868213413

JTS Institutes:
#35, Infantry Road, Bangalore560001,

Karnataka
Phone: 51130573/574
Website: www.jtsinstitute.com
E-mail: Contact Us

Source: Webindia123.com

Job Prospects & Career Options in Call Centres

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:08:59 +0000

There is a great scope for Call centres in

India. The large population of educated English speaking people and the comparative low cost are encouraging more and more companies from abroad /inland to base or outsource their call centres to India. GE capital, American Express, Wipro Spectramind, Infowavz International (Mumbai), Daksh, Reliance Infotech are some of the call centres which are on a recruitment spree.

Call centre operaters / Customer care executives
This is the entry level in call centres. Your general duties include answering telephone calls, taking down details of the caller’s query and logging this information on a computer, providing the caller with appropriate information or advice, in some cases, selling a caller products or services. In outbound call centre services such as tele-marketing, an operator will also need to identify potential customers and make outgoing calls marketing their organisation’s product, occasionally following-up calls by sending letters, faxes or e-mail, deal with customer complaints etc. A call centre operator’s duties will depend on the type of product or service that the organisation provides and the type of client he/she is servicing. Customer service executives can move on to the technical, financial or the insurance sector etc.

Call centre Supervisors and Managers
After working as an operator for three or four years, you will be promoted to a supervisory level based on your ability and performance. As vacancies occur it will be published in house, an interview will be conducted and promotions made. As a supervisor, you will be in charge of the various operators working under you. Then you can be promoted to the managerial level depending on your experience, ability and skills acquired.
Performance is measured based on targets achieved in the particular business. In outbound centres, like telemarketing your performance is calculated on sales per hour, or in collection department of a bank, performance is measured on contacts made and money collected. In inbound call centres, performance is measured on the basis of average talk time, that is, the time you take to satisfy the customer, analysis and understanding of the problem and the courtesy extended to the customers.A call centre experience is regarded as worthwhile experience for customer relations, sales jobs or insurance sector. One has a better chance of moving on to other industries with experience in call centres. For eg. insurance sector if you have had experience dealing with insurance clients.

Source: webindia123.com

Call Centres

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:06:03 +0000

Introduction

Call centre are comparatively a recent introduction to the world of career options in

India. The career avenues provided by call centers is one of the best suited and growing option which even a fresher can opt for. With the opening up of the Indian economy and the advent of globalization more and more companies from abroad are basing or outsourcing their call centre services to India, a trend started by GE when it established a call centre near New Delhi in 1998.

A call centre is a service centre with adequate telecom facilities, access to internet and wide database, which provide voice based or web-based information and support to customers in the country or abroad through trained personnel. Call centers exist in all sectors of business including banking, utilities, manufacturing, security, market research, pharmaceuticals, catalogue sales, order desk, customer service, technical queries (help desk), emergency dispatch, credit collections, food service, airline/hotel reservations etc. The wide area of services provided by the call centers makes it a lucrative career with a range of opportunities.

Traditionally, call centers meant only voice-based customer support. But now most call centers are more of a contact centre, offering e-CRM services that include voice based customer support as well as e-mail response, web-based text-chat services and other customer interaction channels. The call centre services can be ‘inbound’ where in calls are received from customers enquiring about a service or product that an organization provides. The call centre services can be ‘outbound’ where in calls are made to customers to sell products or collect information/money etc. Call centre services can also ’specialized’ say in business processing where in calls are made from one company to another company.

Some call centers stick to only domestic businesses dealing with customers within the country called domestic call centers while others such as an International call centre mainly deal with clients from abroad say from US, Europe etc. There is a great scope for Call centers in

India, with a large population of educated English speaking people. The wide range of opportunities, comparatively well paid jobs for the minimum qualification it requires and the facilities the companies provide like to and fro transport, subsidized meals and medical facilities makes Call centers a good option.

Eligibility: A very good command over English language is the main skill required. Fresher have to undergo intense training to make them suited for the job.

Job prospects and Career options: There is a great scope for Call centers in

India. The large population of educated English speaking people and the comparative low cost are encouraging more and more companies from abroad /inland to base or outsource their call centers to India. Remuneration: As a fresher, one could start his/her career in an

International Call Center as a Call Center Executive and earn highly attractive pay packages… There are no specific educational qualifications required to become a CSO (Customer Service Officer/Operator or call centre adviser/ representative, customer service representative) in a call center. It is a good option for plus two or fresh college graduates as well as even housewives and retired people.

Personal Skills and Attributes: The skills required vary depending on the project and the type of business that is being handled. A very good command over English language is the main skill required. Computer literacy, typing speed, knowledge of consumer behavior, marketing skills (a certificate or Diploma in Marketing in case of ‘outbound’ telemarketing is preferable), the ability to enter and retrieve information quickly from databases and an ability to analyze problems are other useful skills that come in handy. Good communication and listening skills are important. CSO (Customer Service Officer) should have the patience to listen to and comprehend the need, be unfailingly polite, good natured, and reasonably intelligent to choose between options and remedy problems effectively to the satisfaction of the customer. Persuasion skills are needed in an ‘outbound’ contact centre where you either collect money from defaulting customers or try to promote sales and encourage customers to use your client’s products. They may be required to work at odd hours especially in International Call centers where the customers may be calling from places where the timing may be several hours behind IST.

Training: Fresher have to undergo intense training to make them suited for the job. The training include accent training, listening skills, ’slang’ training, accent neutralization, telephone etiquette, telesales etiquette and cyber grammar, interaction skills, customer relationship, management skills and call centre terminology. They will also be given a thorough knowledge about the product of the company, even how it could malfunction, breakdown and fail its objective, to deal with complaints from customers. Continuous training at regular intervals including updating on the latest references and slang the callers are likely to use, updating on the new products, developing faster ways of accessing information is a must for growth in this field.There is no standardized training period. It can be between two weeks to twelve weeks depending on the project. There will be an initiation programmed, which includes familiarizing the companies work culture and the international environment in which they deal with their clients to have an awareness of the culture abroad. Then the actual training begins which includes both theoretical and on the job training.In

India, the training is usually done by the company itself. There are many institutes that give training in this field abroad, recently the trend is picking up in

India also. International certifications from STI Knowledge, a leading provider of call centre training in the

US have recently been introduced in

India. STI offers international certifications following a Web-based exam after completion of the course. The certifications are Help Desk 2000, Call Centre 2000 and Knowledge 2000 for all the three tiers that are the operators, managers and director.

Job Prospects & Career OptionsThere is a great scope for Call centers in

India. The large population of educated English speaking people and the comparative low cost are encouraging more and more companies from abroad /inland to base or outsource their call centers to India. GE capital, American Express, Wiper Spectra mind, Infowavz International (Mumbai), Dash, Reliance InfoTech are some of the call centers which are on a recruitment spree.

Call centre operators / Customer care executives
this is the entry level in call centers. Your general duties include answering telephone calls, taking down details of the caller’s query and logging this information on a computer, providing the caller with appropriate information or advice, in some cases, selling a caller products or services. In outbound call centre services such as tale-marketing, an operator will also need to identify potential customers and make outgoing calls marketing their organization’s product, occasionally following-up calls by sending letters, faxes or e-mail, deal with customer complaints etc. A call centre operator’s duties will depend on the type of product or service that the organization provides and the type of client he/she is servicing. Customer service executives can move on to the technical, financial or the insurance sector etc.

Call centre Supervisors and Managers
after working as an operator for three or four years, you will be promoted to a supervisory level based on your ability and performance. As vacancies occur it will be published in house, an interview will be conducted and promotions made. As a supervisor, you will be in charge of the various operators working under you. Then you can be promoted to the managerial level depending on your experience, ability and skills acquired.
Performance is measured based on targets achieved in the particular business. In outbound centers, like telemarketing your performance is calculated on sales per hour, or in collection department of a bank, performance is measured on contacts made and money collected. In inbound call centers, performance is measured on the basis of average talk time, that is, the time you take to satisfy the customer, analysis and understanding of the problem and the courtesy extended to the customers.A call centre experience is regarded as worthwhile experience for customer relations, sales jobs or insurance sector. One has a better chance of moving on to other industries with experience in call centers. For egg insurance sector if you have had experience dealing with insurance clients.

Source: Webindia123.com

BPO FAQ’s

Nishkam Chatrath — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:51:55 +0000

[[BPO]] [Business Process Outsourcing] has been the latest mantra in

India today. As the current sources of revenue face slower growth, software companies are trying new ways to increase their revenues. BPO is top on their list today. IT services companies are making a quick entry into the BPO space on the strength of their existing set of clients. We hope to address all issues related to BPO in

India on this portal. We will attempt to explain what it takes to setup a BPO facility in

India. Actually, setting up a call center is capital intensive. An ordinary BPO center that takes care of pure back office operation [e.g. payroll, data entry] will not be as expensive as a call center. The philosophy behind BPO is specific, do what you do best and leave everything else to business process outsourcers. Companies are moving their non-core business processes to outsource providers. BPO saves precious management time and resources and allows focus while building upon core competencies. The list of functions being outsourced is getting longer by the day. Call centres apart, functions outsourced span purchasing and disbursement, order entry, billing and collection, human resources administration, cash and investment management, tax compliance, internal audit, pay roll…the list gets longer everyday. In view of the accounting scandals in 2002 [Enron, WorldCom, Xerox etc], more and more companies are keen on keeping their investors happy. Hence, it is important for them to increase their profits. BPO is one way of increasing their profits. If done well, BPO results in increasing shareholder value. Typically, a customer calls the call center [usually a toll-free number]. After pressing numerous numbers [1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for bank balance!] the operator will answer your query by accesing the database. Call centres address sales support, airline/hotel reservations, technical queries, bank accounts, client services, receivables, tele marketing, market research. If a bank shifts work of a 1000 people from US to

India it can save about $18 million a year due to lower costs in

India. According to Mckinsey, giant

US pharma firms can reduce the cost of developing a new drug, currently estimated at between $600 million and $900 million by as much as $200 million if development work is outsourced to

India. Benefits derived from BPO can be summarized as follows:

Productivity Improvements
Access to expertise
Operational cost control
Cost savings
Improved accountability
Improved HR
Opportunity to focus on core business

Outsourcing is not new - it has been a popular management tool for decade. One can safely say outsourcing has evolved:-

1960’s - time-sharing
1970’s - parts of IT operations
1980’s - entire IT operations
1990’s - alliances/tie-ups
2000’s - IT-enabled services

India has one of the largest pool of low-cost English speaking scientific and technical talent. This makes

India one of the obvious choice to outsource to. Dell, Sun Microsystems, LG, Ford, GE, Oracle all have announced plans to scale up their operations in

India. Others like American Express, IBM and British Airways are leveraging the cost advantage

India has to offer while setting up call centres. Several foreign airline and banks have too set up business process operations in

India. Indian revenues from BPO are estimated to have grown 107 per cent to $ 583 million and this particular area employs 35,000 people in the year ending March 31, 2002. Click here for updated figures! Many European and

US companies have realized that they should focus on their main business and outsource their Human Resource Department, accounting department etc. Bingo! it is here exactly

India fits in! Today US corporations have embraced BPO wholeheartedly. Managed Care Companies, which is more popularly known as Healthcare payers, are increasingly outsourcing business processes due to changing and challenging business environment and technological and legislative changes. There is a good opportunity for Indian BPO vendors in this space. BPO vendors will need to have good domain knowledge, process know-how and competence with technological solutions to cater to these Manage Care Companies.

What does BPO stand for? What does it mean?

BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing. Major corporations in the US and Europe are outsourcing their back office operations to India to save costs. E.g. employee payroll is maintained in India for their employees worldwide. Although these jobs usually are not directly IT-related, their data-based orientation often means that they require IT departmental support to be successfully outsourced.

What are the reasons for outsourcing?

Reason	Savings
Cost reduction	43%
Focus	35%
Access to special [[ enterprise ]]	32%
Resource related reasons{relieve resource constraints, reduce IT staff and augment IT staff}	51%

What exactly does the BPO market comprise of?

There is a disagreement as to what exactly constitutes BPO. With the rapid expansion of the BPO industry and the extent of its reach, it is becoming increasingly difficult to define what a BPO exactly means. It encompasses a wide variety of activities such as human resource, accounting, financial research, marketing, sales, legal work, logistics and so on. Software services are also regarded as a part of the BPO market by many firms.

Can medical transcriptions be considered as BPO?

Yes.

What is defect density?

It is defined as the number of errors per 1000 lines of code. According to Meta Group it has grown from 0.53 (2002) to 0.6 (2003) and is expected to further rise to 0.87 (2005).

What are the 4Es?

Engagement, education, enactment and enforcement framework is expected to ease the concerns of security and data privacy issue.

What is Procurement BPO?

Procurement BPO is transfer of management and execution of one of more procurement activities, transfer of the entire procurement sub-segments or transfer of the entire procurement business functions to an external provider. It offers increased productivity, cost reduction and business transformation to the client. It has a market potential of $10 billion by 2006.

What is DNC [Do Not Call] list?

US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Telemarketing Sales Rule bars companies from calling individuals who have registered themselves on DNC list. This hurts call centres that make outbound calls [cold calling]. This rule comes into effect from October 1, 2003. As of Sept 1, 2003 about 48 million individuals have registered on the DNC registry. If a company calls an individual on the DNC list, the fine can be approximately $11,000. Call centres have bought insurance to protect themselves from being fined. Visit National Do Not Call Registry for first hand information. Call centres can download the DNC list from this site.

What is Call Blasting?

Call center’s sell by first playing a recorded message in American English. Then the real CSR speaks in neutral/American accent.

Is there any restriction about women working in call centers at night?

In Karnataka, the Legislative Assembly passed a bill in August 2002 which provides for the use of services of women employees during night. Section 25 of the Act was modified to accommodate this change. It is likely that all other states have a similar law. Also see Factories Act now allows women to work night shifts

What is BOSS?

BOSS stands for Burn-Out Stress Syndrome. BOSS syndrome is seen very commonly among young people working in call centres. The symptoms of this syndrome include chronic fatigue, insomnia and complete alteration of 24-hour biological rhythm of the body. Gastrointestinal problems are inevitable for those working at nights as the body is put under chronic stress. A potentially fatal increase in heart rhythm can result in severe chronic gynaecological problems in women and sleep disorders in both men and women. Guidance about physical and mental coordination to meet the demands of a call centre job is necessary.

Is it true that one needs very low skilled labor for a BPO operation?

Not true. It really depends upon what is the kind of job you are doing for your client. There are companies in India who are doing the R&D work for their clients. Is that low skilled labor?

What does captive operation mean?

The multinational company sets up its own BPO operation instead of outsourcing to a third party. E.g. GE Capital has its operations in Hyderabad and Gurgaon, Dell has an operation in Bangalore.

What do I need to enter the BPO arena?

The following list is no different than for any other business. Domain or process knowledge - basically you need to know the customer’s business. Yup, this is in short supply:

- Customer access
- Market reputation
- Capital base

What does “follow the sun” model mean?

India is situated 5 hours ahead of

UK 10 hours ahead of

New York; and 13 hours ahead of

Los Angeles. US and UK companies can claim overnight response capability because during their night time, it is day time in India and agents in India can respond to emails during Indian business hours. This is known as follow the sun model.

Why is it important to have the call centre in multi-locations?
- BPO clients would not like their work to be disrupted. To ensure continuity it is essential to be multi-locational, at times this could mean in different countries also.
- BPO companies need to constantly evaluate where they can get the best value for their money. Low-skill jobs like data entry could be outsourced to countries where labor is cheaper than in India.
- Few countries have data access legislation that prevents databases and information from crossing geographical boundaries. The best way to solve this problem is to have a BPO centre in that country itself. At times BPO client can take permission from the appropriate authorities and move the database outside the country. For e.g. in the case of EDS [Enhanced Directory Service] the operator needs to access a database which has the information of the residents/businesses of the client country. Usually you are not allowed to ship this database outside that country; however clients have taken special permission to ship this database to countries like Philippines.

What is IVR?

IVR stands for Integrated Voice Response. IVR systems are automated systems installed in customer contact/service centers that help automate routine tasks such as account information, product information, schedule etc. IVR systems help automate many transactions that free employees tedious repetitive tasks. Customers can input their query using touch tone phones and these days advanced IVRs support speech recognition.

What is repetitive voice injury (call centre)?

Call centre workers are suffering from a new industrial disease: repetitive voice injury, also dubbed as call centre. Long hours and little opportunity for even a drink of water are behind the ‘disease’.

What are key performance measurements (KPIs) in a call center?

A significant amount of information is required to effectively manage a call center. We need, for example, data on caller needs and expectations, the queue and caller tolerance, the load on the system, agent activities and performance, call patterns, cost components, the activities of other parts of the organization and conditions in the external environment. But we must also be able climb above the detail and assess overall performance, without the need to review dozens of reports. The question is, what measures can adequately summarize the numerous activities of a call center? While any measure by itself has the potential to mislead, the ten reports summarized below generally give a good synopsis of the call center’s performance when they are interpreted together. Average Call Value (Sales and Reservations Only) This measure is generally calculated by dividing total revenue generated by number of calls. This has historically been, and continues to be, a top priority in sales and reservations environments. Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is, without doubt, a top priority. Most call centers conduct surveys via either outbound calls or mail to randomly selected callers. Some call centers contract with outside firms to conduct surveys and prepare the results, while others do the surveys themselves. And a growing number of call centers are automating some surveys; callers are transferred into a VRU that guides them through a series of questions and allows them to respond via touch-tone. Service Level
Service level takes the form of X percent answer in Y seconds (such as 80 percent of calls answered in 20 seconds), and is a high level measure of how fast callers get through to reps. The best managed call centers take service level seriously, and strive to meet it as consistently as possible. An appropriately selected service level objective should mean that answering calls less quickly (or a lot more quickly) would actually cost money, not save it. Percent Abandoned
Abandonment is an ongoing concern in incoming call centers. If callers hang up before we get a chance to talk to them, we are missing the opportunity to make them happy, sell to them and solve their customer service problems. However, abandonment is difficult to accurately forecast (and, therefore, staff around) and is often a misleading indication of the queue callers experienced. In the final analysis, we can control how accessible we are — how many trunks we have, how many skilled reps are plugged in. But we can’t control how callers will react or the myriad of circumstances that influence their behavior. Accordingly, be sure to view abandonment in light of the other measures, and in consideration of the callers’ circumstances.

Cost Per Call
There are various ways to calculate cost per call (i.e. what factors to include in staff costs, how to allocate equipment, how to value the building) but the basic formula is to divide total costs by total calls received for a given period of time (usually a month). The potential in following cost per call is to identify the variables that are driving it upwards or downwards, and the impact they have.

A climbing cost per call can be a good sign, depending on the variables driving it up. For example, process improvements may result in fewer calls than would otherwise be necessary (e.g. eliminating the need for customer callbacks, improving the VRU and coordinating with other departments to eliminate problems that generate calls). As a result, the fixed costs (in the numerator) get spread over fewer calls (in the denominator), driving cost per call up. But, of course, total costs will go down over time, because the elimination of waste and rework will drive down variable costs. (Similarly, cost per call usually goes down during the busy times of the year, and up during the slower times of year).

Errors and Rework
A major theme of the quality movement is that good service pays for itself because of the elimination of things that come with a lack of quality: doing work over, correcting mistakes, handling complaints, increased public relations costs, canceled orders or subscriptions, costs of closing accounts, costs of inspection, and others. Errors and rework are often part of a cycle. For example, errors and rework consume valuable staff time, which can lead to insufficient staffing to handle the incoming workload; insufficient staffing tends to lead to high occupancy, unhappy callers and increased stress on the staff — which contributes to errors and rework. So, reducing errors and rework has a positive impact on service level, morale, customer satisfaction and costs. A variation on errors and rework is a measure of the percent of calls completed on the first attempt, which has become an increasingly important measure in many call centers.

Errors and rework can be measured in a number of ways. For example, the database may allow you to track repeat calls, unresolved issues and errors in data entry. Monitoring or side-by-side coaching should detect and track specific problems that are occurring during call handling. Call coding in the ACD (where reps use codes to track specific types of calls and issues) can trace problems. And transferred calls, escalated calls, customer complaints and correspondence (both to and from customers) can be additional sources of information.

Forecast Call-load to Actual
Underestimating calling demand will mask and defeat all other efforts to provide good service, and overestimating demand results in waste. Good forecasting comes from constantly tracking results and making improvements to the forecasting process. Common practice is to blend quantitative “time series” forecasting (projecting out existing call patterns) with judgmental forecasting (for example, what is marketing about to do? new terms and procedures? process changes? interest rates? the weather?). If the forecast is off by much, we need to identify which variables caused the problems, and factor them in (or out) in the future.

Scheduled Staff to Actual
This measure is independent of whether we actually have the staff necessary to achieve a targeted service level. How well do the staffs we have adhered to schedule?

Adherence To Schedule
Adherence factor is a measure of how much time an individual is on the phone, available to take calls, and generally consists of all plugged-in time, including talk time, wrap-up time, waiting to receive calls, and necessary outgoing calls. Generally, when adherence factor improves (goes up), service level goes up and occupancy goes down. Adherence factor is not just an issue of how much, but also an issue of when — when during the course of the day, are reps is plugged in and available to take calls?

Average Handling Time
Average handling time brings together two components: talk time and after call work (wrap up). Talk time is everything between “hello” and “good-bye.” After call work is that work that must immediately follow the inbound call. The ratio of talk time to after call work varies significantly from one call center to another.

An erratic average handling time often points to the need for more training, especially on how to use the after call work mode. To be true after call work, three criteria must be met- 1) The work is related to an inbound call, 2) It follows the call, 3) Immediately or shortly thereafter. In other words, the work is an important component of the randomly arriving call load

What is TCV?

TCV stands for total contract value.

Are there any unions for Call Centres in India?

Source: bpoindia.org

Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF)

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:09:53 +0000

Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]] & [[ Cosmetic ]][[ Dentist ]]
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic disease of oral mucosa characterized by inflammation and progressive fibrosis followed by stiffening of an other wise yielding mucosa resulting in difficulty in opening the mouth. It is generally accepted today that areca nut quid plays a major role in the etiology .The younger generation is very much addicted to these products especially gutkha and panmasala. The condition is well recognized for its malignant potential.

The pathogenesis of the disease is not well established, but the cause of OSMF is believed to be multifactorial. Factors include areca nut chewing, ingestion of chilies, genetic and immunologic processes, nutritional deficiencies, and other factors.Iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B complex deficiency, and malnutrition are promoting factors that derange the repair of the inflamed oral mucosa, leading to defective healing and resultant scarring. The rate varies from 0.2-2.3% in males and 1.2-4.57% in females in Indian communities. OSMF is widely prevalent in all age groups and across all socioeconomic strata in

India. ; it is even prevalent among teenagers in

India, 8.8% of teenagers with a mean age 16.3 years (± 1.5 y) were found to have OSMF . Generally, patient age ranges from 11-60 years most patients are aged 45-54 years and chew betel nuts 5 times per day

Mortality/Morbidity: OSMF has a high rate of morbidity because is causes a progressive inability to open the mouth, resulting in in eating and consequent nutritional deficiencies. OSMF also has a significant mortality rate becausef it can transform into oral cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma, at a rate of 7.6% History: Symptoms of OSF include the following :

Progressive inability to open the mouth (trismus) due to oral fibrosis and scarring
Oral pain and a burning sensation upon consumption of spicy foodstuffs
Increased salivation
Change of gustatory sensation
Hearing loss due to stenosis of the eustachian tubes
Dryness of the mouth
Nasal tonality to the voice
Dysphagia to solids (if the esophagus is involved)
Impaired mouth movements (eg, eating, whistling, blowing, sucking)
Laboratory findings:
Decreased hemoglobin levels
Decreased iron levels
Decreased protein levels
Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Decreased vitamin B complex levels

CYTOLOGIC STUDY CAN BE PERFORMED ON BIOPSY Medical Care: The treatment of patients with OSMF depends on the degree of clinical involvement. If the disease is detected at a very early stage, cessation of the habit is sufficient. Most patients with OSF present with moderate-to-severe disease. Moderate-to-severe OSF is irreversible. Medical treatment is symptomatic and aimed at improving mouth movements. Treatment includes the following: Steroids: In patients with moderate OSMF, weekly submucosal intralesional injections or topical application of steroids may help prevent further damage. Placental extracts: The rationale for using placental extract (PE) in patients with OSMF derives from its proposed anti-inflammatory effect hence, preventing or inhibiting mucosal damage. Hyaluronidase: The use of topical hyaluronidase has been shown to improve symptoms more quickly than steroids alone. The combination of steroids and topical hyaluronidase shows better long-term results than either agent used alone. IFN-gamma: This plays a role in the treatment of patients with OSMF because of its immunoregulatory effect. IFN-gamma is a known antifibrotic cytokine. The role of PEs, hyaluronidase, and interferon is still evolving. Surgical Care: Surgical treatment is indicated in patients with severe trismus and/or biopsy results revealing dysplastic or neoplastic changes. Surgical modalities that have been used include the following: *Simple excision of the fibrous bands: Excision can result in contracture of the tissue and exacerbation of the condition.*Split-thickness skin grafting following bilateral temporalis myotomy or coronoidectomy. *Nasolabial flaps and lingual pedicle flaps. *Surgery to create flaps is performed only in patients with OSF in whom the tongue is not involved . Consultations: *Consult an ear, nose, and throat specialist for evaluation of dysplasia and close follow-up monitoring for the development of oral cancer.*Consult a plastic surgeon for patients with severe trismus, in whom reconstructive surgery may be possible.Diet: Dietary focus should be on reducing exposure to the risk factors, especially the use of betel quid, and correcting any nutritional deficiencies, such as iron and vitamin B complex deficiencies (Cox, 1996). Activity: Muscle stretching exercises for the mouth may be helpful to prevent further limitation of mouth movements. Further Outpatient Care: *Regular physical examinations, biopsy specimen analysis, and cytologic smear testing should be scheduled to detect oral dysplasia or carcinoma, especially in patients with severe OSMF.*Patients with surface leukoplakias require close follow-up monitoring and repeat biopsies.*Patients with dysplasias and carcinomas should receive routine treatment for these entities. Complications: Oral dysplasias and squamous cell carcinomas are complications of OSMF, the risk of developing oral carcinoma is 7.6% over a 10-year period.If the palatal and paratubal muscles are involved in patients with OSMF, conductive hearing loss may occur because of functional stenosis of the eustachian tube Prognosis:No treatment is effective in patients with OSMF, and the condition is irreversible . Recent reports claim improvement of the condition if the habit is discontinued following diagnosis at an early stage Patients with OSMF have an increased risk of developing oral cancer. The malignant potential and the origin of cancer were attributed to the generalized epithelial atrophy associated with OSF. Patient Education:

Instruct patients regarding the importance of discontinuing the habit of chewing betel quid.
Inform patients that eliminating tobacco from the quid product may reduce the risk of oral cancer.
Instruct patients to avoid spicy foodstuffs.
Instruct patients to eat a complete and healthy diet to avoid malnutrition.
Instruct patients regarding maintaining proper oral hygiene and scheduling regular oral examinations.
Intervention studies and public health campaigns against oral habits linked to OSMF may be the best way of controlling the disease at the community level. Educate the community regarding the local adverse effects of chewable agents, which although not inhaled, are still not harmless.

COMPUTER GUIDED STICHLESS IMPLANT SURGERY WITH IMMEDIATE BRIDGE PLACEMENT DONE FOR FIRST TIME IN NORTH INDIA.

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:54:27 +0000

Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]] & [[ Cosmetic ]][[ Dentist ]]

Dr. Sanjay Kalra , a leading Implantologist of the tricity perfomed the first Stitch less Computer Guided / Computer Aided Implant Placement in a patient to replace three missing teeth in the upper jaw. The fixed restoration was inserted in minimum of one hour of the surgery. This is for the fist time that such unique software has been used to plan the surgical insertion of implants.

Conventionally,the implants are placed in the jaw bone in patient’s mouth involving a minor surgery ,a healing time of 7-10 days followed by suture removal .Then the patient waits for 3 to 4 months so that the implant integrates with the jaw bone.This is followed by restorartion. But the implantologist of today is now able to virtually analyse and plan a surgery before actually performing it in the patient’s mouth . This concept is called Computer Aided / Computer Guided Implant Placement. ( CAD/CAM Solution). CAD software helps the dentist to carry out a virtual surgery on the patient’s simulated jaw on the computer .

CAM helps to create a surgical template to perform the surgery in the patient’s mouth as per planning on the software.

The procedure offers many advantages: 1) The guided surgery planned on the computer is more precise in placement of implants as it provides better visualization of important anatomic structures.2) The future prosthesis(temporary/permanent bridge) is simulated in the mouth with the help of surgical template in advance. It is time saving as the patient receives the implant and the prosthesis on the same day and can returned to active social life.3) It has better patient compliance because surgery does not involve any incision or suturing and so there is no bleeding, faster healing, minimum discomfort,minimal risk of infection and early ambulation.4) It can be safely performed in high risk patients such as those with coronary artery disease,diabetes mellitus,hypertention,patients on drugs like antiplatelets, anticoagulants,advanced age etc. Because of lack of awareness about importance of oral hygiene and need for regular dental check ups,most of the Indians start loosing their teeth as early as 35 years in urban population and even at 20 years in rural population.So,by 55-60 years,15-20% of the population is edentulous. Since the average life span of Indians has increased by 10 years, so is the need for fixed and permanent solution for missing teeth. The technology of computer guided surgery is the latest advancement in the field of dental implants. Since it is a non invasive procedure, it reduces the risk of infection to minimum. The success rate is high and so is the cost. But cost benefit analysis proves beyond doubt that implants for missing teeth will remain the best treatment option today and tomorrow.

Educational inequity high in State: expert

Nishkam Chatrath — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:23:30 +0000

By:K.P.M. Basheer
KOCHI: Kerala may be the most literate State in India, but educational inequity is acute here, says Abusaleh Shariff, who was member-secretary of the Rajinder Sachar committee on social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India.

Abusaleh Shariff
â€œThere is universal schooling in Kerala, but educational equity ends by the close of primary education,â€ Dr. Shariff, quoting the findings of the committee, told The Hindu on Saturday. He was here to give a talk on Ì¶ 0;Sachar report and its implicationsâ€ at the South Indian Muslim Convention for Social Justice, which discussed the findings of the committee.
As the educational levels went up, the divide between communities, particularly between Muslims and the rest, became wider. â€œKerala, perhaps, has the worst educational inequity in India at very high levels of education,â€ Dr. Shariff, Chief Economist and Senior Professor, National Council for Applied Economic Research, said.
Dr. Shariff said the committee had found that only about 30 per cent of Muslim children in Kerala made it to the 10th class against 65 per cent of other communities. The case of Muslim girls was even worse. Dalits and Muslims were in the same boat as regards educational inequity.
He called for constructive, affirmative actions by the State Government to correct the educational bias.
On the national scene, he said the Muslim community was better off in the south than in the north, where millions of Muslim children had no access to even primary education.
â€œThere are thousands of Muslim mohallas and hamlets where there is not a single school or even an anganwadi,â€ he said.
West Bengal was the worst in terms of backwardness of Muslims. The fact that Muslimsâ€™ share was only 2 per cent in West Bengal Government services, though 25 percent of the population was Muslim, showed the extent of inequity.
Benefiting from boom
Referring to the economic boom in the country, Dr. Shariff warned that Muslims would miss the bus unless their educational status leapfrogged. They should focus on acquiring low-tech education and upgrading skills to get jobs and be part of the boom, he suggested. However, there were barriers in the system to Muslimsâ€™ acquiring a decent education.
â€œThere are a lot of educational institutions in North India that do not offer admission application forms to Muslims, let alone admission,â€ he said.
Prejudice and bias against Muslims were so rampant in the bureaucracy that most Muslim youths believed that even if they acquired a decent education, it would be hard to enter the formal employment sector.
The Sachar committee had also found that there was extensive discrimination against Muslims in lending by banks and financial institutions.

China, India to initiate educational exchange

Nishkam Chatrath — Wed, 23 May 2007 19:19:16 +0000

Yunnan University and Mumbai University have reached an agreement to begin educational exchanges aimed at improving relations between the two Asian countries, according to Indian media reports.

Under the agreement between the schools, Yunnan University will begin offering courses in September that are expected to include subjects such as Indian history, Buddhism, Indian philosophy, Sanskrit and Hindi. Professors and experts from India will teach the courses in Yunnan. Indian software experts will also help Yunnan University establish a software institute.

As part of the exchange, Chinese professors and experts will go to India to teach courses related to Chinese culture and history. A tentative course list includes Chinese language, Taoism and Chinese philosophy.

Charlie Rose - Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India (video)

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 07 May 2007 21:25:59 +0000

An exclusive conversation with Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. This conversation will begin a week of interviews taped in India … all ahead of President Bush’s historic visit. Each night, from February 27th to March 3rd, Charlie Rose will feature discussions with the people shaping the new India.

ABC News Report On Outsourcing To India (video)

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 07 May 2007 21:01:14 +0000

A very nice report on outsourcing in india…

U.S. colleges to help India with education need

Nishkam Chatrath — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:20:09 +0000

U.S. colleges to help

India with education need By Chris NelsonIn 1943, Winston Churchill remarked in a speech at

Harvard

University that “the empires of the future will be empires of the mind.” He might as well have predicted that the empires of today would clash over traditional prizes like natural resources, but also over new ones notably, talent.In a world where globalization is erasing physical borders and replacing them with virtual ones, talent has emerged as one of the most sought after commodities by countries and companies alike. The trend is one of the major reasons why a growing number of American universities, eager to expand into previously ignored markets abroad, have set their sights on

India.They have established wholly owned operations in

India and formed partnerships with Indian universities or plan to do so. The list includes

California

State

University,

Long Beach; Cornell University, Rice University, Champlain College, Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology and

Ohio

University.So what’s the attraction? For starters, approximately 40 percent of

India’s 1.1 billion citizens are under the age of 18. Then there is the country’s scarcity of higher-education opportunities, which the national government frequently cites as one of the biggest obstacles to economic progress there.“

India has an enormous need for more [higher education] opportunities for its population,” Madeleine Green, vice president for international opportunities at the American Council on Education, said. “At 1.1 billion people, their capacity is nowhere near where it needs to be in terms of absorbing that age cohort. The demand is certainly there

India is having labor shortages and is desperately in need of more qualified workers than it currently has.”According to the National Knowledge Commission an advisory body to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on education issues only 7 percent of Indians ages 18 to 24 enter a university, which it attributes to

India’s lack of higher education opportunities. The commission has recommended that

India double that figure effectively bringing the country up to par with the rest of

Asia by creating at least 1,500 colleges and universities over the next few years.“The engine of the economy is educated people,” Green said. “For

India to move forward economically, it needs to develop more educational opportunities.”For now, American universities are proceeding cautiously Indian laws governing how foreign educational institutions may operate in the country are difficult to navigate but that could soon change. The Indian Parliament took up a draft law in April that would ease rules on foreign investment in education on the subcontinent.If approved, the bill would exempt foreign institutions from tough rules that currently apply to all government-accredited universities in

India on curriculums, staff salaries and fees.“That’s the key,” Green said. “

India must establish some ground rules to encourage foreign investment in higher education.”The

U.S. government agrees. Karen P. Hughes,

U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, visited

India in late March along with a half-dozen American university presidents to show support for the bill and to encourage greater collaboration between

U.S. and Indian universities.In a March 26 speech to members of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in Mumbai, Hughes addressed the growing importance of talent in the global marketplace and said the best way to nurture it is to give more students access to higher education.“We believe encouraging more young people to become truly global citizens serves our national interest,

India’s interests and your interests as business leaders,” Hughes said. “In this increasingly global world, you need employees who are highly educated, able to speak different languages and able to move easily between cultures and countries, and so we are here to ask for the business community’s active partnership and support.”Hughes also urged Indian students to consider attending college in the

United States. American universities, she said, welcome an infusion of Indian talent and creativity to their campuses.She also emphasized the need to “give American students important skills to work in the global environment.”“Such cooperation will help meet the growing demand of American and Indian businesses for skilled, knowledgeable workers and help future generations forge stronger bonds between our countries,” Hughes said. “We need to do a better job of helping Americans learn the languages, cultures and history of the world.”Thus far, Indians are doing their share to strengthen those bonds. The National Knowledge Commission estimates more than 160,000 Indian students are currently attending colleges and universities abroad, spending roughly $4 billion annually. Indian and Chinese students comprise the largest number of foreign students in

America.Thomas Farrell, deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Education and Cultural Affairs, said more than 76,000 of the estimated 580,000 foreign nationals currently studying at the university level in the

United States are Indian.“That’s more than any other country,” Farrell said. “There are more Indians studying in

America than there are Chinese, Korean and Japanese students. The reason more Indians come to the

United States relates to the variety and quality of an education they can get here. It’s the premier destination for education in the world and the best place for research and advanced studies. Our institutions attract talent.”Farrell estimated that 206,000 Americans are currently studying abroad, yet only 1,700 of them are in

India. He said the State Department wants to increase both figures, particularly the number of Americans studying in India, but remains hampered by the small number of Americans who choose to study abroad currently, about 1 percent and India’s low capacity to receive more foreign students.“Only a small percentage of

U.S. students study overseas, and most of them go to places they are more familiar with, like Western European countries,

Canada and

Australia,” Farrell said. “But even if we were to change that, I don’t think

India could handle many more foreign students because it really just doesn’t have the capacity for them.”It is difficult to quantify the number of American institutions that are doing business in

India or with Indian schools because no comprehensive list exists just anecdotal information. However, the London-based Observatory on Borderless Higher Education a joint initiative between the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities U.K. reported in 2004 that 66 U.S.-based colleges and universities were collaborating with private institutions in India.“We’re not sure where that number stands right now, but we suspect that it has gone up,” Green said.

Count

Ohio

University’s

College of

Business among the most recent crop of American institutions that have expanded their operations to

India. Two years ago, the school aligned with

Christ

College in

Bangalore to launch the Ohio University-Christ College Academy for Management Education.Taught primarily by

Ohio

University professors at

Christ

College, the intense program offers full-time students a Master in Business Administration degree in just 18 months.

Ohio

University administrators anticipated high interest in the program from prospective students; they received more than 10,000 applications for just 120 seats.Dr. John Keifer, an

Ohio university professor who was instrumental in setting up the

India program, credited its success to soaring demand for business education in

India, which he said is a direct result of the country’s booming economy.“As the amount of foreign direct investment in

India continues to increase, so too, will demand for educated workers who can communicate clearly,” he said, adding the program focuses on business communication, whereas many Indian universities emphasize basic coursework.“You have to be very culture specific when talking about

India,” Keifer said. “The Indian culture is very paternalistic, very hierarchical. When Indian students come into the classroom for the very first time, they are very respectful, almost to the point of causing discomfort. They say, ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘No, sir,’ very often.”Keifer said the Indian students gradually begin to relax the longer they remain in the program.“You see a maturation in their development their comfort level gradually increases and they begin to engage their classmates in the classroom,” he said. “They entered the classroom in the beginning as deer in the spotlight, but at the end they have transformed into young colleagues.”

http://www.indusbusinessjournal.com

Career Change Do’s and Don’ts

Nishkam Chatrath — Thu, 03 May 2007 20:03:32 +0000

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Here are the keys to successfully changing careers. Follow these career-change rules and you should achieve success in contemplating changing careers — and in your career change.

Do have a well-developed plan for making your career change. And don’t rush into a career change until you have thought it out and developed a strategy.
Don’t worry if you feel a bit insecure or unsure about making a career change; these feelings are normal.
Do expect to put in a great deal of time and effort in making the switch from one career to another, but don’t allow yourself to get discouraged at the pace or your progress changing careers takes time.
Don’t rush into a new career field because you are dissatisfied or disillusioned with your current job, boss, company, or career field.
Do take the time to examine the activities that you like and dislike, with more focus on your likes. And do focus on new careers that center around your likes and passions. (For assistance.
Do leverage some of your current skills and experiences to your new career by taking advantage of your transferable skills.
Don’t limit yourself to similar careers or jobs when making a career change; look for careers that take advantage of both your skills and your interests.
Do consider the possibility that you will need to get additional training or education to gain the skills you need to be competitive in your new career field, but don’t jump headfirst into an educational program start slowly.
Do take advantage of all your networking potential, including using your current network of contacts, conducting informational interviews with key employers in your new career field, and joining professional organizations in your new career field. (And do read more about networking.)
Don’t forget to take advantage of the career and alumni offices from your previous educational experiences as well as your current school (if you are going back for additional education or training).
Do gain experience in your new career field, ideally while you are still working in your current job. Volunteer or find a part-time job in your new career field — thus building experience, confidence, and contacts in your new field.
Don’t go it alone; do find a mentor. Changing careers is challenging, and you really need to have someone who can help motivate you and keep you focused on your goal when you get discouraged.
Do brush up on all aspects of job-hunting, especially if you haven’t had a need to use those skills recently. And do take advantage of all career change resources.
Do take advantage of all the career change advice available in these career change books.

Above all else, do be flexible. You’re basically starting your career anew, which means you may have to make concessions about job titles, salary, relocation, etc.

www.quintcareers.com

Career Assessment Do’s and Don’ts

Nishkam Chatrath — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:56:10 +0000

by Katharine Hansen

Here are the keys to successful career assessment. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this self-discovery process.

Do be aware that assessments are available to help guide you toward the right career for you. A qualified career counselor can administer, score, and interpret these assessments. A number of free career assessments also are available on the Internet, though many experts question their reliability.
Do compare online career assessments to see which ones might meet your needs.
Do keep your expectations in check when you take free online assessments. You may attain some direction and guidance from these tests, but donâ€™t be overly reliant on them for magic answers.
Don’t discount the possibility that these free online assessments might suggest to you some career ideas and directions you had never thought of and that are worth further exploration.
Do take several different assessments to help you learn more about yourself and to help you determine which tests provide the most reliable results for you.
Do print out and retain the results of the assessments you take online. Compare results, and see if you can see patterns — a â€œcareer snapshotâ€ — beginning to emerge.
Do trust your gut. If a free online assessment tells you something about yourself that doesnâ€™t ring true, disregard that information.
Don’t rely on free online assessments alone for self-discovery and career guidance. Meet with a career counselor; college students and alumni usually have free or inexpensive access to counselors. Supplement the results youâ€™ve obtained from free online assessments with other assessments the counselor might administer. Ask the counselor to help you interpret and integrate the results of various assessments.
Do use career assessments with a variety of other self-discovery activities, such as examining your strengths and weaknesses and the activities you most enjoy and least enjoy.

Do have fun taking career assessments. Self-discovery is almost always an enlightening and often entertaining process.

www.quintcareers.com

Facts And Myths About Scaling Of Teeth

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Tue, 01 May 2007 19:07:00 +0000

Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Do you know that 98% of

India’s adult population suffers from gum disease in one form or the other ? Yes, this is a fact & root cause of every gum disease is the bacterial plaque which when not removed properly hardens to form calculus . The more calculus you have, the more your gums and bone underneath recede from the teeth leaving them weak. Bacterial plaque is the root cause of most dental problems. This is a filmy coating made up of millions of bacteria which collect around your gum line & between your teeth. You can temporarily get rid of this furry coating by brushing, but the bacteria begin growing again almost the moment you finish brushing . If neglected , bacterial plaque attacks your gums, leading to inflammation and bleeding. This condition is called gingivitis. Bleeding gums are a warning that plaque is weakening the tissue between your gums & teeth & the bone supporting your teeth. Bacterial plaque that is not removed , begins absorbing your salivary salts, particularly calcium & phosphate and hardens to form tartar/calculus. When calculus settles between your gums & teeth, it forces your gums to recede from your teeth exposing the roots. Thismakes your nerves vulnerable to extreme temperature and /or sweet and sour food. The bone also recedes in the same fashion as gums, which causes mobility of teeth & ultimately leads to tooth loss.To summarise, it is the presence of deposits that leads to weakening of teeth and not the process of removing the deposits. The age old wrong notion that the process of scaling causes weakening of teeth is absolutely baseless. And in scaling, dentist removes the calcified deposits from the teeth and not the enamel, as is wrongly believed. May be if the deposits are removed too late, at a stage when most of the bone is lost and teeth are temporarily cemented together with hard calculus, tooth may move after scaling. Hence scaling does not make teeth loose, they have already become loose due to calculus. Only the removal of patch of calculus has set in the mobility. This happens at a very late stage. Scaling if done at a proper time ie. every six months to remove calculus, the cycle of gum disease is broken & the onset of gum disease is prevented.

REST ASSURED SCALING WILL NOT WEAKEN YOUR TEETH RATHER IT WILL MAKE THEM STRONGER.

Are educated children becoming illitrate? (video)

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:47:07 +0000

Sudhir Ghodke - Director of Educational Initiatives talks about the survey on the state of education in the country.

Impact of Technology on Reducing Poverty and Alleviating Social Issues in India !!! (video)

Nishkam Chatrath — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:43:27 +0000

Careers & Jobs TV Show: Retirement Savings, Job Corps, Career Expert !

Nishkam Chatrath — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:02:46 +0000

Software jobs SAP JAVA welcomes you !

Nishkam Chatrath — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:59:57 +0000

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Special Interview Tips for Designers and Animators

virtualciti — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:20:19 +0000

Designers and Animators should always carry their portfolios.
They should always have jpgs of all 3d files and not try to show .max maya and .mb 3d files.
They should always have animations ready to show (movie files)
Finally, their complete portfolio should be integrated into one file, through which all files should be accessible, than asking the interviewers to wade through files to find the ones you want to show
They can use any online resume service which allow them to upload portfolios like http://www.arenaalumni.com

Posted courtesy Vineet Raj Kapoor from Arena Animation Academy, Chandigarh

Dental Implants - Naturally A Better Solution

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:22:55 +0000

Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]]Â & [[ Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Dental implants are a safe, medically proven, esthetic alternative to traditional crowns, bridgework and dentures because implant restoration looks and feels more like natural teeth. More over they offer new levels of comfort, security and confidence over traditional treatments. For more than two decades, dental implants have been helping to provide quality life to patients with restorative needs.
A dental implant is a small anchor made of titanium that is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root. After osseo - integration (when the surrounding bone has healed to the implant), a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant. This new tooth looks, feels and performs similar to your natural teeth.
Choosing dental implants as a treatment option can offer you a number of significant advantages.
1. If you have missing teeth, the jaw bone begins to shrink over time leading to loss of natural shape of face. Dental implants help to reduce the resorption of jawbone by restoring the function of mastication and esthetics.
2. Implants are better long term alternatives to bridgework as they eliminate the need to grind down health teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth. Your own natural healthy teeth are not compromised.
3. Securely anchored dental implants do not slip or move. This eliminates some of the key problems of dentures like poor fit, gum irritation & pain from exposure. The results is superior comfort, reliability & freedom from embarrassment.
The procedure for insertion and loading of dental implants involves several steps that take place over a time period ranging from 4 to 9 months. The typical process will include.
Pre-treatment consultation : After a careful evaluation of your dental and medical health history, your practitioner will determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants. If you are, you will then have thorough consultations with surgical & prosthetic specialists before your treatment begins.
Initial implant placement : Your practitioner places the dental implant into your jaw while you are in local or general anesthesia. Over the next three months bone will heal into the surface of the implant, thus anchoring it into position.
Final loading of Implant : Depending on your particular case, an additional minor procedure creates an opening through which your artificial replacement tooth will be screwed for natural restoration.
Proper maintenance : Your dental practitioner will guide you on the proper care and maintenance of your new implants before, during and after the procedure. By following a routine of careful oral hygiene & regular checkups, your implants will look & feel great for many years to come.

Portrait Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:14:50 +0000

Taking great portraits

By: Cecil Garcia

Portrait Photography is one of the most challenging arts if you are considering becoming a professional in this. If you don’t have a photo studio, then you can always start by concentrating on environmental portraits through which you can show the subject as well as his surroundings. The best work is the one that can produce an enlarged image of the size 11×14 inches. If the image is any smaller than this then the subject’s face will look too small. You will require the help of a low ISO setting, prime lenses, a tripod, and a mid-range digital SLR.

There are two basic elements for portrait photography in a photo studio. The first one is a controlled background. You will have to focus all your attention on the subject and at the same time minimize or remove the distracting elements in the frame. A common mistake made by many portrait photographers is the use of seamless paper or various monochromatic backgrounds. What you need to understand is that you don’t require a special room to create a controlled background. There are various types of clever portable backdrops and backdrop supports, which you can build or even buy. Inspite of all this, if you are still unable to control the background, then the next best thing is to use a long fast lens like a 300/2.8. A fast telephoto lens will have very little depth of field and hence the eyes and the nose of your subject will be sharp. The distraction in the frame will become a blurry blob of colors.

The second most important element of a portrait studio is controlled lighting. If you have lights kept on stands or if you can hang them from the ceiling then it will be easier to pick the angle at which light will strike the subject. The use of umbrellas and various diffusion equipments will help you to pick the harshness of the shadows on your subject. Backgrounds have always played an important role bringing out the details in a portrait photograph. So if you can’t find a big open space with diffuse light and a neutral background then you will have to steal one.

Here are some key factors of portrait photography. The first one is:

Lighting
The best lighting condition for portraits is soft and off-camera. If you have a large north-facing window or the soft-box then it will work very well. For shooting outdoors, an overcast day or sky will provide a perfect lighting condition. If there’s sun outside then you can use an electronic flash or a reflector to fill in shadows underneath the eyes.

Lens
The best way to flatter your subject is by de-emphasizing the nose. This means that you will have to stand at least 10 feet away from your subject. The problem that arises in this case is filling your frame with the subject’s face since you are standing at 10 feet. To deal with this problem, you will require a high magnification or telephoto lens. Typical portrait lenses vary between 90 and 135 millimeters long for 35mm cameras.

Wedding Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:13:18 +0000

By: Tim Rutherford Wedding Photography

Wedding is not just an event but it is journey that two people have decided to take. Wedding photography may not be a mainstream or commercial photography but it is still an art. It should not be considered to be anything less than serious photography. In fact it is one of the most demanding disciplines of professional work. If you are an aspiring wedding photographer then there are certain key areas that you need to understand. One of the key areas is strategy. Even before you can think about the camera to use, the film roll, the lighting and the background, you need to work on a strategy.

A sound strategy means that you would be able to create opportunities by the numbers. You will have to create an opportunity in every situation. Most wedding photographers take two versions of the same shot to eliminate blinks and at the same time they are able to introduce variety. The norm of wedding photography is to shoot a full-length photo, which is followed by a head and shoulders or half-length photo. Secondly, you will have to create a list of photographs that should be or can be taken during wedding. The list drawn by most professionals include photographs of Bride at home, preparations/wedding dress, parents, bridesmaids, bridesmaids group photo, bride and bridesmaids, bride and chief bridesmaid, bride and family, parents and bride, mother and bride, father and bride, brothers, sisters and bride, parents and bridesmaids, extended family and any special request.

These will be followed by photographs in the church or outdoors after the wedding ceremony is over. One of the favorite shots is where the bride walks through the aisle. You can take good photos using a tripod so that the flash can bounce from a reflector at around f/5.6 followed by a shutter speed of 1/8 or 1/15 of a second. This will allow ambient light to seep in. If you are not using the tripod then you will need to have one stop less than the normal where the flash will reflect on an 80mm lens and the shutter speed will be 1/30 of a second.

There are basically two types of cameras used for wedding photography. One is the 35mm and the other is a medium format. The 35mm cameras create grainier appearance when the photograph is enlarged as compared to a medium format. Another aspect of photography that you need to know about is the camera film. The camera film is available in both B&W and color. The color film is the most popular one but off late B&W photos are coming to the forefront. The good thing about black & white film is that you can create an artistic look. Secondly, the B&W photos last longer than their colored counterpart. The salient point of color films is that they are more versatile. If you shoot with a color film then you will be able to portray the details of the wedding day. If you are using a 35mm camera for the occasion then your best bet will be 100, 200 or 400 speed film. The 100 speed film gives best quality prints in strong sunlight, the 200 speed film can be used in sunlight as well as shade and the 400 speed film is the best for low light.

Stock Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:11:53 +0000

Stock Photography

Stock Photography is as a popular way of taking photographs of anything from nature to portraits and can be either sold over the Internet or displayed in photo albums. The reality is that there are more stock photographers around the world than in any other photography discipline. Stock Photography follows the same basic principles required for any other photography dealing with backgrounds, lighting, camera, lens, films, subjects etc. The remarkable thing is that there are many amateurs involved. For example, you can go for a mountaineering expedition and use your SLR or digital camera to take pictures of the base camp. If the picture comes out as an excellent composition then you can always display it on your website.

The standard format for stock photographs is 6×7cm and the smallest format is 6×4.5cm. Initially, the 6×4.5cm appealed more to most photographers because the image proportions of this format matched those from the 35mm. The camera and lens used for the 6×4.5cm is compact and small and can be carried around with ease. You will get around 15 shots with a roll of 120 speed film. It was not long back when the 6×4.5cm was rejected as the image size was no different from 35mm. This led to the introduction of the 6×6cm, which is a traditional size for medium-format photographs. The 6×6cm is ideal for fashion and portrait photography and even for social photography. But if you are specializing in nature or landscape photography then the square format of the 6×6cm will limit certain elements used in the composition of the photo. There will be more cropping, which will defeat the entire purpose of taking a stock photograph.

This leaves you with three options, which are 6×7cm, 6×8cm and 6×9cm. If you are in love with the 3:2 proportions of a 35mm, then the 6×9cm will seem like the ideal solution because it will offer the same ratio. The only camera available in this format is the Fuji GSW690III. The limitation of this format is that it will be difficult to use it with a polariser and neutral density graduates. The next option is the 6×8cm but it is not good enough for stock photography. The only model available for this is the Fuji GX680. So this will leave you with only one option, which is the 6×7cm.

So now you know why the 6×7cm is considered as the ideal format for stock photography. Due to the rectangular image of the 6×7cm, it is easier and possible to create a dynamic composition, which can be horizontal as well as upright. The image size is also bigger and is five times that of the 35mm. One small limitation if you perceive it as a limitation is that you will get 10 frames only in a 120 film roll. But the good part is that due to the increased image size, you will be able to enlarge without any considerable loss of quality. The other key thing is that the 6×7cm color transparency is very impressive on a lightbox as compared to the 35mm and 6×4.5cm.

If you are aspiring to be a >stock photographer then you need to start with the 6×7cm.

How To Build Your Photography Portfolio ?

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:10:45 +0000

Building your photography portfolio.

As a photographer there is no greater joy than being recognized for what you love doing. A large part of that recognition will come through the self promotional tactics you employ. One way to ensure you get recognition for what you do is to create a photography portfolio which is second to none. Step 1) Choosing your theme
You may already have the pictures to create a themed portfolio or you may be planning on capturing them over the next little while. Either way, your portfolio, like a well written book, should have some unifying theme. This theme can be conceptual or it can be technical. For example, your theme could be about courage, love, urban life, rural life, garbage. Alternatively you can create a theme based on photographic technicalities. For example you could create a portfolio showcasing all of your best wide angle work, or one which displays your best black and white work. The themes for creating a portfolio are only limited by your own imagination. So take your time and create a themed portfolio which means something to you.

Step 2) Choosing the photos
Choosing the right photographs to put in your portfolio will be a time consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you donâ€™tâ€™ have too many top picks spend some more time photographing until you get the desired results. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of, not something thrown together out of impatience and haste.

Your portfolio should be manageable for the viewer to get through. Too often photographers fill pages and pages with photographs that the viewer will skim through to get to the end. Most audiences have short attention spans. Don’t take it personally, it’s simply how we’ve been conditioned to see the world. If you’re photography portfolio is shorter, your audience will be more likely to slow down and spend more time looking at each photograph.

For those of you who have been to art galleries showcasing a particular artist work, you’ll remember, that their showcase was relatively easy to get through. This is because they don’t want to clutter the walls and they want to keep your attention the whole time. You must do the same as a photographer. Just because they make photo albums that can hold 500 pictures doesn’t mean you should try to fill it up. Narrow your portfolio down to 20-50 photographs. There is no hard set number you need to follow but this seems to be the range that most audiences would prefer.

Step 3) Showing your work
Now that you’ve put together your portfolio, it’s time to show it off. Keep it in a public space in your house, show your friends and family, but a digital copy online and show it around to galleries and exhibits if you’re looking to sell some of the photographs in your set.

Completing your portfolio is a great feeling. It’s a great internal battle choosing the perfect pictures for your portfolio because it represents you and what you stand for as a photographer. Take your time putting it together, but make sure your complete your project. Too many photographers shoot all day long and fail to present their work properly. Don’t let your photographs sit around in boxes in the closest. Take the best ones out and show them off!

Photography Forums

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:06:58 +0000

Where to discuss photography topics

By: Terry Michael

If you are a beginner or a serious amateur, forums are a great place to learn more about photography, post images for peer reviews, and otherwise learn about different equipment options and suggestions from a world-wide community of photographers. There are literally hundreds of forums available. They range from association forums, like the PPA’s (Professional Photographers of America) online community to consumer labs, such as Mpix.com, which hosts forums for their users. This article will explore some of the more popular forums out there, and more importantly, point you to places where you can find the right forum for your needs.

A brief history of forums. Bulletin board systems have been around since the early days of the internet as a way of exchanging information. They were called Usenet groups and there have always been an active photography area called alt.photography. As the internet has progressed and moved to the web (it was once all text-only), the Usenet groups spawned into forums, and those forums have been able to add a lot more features than just words. Most will let you post images online or put links in messages to your work or reference work. They can be very dynamic and great places to research or learn about the latest trends in photography.

There is a general caveat about forums that all users should understand. Forums are highly democratic and anyone can post with the appearance of authority. Rarely if ever should you take one opinion on anything. When the subject deals with facts, do yourself a favor and do a quick Google search to verify anything. Otherwise, assume information is rumor.

Digital Photography Review (http://www.dpreview.com/forums) is one of the largest forums for photographers out there, covering a huge inventory of topics. How big is DPR? Their topic on Canon digital SLRs runs to over 1 million messages. All are searchable in their database, so it would be difficult to think that you couldn’t find something in DPR. This is pretty much an equipment only discussion, as equipment is what DPR reviews and talks about. It’s an excellent place to start learning about equipment, or posting your own situation and hearing from others. Most of their reviews are quite qualified.

Another great site is Flickr’s forums (www.flickr.com/groups). Flickr is an online photo sharing site, and can be accessed by signing up with Flickr or using a Yahoo password. Unlike DPR which centers on equipment, Flickr tends to focus more on technique and style. There are very active groups discussing everything from cross processing negatives to travel photography and digital imaging. There are even topics such as ugly postcards and other interesting oddities. This is a good site to play more towards your creative side.

Another great site is PhotoSIG (www.photosig.com). PhotoSIG has been around for a few years and has a very unique system for grading photographs. You have the opportunity to post images online and have it reviewed by a wide range or peers. This is really it’s primary purpose, to post and review photographs. They are based on an honor system, and your abilities to upload images depends on a few things. One is by writing enough reviews of other photographer’s work. The goal of the site is to have at least three meaningful reviews of every image posted (they even have a list of neglected images to encourage the three reviews). Another way is to buy a subscription. There are also how-to articles written by other photographers and forums as well to discuss things in general. Whether you are looking for technical advise, inspiration on a more artistic level, or direct feedback on images you’ve taken, there is a online photographic community waiting for you. There are also forums and groups within a lot of other photographic sites. These include associations, printing labs and especially photography publications. Start with these three, though, and you’ll be very well on your way into the wider online photographic community.

www.starephotography.com

Fine Art Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:05:38 +0000

The art of seeing

By: Terry Michael

Fine art photography is not necessarily capturing a specific technique or style, it is an issue of self expression. If you want to emulate a certain style that you are aware of, study it and try to recreate it, eventually you will be able to produce beautiful images in the likes of an Ansel Adams or a Diane Arbus.

Seriously, it’s generally possible to achieve. Why? Because by doing so you aren’t creating anything more than what’s done before.

But copying someone else’s style is not what fine art photography is about. It’s about creating your own style, having your own voice. In most cases, the person creating their work early in their artistic careers does even understand who or what their voice is. Also in most cases, that understanding of self evolves over your entire lifetime and transitions with you. Look up any artist and view their work throughout their lives and you will begin to understand that process.

If you want to create fine art imagery, you have to move beyond the technical aspects of the camera, as technology will not get your there. Buying the best camera, or the latest gadget, will do nothing to make you a good photographer. In fact, many photographers fall in love with inferior cameras, such as the Holga, old Polaroids, and pinhole cameras. It is your eye that is ultimately the only important tool, everything else is just a means of bringing that vision into being.

Of course, understanding your equipment is very important. If you don’t understand the basics, you will never be able to use them to your advantage. Read your camera’s manual and learn as much as you can about how it works and what features it has. All of them will be useful to you at one point or another.

Fine art photography is the process of seeing and recording that vision into something that can be shared, preserved. One of the best exercises for this is the single-subject assignment.

Take one object. It can be anything a toy, a book, your home, car, or a tree anything that is stationary. Do not chose an animal or another person, chose something that cannot move on its own. For an entire month spend a portion of every day photographing that same object. Each time, try to find something new about it. Try photographing it from a new different angle, or using a different technique.

Each day will get a bit harder, but each day will also fore you to think differently, especially armed with the knowledge that some things have been done before, and by you. Take time to reflect on every image you’ve taken. Review them, study your work and see what you like, and what you didn’t like. Use that information to try something new. Experiment as much as you can. There are endless ways of looking at an object, if you think you’ve run out of ideas, think harder. Or try recreating a composition you’ve already created and see if you can re-create that same image (it’s actually quite hard to do so).

This will help you being your process of seeing. It will only happen if you open your mind and be receptive to what you are telling yourself in a realistic and practical way.

Once you develop the understanding of seeing, you can apply this to virtually every area of your work. You will be able to literally walk around and see images. With so many possible opportunities, you can then begin the process of matching the right angle, composition and style to your own voice and vision. Between the two, you will create images that will be unforgettable to you and to anyone who you share your work with.

www.starephotography.com

Photography Rule of Thirds

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:02:24 +0000

Introduction to compositionÂ

By: Phil PivnickÂ

Far to often I see people look through their pictures only to be surprised by a shot that happens to look professional.Â These are people that use their camera for everyday snapshots and donâ€™t really think about things like composition and visual appeal.Â They just want to capture the memory but once in a while the memory looks like something theyâ€™d want to frame. Â

Wouldnâ€™t it be nice if everyoneâ€™s great shots didnâ€™t have to come by accident?Â It isnâ€™t a far off thought because training the eye to pick up good composition isnâ€™t that hard.Â All anyone has to do is learn and follow the rule of thirds.Â

Picture a rectangle, the shape of a standard photo, and imagine there are two vertical lines dividing the rectangle into thirds.Â Then imagine two horizontal lines doing the same.Â The result is something that looks like a Tic-tac-toe game.Â

The idea is to place the subject of your photo strategically along this imaginary grid.Â For instance, it is usually boring to look at a picture where the subject is dead center.Â The rule of thirds tells us to put the focus of the subject where the imaginary lines intersect.Â If you picture a red balloon floating against a blue sky you can easily see how this works.Â Of all the places to â€œtrapâ€ that balloon within a photo frame, those intersecting lines are the most appealing.Â

The rule of thirds can also be applied to subjects that arenâ€™t so easily narrowed in on.Â In the case of landscape photos there is no single subject to zero in on, so it becomes important to look at the lines themselves.Â In these cases itâ€™s the horizon that often helps set the picture.Â The rule of thirds tells us that one of the horizon should run along one of the imagined horizontal lines.Â Â

If there is a tree in the landscape that you would like to use as the focus of the picture, it is usually more appealing if it is lined up with one of the vertical lines.Â The same can be true for portraits of people.Â If you look through magazines youâ€™ll come across a lot of shots where there is a person standing one third of the way into the frame and looking towards the center.Â Itâ€™s a simple way to compose a shot.Â

Look at some of your favorite pictures; ones that you took and ones that you found in books and online.Â Draw the lines on these pictures and see how they line up.Â Is the rule of thirds working in favor of these photos?Â Most likely.Â Once you have a good understanding of how it all works then try to take some more photos yourself.Â After a while the rule of thirds will become second nature and you wonâ€™t even think about it.Â Â

To make things easier though, some digital cameras actually offer a feature that lays a grid across the screen for you.Â If your camera has this option itâ€™s a wonderful way to make the rule of thirds a habit. Â

Donâ€™t forget this one last important thing:Â All rules can be broken.Â Learn the rule of thirds and use it well.Â Then once you are an expert play with it and find ways around it.Â Sometimes pictures that intentionally break the rule can have an appeal all their own.

www.starephotography.comÂ

The Art of Digital Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:00:22 +0000

By: Vicki ZolenskiÂ

Many of the techniques used in traditional photography also apply to digital photography. The composition of the picture, use of light, line, shape, pattern, etc. also apply to digital photography. Three elements that are different in digital photography are white balance, picture resolution, and digital effects. Â

White BalanceÂ

In a traditional camera, film records and determines the colors of the scene captured in the photograph. As digital cameras have no film to interpret color, they use white balance settings for this purpose. These settings (called Kelvin temperature ratings) are represented by symbols for sun, indoor light, clouds and shade on most digital displays and can be manually selected. The Auto function, however, enables the camera to adjust the settings automatically. For most non-professional needs, this is quite satisfactory. Â Some digital cameras contain a histogram function that will also help you adjust your light exposure. Â

ResolutionÂ

Digital cameras record images in pixels. If you expand a picture on your computer with graphic software by zooming in on the picture, you will eventually see the picture rendered as a series of colored dots. The more dots per inch in a picture, the higher the resolution. High-resolution photos have better image quality and bigger file sizes as well. Â Many digital cameras on the market allow the user to select the low or high-resolution settings. Since resolution affects file size, more of the photos taken in low resolution can be stored in your camera at a time. High-resolution images may saved in BMP, TIFF, or RAW image formats. These are large file type images. High resolution settings vary with each camera. A low resolution setting on one camera is a high resolution setting on another. It all depends on the cameraâ€™s megapixel resolution that could be anywhere in the range of .1 megapixels to 9.1 megapixels. Â

Resolution is an important consideration when buying your digital camera. If you are only going to be using your images on the web, very high-resolution images will not be as mandatory for you (although high resolution graphics allow more manipulation of the graphic in graphics software programs). Web images are typically lower resolution images since file size is a consideration for the web. If you are going to be printing your images, however, high resolution is necessary for a quality print. To be able to expand an image for an 8×10 print is going to require a high-resolution graphic for a good quality photo.Â Digital EffectsÂ Many digital cameras also have built-in effects that can be used to change the presentation of your photos. Fisheye is an example of one such feature that will reshape an image giving it a totally different effect. Soft-focus, Portrait, Scene, Landscape, and Wide-angle are some of the focusing effect capabilities that your digital cameral may have. These are nice features to have fun with. If you have a graphics software program, your images can be further manipulated once you have downloaded your images to your computer.

www.starephotography.comÂ Â

The Retail Industry

Nishkam Chatrath — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 03:41:37 +0000

India’s retail sector is wearing new clothes and with a three-year compounded annual growth rate of 46.64 per cent, retail is the fastest growing sector in the Indian economy. Traditional markets are making way for new formats such as departmental stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets and specialty stores. Western-style malls have begun appearing in metros and second-rung cities alike, introducing the Indian consumer to an unparalleled shopping experience.Â

Retail sector: on an upward curveÂ

India’s vast middle class and its almost untapped retail industry are key attractions for global retail giants wanting to enter newer markets. While organized retail in India is only two per cent of the total US$ 215 billion retail industry, it is expected to grow 25 per cent annually, driven by changing lifestyles, strong income growth and favorable demographic patterns.Â

KSA-Technopak, a retail consulting and research agency, predicts that by 2010, organized retailing in India will cross the US$ 21.5-billion mark from the current size of US$ 7.5 billion.Â

Retail space: up for grabsÂ

By 2007, an estimated 50 million square feet of quality retail space will be available across India. This is in sharp contrast to the situation a decade ago. Then, there was not one shopping mall in India. Today, in Delhi, Mumbai and their suburbs, there are about 100 malls. Of the 700 new malls coming up all over India, 40 per cent are concentrated in the smaller cities. Organized retailing in small-town India is growing at a staggering 50-60 per cent a year compared to 35-40 per cent in the large cities.Â

A push for branded retail Â

India’s branded retail sector, estimated at about US$ 6 billion, makes up only three per cent of the total market, but is forecast to grow at 25-30 per cent a year over the next four years, with plush department stores and malls springing up across the country.Â

Food retailÂ

Food dominates the shopping basket in India. The US$ 6.1 billion Indian foods industry, which forms 44 per cent of the entire FMCG sales, is growing at 9 per cent and has set the growth agenda for modern trade formats. Since nearly 60 per cent of the average Indian grocery basket comprises non-branded items, the branded food industry is homing in on converting Indian consumers to branded food.Â

The mobile revolutionÂ

The retail market for mobile phones - handset, airtime and accessories - is already a US$ 16.7 billion business, growing at over 20 per cent per year. In comparison, the consumer electronics and appliance market looks paltry, at just US$ 5.6 billion, with growth rate just half of the mobile market, and that too in a good year.Â

Kids retailing: no child’s playÂ

Kids retailing is growing by leaps and bounds in India and those in the industry say it is likely to see 30-35 per cent growth per annum. From clothes to stationary, sportswear, outerwear, tailored clothing, eyewear, watches, fragrance, footwear and accessories, the list is endless. Apparel, however, remains the key revenue driver accounting for almost 80 per cent of total sales. According to industry insiders, â€œThe total apparel market in India for kids is around US$ 2.9 billion, out of which about US$ 668.2 â€“ 780.5 million is branded apparel.â€Â

The retail road aheadÂ

The Indian retail market is estimated at US$ 350 billion. But organized retail is estimated at only US$ 8 billion. However, the opportunity is hugeâ€”by 2010, organized retail is expected to grow to US$ 22 billion. With the growth of organized retailing estimated at 40 per cent (CAGR) over the next few years, Indian retailing is clearly at a tipping point. India is currently the ninth largest retail market in the world. And it is names of small towns like Dehradun, Vijay Wada, Lucknow and Nasik that will power India up the rankings soon.

Dental Implants For The Edentulous Patients

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:44:30 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

Some edentulous patients simply cannot tolerate complete denture. It must be accepted that many patient who wear complete denture will experience considerable difficulty adapting to their prostheses. These situations are very frustrating for both patient and the dentist and means were identified to treat the maladaptive denture behavior.
Maladaptive denture behavior:
Maladaptive problem was initially thought to be resulting mainly from adverse anatomic changes in the denture bearing surface e.g. flat ridges, sharp ridges or thin mucosal tissues. However, clinical experience and some research have confirmed that there are physiologic as well as psycho logic contributions to such behavior. For such patients who are unfit to accept the removable dentures because of anatomic, physiologic or psycho logic reasons, dental implants are the alternative.
Â
Dental implant: -
A dental implant is a foreign object inserted within or over the bones of maxilla or mandible to support a fixed or removable prosthesis for restoration of function lost with the loss of natural teeth.
Â
Over denture
an over denture is a complete or partial denture supported by mucoperiosteum and prepared teeth or roots.
Implant supported over denture
It is a complete or partial denture supported by mucoperiosteum and by means of inserted implants.
Prime complaints regarding conventional complete denture
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Instability of mandible denture
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Low retention
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Oral discomfort
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Migrating pain
Â
Indications of implant supported over denture: -
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Grossly resorbed ridge
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Poor oral muscular coordination
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Low tolerance of the mucosal tissues
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Para functional habits leading to recurrent soreness and instability of the prosthesis
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Knife edged ridges, sharp mylohyoid projection or superficial placement of mental nerve.
6.Â Â Â Â Â Â Unrealistic prosthodontic expectations
7.Â Â Â Â Â Â Active or hyperactive gag reflex elicited by a removable prosthesis.
8.Â Â Â Â Â Â Psycho logic inability to wear a denture, even if adequate denture retention or stability is present.
Â
Contraindications for dental implants:-
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Patients with all systemic problems where surgery is contraindicated.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Patients with hypersensitive to implant components.
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Patients who lack maintenance of good oral hygiene.
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Patients with deliberating or uncontrolled diseased and epileptic patients.
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Lack of exposure on the part of the dentist.
Â
Advantages of using implant supported over denture
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Retention security
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Hygiene access
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Lip support
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Minimal contact with sensitive mucosa
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Removable flanged prostheses

InsertionÂ of implants
A two stage surgical procedure is required to bring about Osseo integration. Both stages are performed under strict surgical and sterilization protocol, with a 4-6 month healing period in between. During the interval between stages the patientâ€™s old prosthesis is modified for use with tissue conditioners. Â
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â In the first stage, the following steps are needed to prepare the site for a titanium root analogue: -
oÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â A template is formed to locate and identify the position of implant in the jaw bone.
oÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Flap preparation and gradual widening of the fixture site. Two to four implants are placed into the marked location in the bone after raising a mucoperiosteal flap using various drills.
oÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Placement of a cover screw under the mucoperiosteal flap.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â In the second stage, approximately four months later, the following steps are needed for the abutment connection. This stage involves reopening the mucosa over each implant and placing a temporary healing screw into each implant. This screw will protrude through the mucosa provide easy access to the implants while new denture is being made.
The ball and socket attachments are screwed into the respective implants after removing the healing screws. The female component (sockets) is fixed into the marked and relieved locations in the fitting surface of the lower denture by means of cold cure acrylic resin.Â
Â Criteria for success of implants:-
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â The individual unattached implant remains immobile when tested clinically.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â No evidence of radiolucency around the implant is found on undistorted radiographs.
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â The mean vertical bone loss around the implant does not exceed 0.2mm annually after the first year of service.
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â No persistent pain or discomfort is attributable to the implant.
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â The implant design does not preclude placement of a prosthesis that is esthetically satisfactory to both patient and dentist.
6.Â Â Â Â Â Â In the context of the foregoing criteria, an individual implant success rate of 85% at the end of a 5year observation period and of 80% at the end of a 10 year period is the minimum level for success.

A Fore Sight To Good Oral Health

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:39:46 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

Healthy teeth and gums are essentials of a sweet smile. They not only improve your personality but also help in digestion by breaking the food into tiny particles.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â As goes the saying - Healthy teeth in a healthy body, it becomes all the more important to keep our 32 intact. Our oral cavity is a house of numerous micro organisms. Although these micro organisms are harmless , if we are careless in cleaning our teeth and take too much of refined sugars , these tiny bacteria convert the residual food particles sticking to the teeth into acids which in turn creates cavities in them. This is what we call Dental caries. The patient is unaware of this internal digging going on. It is when there is a feeling of hot & cold sensation or severe pain and if not treated in time leading to swelling, the disease becomes a big problem for the patient as well as for the Doctor. If the carious tooth is filled in initial stage it is better but if the disease has reached the pulp or the area beyond roots, root canal treatment should be done.Â Â Â Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Another havoc that may result from improper brushing is Pyorrhea - pus in gums. A disease prevalent in 98% of Indian population. It starts as a small film called plaque on the surface of the teeth. Slowly the plaque calcifies and this calcified deposit is called calculus. The patient complains of a bad breath, bleeding while brushing and sometimes mild pain. The bacteria present in the calculus forms pus in the gums. The gums reseed from the teeth and the bone underneath resorbs. At this stage there is no way out but to extract them.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Another very common problem is irregular arrangement of your teeth — over riding, gaping etc. The architecture of your teeth depends to a large extent on your parents i.e. it is hereditary but there are so many factors which can cause this defect. Some of them are - habits of nail biting, thumb sucking, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting etc. Thumb sucking leads to outward protrusion of teeth, mouth breathing causes development of teeth with a high arch. So it is never too late if these mal practices are controlled earlier and if the teeth need realignment/correction get them wired at proper age with a fixed or removable appliance.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The restoration of your lost or broken teeth has become quite an easy task with the help of modern technology. So you need not hide your face when you smile. Crown and bridge, cast partial denture, implants etc. are few modalities which help in restoring your missing teeth and if you need to improve your smile , the arrangement of your front teeth can be made more esthetic by selective addition or grinding of tooth colored composite filling materials. This is what called cosmetic smile designing and believe me dramatic improvement can be achieved in smile with the judicious use of these latest bonding, U. V. light cured, tooth colored materials.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Prevention is better than cure so proper cleaning of teeth is all the more important. Neem stick is a good choice - most of our population uses it. No doubt it gives exercise to our teeth and neem extract has been scientifically proven to be very good for teeth and gums. But cleaning of residual food in between the teeth is not very effective with neem stick. So there is no substitute for a thorough regular brushing. Brushing after every meal is essential. While you clean your teeth remember your upper teeth need brushing strokes from above down wards while the lower teeth need the strokes below upwards. This cleans your 32 properly and when bristles of the tooth brush start coming out, it is best to discard it. Use of a chewed up brush is harmful for the gums.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â When you go to the market for buying your self a brush, keep certain points in mind. Never go for a hard brush or for a brush with a big head. The big one is unable to clean your back teeth and a hard one cuts the tooth near the gums leading to hot/cold sensation and those cuts need filling with tooth colored filling material. These days brushes with indicators are available which tells when to discard the brush.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Now just proper cleaning wonâ€™t help. You have to have some control on what you eat. As far as children are concerned too much of sweets, biscuits, toffees, sugary foods should be avoided. If they want to have it, it should be immediately after the meal followed by a thorough brushing. Remember snacks should be avoided. If they are taken, you must brush or at least rinse your mouth. Fibrous fruits like apple,Â sugar cane etc. play an important role in cleaning of teeth.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Now we know what to eat and what to avoid. We have a brush; we know how to use it. But what about the paste. Yes, it is important too. Even though oil salt mixture is good enough, if used with a brush any fluoride tooth paste is recommended as topical fluoride gets absorbed from the surface of the tooth and it makes resistant to tooth decay. But if water fluoride level of a particular area is more than optimum, use of fluoride tooth paste or any form of topical fluoride application is contraindicated. As in these areas excess of fluoride in water causes flourishes which manifests as chalky white, yellowish or brownish pigmentation of the teeth. Uses of additional cleaning aids like Dental floss, water pick, inter dental tooth brushes are recommended. If your teeth show white deposits and they do not go off by brushing, consult your dentist and get them cleaned. This is what we call scaling of teeth and scaling does not lead to loosening of your teeth as is the old notion.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â So donâ€™t neglect your teeth, they are also an important part of our body. Old days of extraction of teeth are over. They are our precious possession and should be saved for as long as possible.

Cosmetic Smile Designing

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:45:18 +0000

Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

We live in a beauty conscious society. No wonder, the smile on the face adds to oneâ€™s charms & beauty but it has a more important role of improving oneâ€™s self image. It is rightly said that smile is a curve that sets everything straight.Â
Not all of the â€˜beautiful peopleâ€™ are born that way however. Many have helped nature along by taking advantage of Plastic surgery as well as Cosmetic Dentistry. If you are one of those who hate to smile because your teeth are crowded, chipped, misshapen or discoloured, stop worrying. There are new techniques available with your Dentist that can make them pictureÂ perfect.Â

Bonding : Bonding restores teeth that have suffered damage such as chips/fractures, are with gaps and that are discoloured or misaligned. Strong durable tooth coloured plastic resins are used to rebuild the teeth and make them look normal. Addition of composites i.e. tooth coloured filling material can recontour and redesign your smile dramatically.Â

Laminates/Porcelain Veneers : Porcelain Veneers are hard tooth shaped shells which are adhered or cemented on surface of prepared teeth to correct discoloured, damaged/crooked teeth, to close gaps between teeth and also to lengthen short teeth.Â

Bleaching : Use of soft flexible trays with bleaching agents for night wear to lighten stains due to tea, coffee, tobacco, food and age. A brighter whiter and pleasant smile can be achieved.Â

Cosmetic Gum RecontouringÂ :Â Some people are plagued with a â€˜Gummy Smileâ€™; where too much of gums are seen when they smile. Gums are recontoured/repositioned for a wider, friendlier and a more open smile.Â

Microabrasion : Removal of small layers of enamel to eliminate minor defects/spots.Â

Cosmetic tooth Recontouring : Many people of all ages have irregularly shaped tooth edges, bulky teeth or worn off edges. Assuming there are no functional problems with the teeth fitting together, teeth can be reshaped or recontoured to look smooth and natural.Â

So have a beautiful smile, it improves your face value !

Dental Caries

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:41:45 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

Dental Caries is the most prevalent chronic disease among children in the global scenario.Â There are practically no geographic areas in the world whose inhabitants donâ€™t exhibit some evidence of Dental Caries.
Â Early recognition of the disease is of vital importance.Â This is needed in order to prevent the disease and pain so as to make oral health services more relevant in the health. The age old saying, â€œPrevention is better then cureâ€ assumes significance in this regard.Â
Keeping in view the ongoing trend of increase in prevalence of Dental Caries among school going children, Dr. Sanjay Kalra organized free Dental health check-up camps in various school of Panchkula.Â The camps were aimed at making the children aware of their oro-dental health and educating them about the process of Dental Caries and motivating them about daily oral hygiene through slide presentations and live demonstrations.Â Simultaneously a study of prevalence of Dental Caries among school going children in various schools of Panchkula was carried out.Â

A total of 2216 children belonging to both the sexes were examined and diagnosis of caries was made using the criterion as laid down by the W.H.O.
The childrenâ€™s were grouped in categories based upon their age.Â Study also noted the prevalence based upon socio-economic status.Â Children below 9-10 years of age were found to be most affected by caries. Percentage of caries being 77.54% the lowest caries incidence was recorded in 5-6 years of age group i.e. 52.94% followed by age group. of 12-13years i.e. 59.22%.Â

Increase in prevalence in 9-10 years can be attributed to longer exposure time of the Deciduous teeth i.e. milk teeth to the oral environment. The fall of prevalence in 12-13 years of age group may be due to increased awareness about the cleaning of teeth with advancing age along with improved manual Dexterity.Â Study also reveals that the permanent dentition is less susceptible to caries than the primary dentation.Â

The study noted the prevalence of dental caries among the children belonging to different socio-economic strata, considering the fact that the childrenâ€™s from MC school are from families belonging to lower socio-economic gp of society.Â Caries prevalence of children studying in MC school is higher than the children in public and convent schools. This can be due to the difference in the oral hygiene status and nutritional deficiencies and also because the cost factor limit the childrenâ€™s of lower socio-economic strata to undergo periodic dental check-up.Â

As has been stated earlier the early recognition of the disease is of vital importance.Â Early intervention for better health depends on early identification. Timely detection is essential to alert both parents and health care professionals to the need for appropriate action.Â Treatment of dental caries has been identified as critical to both oral and general health.
Periodic dental health check-ups are must.Â A dental check-up every 6-month can help in early detection and treatment of caries.Â This is needed in order to prevent the disease and pain associated with advanced carious lessons.Â

The parents must take a lead in this regard, as they should accept responsibility for the oral hygiene status of the children.Â The caries situation in children is compatible with the fact that young children with their habit of consuming sweet and sugery articles are more prone to develop dental caries. Thus parents should not wait for pain occur before they consult the dentist, but should go for regular dental check-ups, which may prevent any painful experience in future.

How The Face Changes ?

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:56:13 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

In your lifetime you have seen the faces of thousands of people and each face is recognizable to you as distinctively individual. Consider, relatively how few parts compose a face â€“ a lower jaw and a chin, cheek bones, a mouth and an upper jaw, a nose and two orbits. Add a forehead and supraorbital ridges for the neuroeranial parts of the face. Amazing how so few components underline such a great variation in the facial form! A very sight alteration in the configuration of any part can make a substantial difference in the appearance and character of oneâ€™s face as a whole.Â

â€œThe human faceâ€ , a dynamic growing part of the human body, can have growth aberration because of heredity and environmental reasons. The cleft-clip-and-palate is one such common growth aberration and requires a comprehensive management protocol, based on the individual presentation.Â

In a team approach towards the management of the cleft-lip-and-palate patients, the team includes:Â

A plastic surgeon.Â
A dental specialist (paedodontist, orthodontist, prosthodontist).Â
Speech pathologist.Â

They have a true peer relationship with shared interaction aimed at achieving the optimul result for the patient.Â

The plastic surgeon is usually the first to be seen when a child is born with cleft deformity. He gives information about the morphology, tissue reaction, tolerance and the timing of the elective surgical procedures. He alleviates the parents fear about their child, reassuring them that their child would be a normal being. Although he may require a number of surgical procedure till he reaches adulthood. The number of survical procedure will vary depending on the childâ€™s presentation. However, these procedures are well tolerated by them without any detrimental effect.Â

As the team surgeons and head, he follows the patients longitudinally and is involved with the patients from birth to adulthood. His primary function are lip repair, closure of alveolar cleft (cleft in the gums), secondary palatal and pharyngeal procedures and later surgical improvements in the lip and the nose. Some children may even require movement of the jaws to improve the profile, which is also undertaken by him. All the above procedures are timed to maximize the possibility of attaining adequate structure function and the appearance for normal physiological and psychological development.Â

The interaction of the plastic surgeon and the dental specialist begins early. A variety of dental problems may be found in the patient cleft lip and palate. These range from trivial dental rotations to major dentoskeletal dysharmonies. Some of these deformities are due to the cleft malformation whereas others are secondary deformities resulting from specific management options taken in childhood. Working as a team having close interaction, the incident of secondary deformities is reduced.Â

After the alignment of the arch of the upper jaw, the alveolar cleft (cut in the gums) is closed allowing the normal teeth to erupt through the repaired cleft area. Such a procedure if not done, leads to improper teeth eruption and the loss of good healthy teeth. Progressive orthodontics allows for the proper alignment of the teeth in the upper jaw, obviating the need for prosthetic teeth replacement later.Â

It continues through out the growing period in consideration with occlusal factors, and primary and secondary dentition. In some cases, a combination of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) is necessary to correct the deformity i.e. normalize the dentition, the facial skeleton and the appearance.Â

In his relationship with the orthodontist, the speech pathologist has specific information to offer. When orthodontic appliances are necessary for management, they must be planned so as not to interfere with the speakers articulation.Â

In consultation with the surgeon, the speech pathologist/therapist should emphasis the complete primary physical management that should be accomplished before the age of three years to enable each child to develop adequate speech and language and to avoid the frequent cleft palate stigmata. His/her primary responsibility to the team lies in the deep assessment of velar adequacy for speech. He/she emphasises on three methods of obtaining information â€“ direct testing, information response and examiner observation. With the information obtained by these tests, the cleft-lip-and-palate child is given specific therapy.Â

The child may have voice problems along with impaired articulation. There will be excessive nasality, i.e. hypernasality and the person may seem to be speaking through his nose. The speech seem to be punctuated by the little â€œcatches of the breathâ€. Some may have delayed language development, i.e. show in the development of the vocabulary and the length of utterance. His goal of treating a cleft-lip-and-palate child is to decrease the nasal emission, the hypernasality, the defective articulation, the improvement of adequate oral pressure and oral airflow, the elimination of abnormal foci of tension, the abnormal nostril contraction, etc.e.Â

In conclusion, as evident from the above discussion, the cleft-lip-and-palate child requires comprehensive treatment as he or she grows into adulthood. This is best achieved through a team approach, having a close and possitive interaction between the team members, striving to give their best to this unfortunate group.Â

By: Dr. Y. KaplashÂ

Photography

Nishkam Chatrath — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:49:17 +0000

A photography career offers you the opportunity to create unique art and work in a rewarding profession. As a photographer, you will require an aesthetic sense as well as technical expertise. As a successful photographer you will possess a host of qualities: creativity, good communication skills, and an ability to translate original ideas into fantastic images that really have an impact.Â

A photography career offers you exciting job prospects and career options, with a variety of opportunities in different fields. For those of you that enjoy working with the elderly, children, or even pets, a career in studio portraits and studio photography may be the path for you to follow.Â

If you are a creative person who enjoys fashion, sports, architecture and the fast pace of the ever-changing events of our hectic world today, then why not try the exciting world of photojournalism?Â

To become a successful photographer it takes hard work and dedication. This profession is constantly changing due to technological advances. The fast pace of this career demands that you are ready and willing to meet the needs of your clients and produce the right images your audience requires. If you enjoy taking photographs, then this career is an exciting, challenging and a truly rewarding profession to explore.

http://www.adigitaldreamer.comÂ

Animation History Timeline

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:08:34 +0000

Animation history really starts with the production of Emile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie in France in 1908. The animation timeline then starts to progress with several films being produced during the next twenty years;Â

Gertie the Dinosaur, produced by Winsor McCay and distributed to commercial movie theaters in 1914 being a land mark during this period.

Â Â

In the 1920s and 1930s Warners, MGM and Disney studios developed cartoon techniques, producing more and more sophisticated cartoons using traditional animation techniques of producing complex backgrounds and then imposing moving figures on them with celluloid, a transparent film.Â

Disney was especially innovative, adding sound in 1928 and producing the first full length animated film in 1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Â Computer animation started to change animation techniques and animation history during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, the Star Trek Film “the Wrath of Khan used computer animation techniques to generate the Genesis Effect scene.Â

The 1990s saw the beginning of the impact of computer animation, with different techniques being developed from Toy Story, the first computer animated feature, Babe, a combination of live and computer animated effects and the formation of Dream Works. This animation timeline continues in the new millennium with Shrek and Shrek2, The Lord of the Rings, and many more to follow.

http://www.adigitaldreamer.comÂ

Bad Breath Halitosis

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:38:37 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Implantology]] & [[Cosmetic Dentist]]

Have you experienced any of the following?
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Your bad breath is interfering with your social or professional success.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You frequently have a bad taste in your mouth.
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â People step back from you when you are talking to them, or they avoid direct contact with you.
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Somebody has commented on your bad breath, or offered you mints or chewing gum.
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You experience a white or yellow film on your tongue.

If you answered yes to any of the above you likely have a chronic bad breath problem
Bad breath, sometimes called halitosis, is an unpleasant odor of the breath.
Causes
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â There are a number of different causes of bad breath, but poor dental hygiene is the most common.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Strongly flavoured foods such as garlic, onion and spices produce a smell
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Strong smelling drinks, including alcohol and coffee, can also cause bad breath.
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dry mouth (xerostomia)
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Infections of the throat nose and lungs
6.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sinusitis
7.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Bronchitis
8.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Diabetes
9.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Liver or kidney problems
10.Â Â Â Â Gastritis and food reflux
11.Â Â Â Â Smoking
12.Â Â Â Â Low carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet.
Diagnosis
The easiest way to determine if one has bad breath is to ask someone who is trustworthy and discrete. This is usually not too difficult.Another,more private, method of determining if one has bad breath is to lick oneâ€™s wrist, wait until it dries, then smell the area. Scraping the rear area of the tongue with a plastic spoon, then smelling the spoon is another method one can use to assess bad breath.
Treatment
The simplest and most effective treatment is usually to improve your dental hygiene. Your dentist is likely to recommend that you brush your teeth and gums with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. Use dental floss to clean between your teeth and remove any trapped food that could cause tooth decay. Your dentist may also suggest daily rinsing with an anti-bacterial or anti-odour mouthwash before sleeping.
Preventive measures
1.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Try cutting down on strongly flavored or spicy food. Reducing your alcohol intake and stop smoking.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Use a tongue cleaner and clean right to the back of the tongue.
3.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Drink plenty of fluids, clean your mouth after eating milk products, fish and meat.
4.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chew sugar- free gum after eating and if your mouth feels dry.
5.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Avoid sugary snacks between meals, which increase bacteria in the mouth.
6.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Visit your dentist regularly and have your teeth professionally cleaned as required.

Dental Health, Disease And Diagnosis

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:36:08 +0000

Â Posted By : Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]]Â & [[ Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Dentistry has evolved itself dramatically in the twentieth century. The present day dentistry is painless, sophisticated, cleaner and advanced than before. It is accurate, faster and easier due to computerization of dental equipments.Â

Healthy teeth and gums are essentials of sweet smile. They not only improve your personality but also help in digestion by breaking food into tiny particles. Our oral cavity in house of numerous micro organism and improper care and erratic brushing may create havoc. Dental caries, bleeding gums, pus in gum, loose teeth etc. can lead to big problems if you don’t visit a dentist in time. Habits like nail biting, thumb suking, mouth breathing etc. can lead to irregular arrangement of teeth which not only make your smile irregular but cause difficulty while speaking and eating. Accidents while playing or on roads can lead to broken teeth, fractured jaws etc.Â

But you need not worry. Dental diagnostics has come a long way with. OPG aids in accurate diagnosis of hidden proximal caries, bone loss, impacted teeth in a single film. RVG is a useful aid in endodontic practice which is no more a blind procedure now.Â

Missing teeth can not only be replaced by bridges, dentures, crown but a single tooth implant works exactly like a natural tooth. Restoration of carious teeth is no longer done with silver amalgam but with composite white fillings, which are stronger,Â natural and last longer. It is also used in designing smiles for irregular teeth, spaces between teeth or fractured teeth.Â

Jwellery of teeth in back in fashion. The Diamonds can sparkle your smile without beingÂ painlessÂ and inexpensive.Â Â

Surgical procedures like bone augmentation and bone grafting can strengthen the mobile teeth and add life to them.Â

Diversification in the field of dentistry has led to multidisciplinary appraoch in dental practice, where various dental specialist work together for benefit ofÂ the patient.Â

Research continues and who know in times to come, body’s own cells can be grown in the lab and we could even have our own teeth grown for replacement.

The 5 Laws of Successful Career Search

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:52:02 +0000

by Paul Hastings

Â The following is just a short summary of the necessary steps to achieve job success. A good Career Development Plan will fill in the essential details to reach the goal of fulfilling your work potential.Â

Be prepared to put in effort. The first law for anyone embarking on a new career search is that it takes effort. There is no shortcut, although many tools can make the task easier and quicker. But the key, is to remember there is a goal: fulfilling and rewarding work that could last a lifetime. What is it worth to put in effort now that will pay dividends in the years ahead? Experts say we could change our careers five times during our working lives. Which number are you on now? If this is your first, the second will be easier if you get the process right this time.Â
Get to know yourself. We may need to take some form of aptitude test, interest inventory, or personality test to determine our aptitudes and abilities. These are the tools that make life much easier at this stage of your life, although they are no substitute for the effort required to fulfill the objective. They are a necessary part of the process.Â

We need to know our strengths and weaknesses, interest areas, likes and dislikes, work environment preferences, stress factors, personality traits, social factors (how we respond in any given work-situation), and many more areas that can be discovered in taking an aptitude or personality questionnaire. Getting to know yourself is vital to take your unique personality and character, and match it up with suitable and appropriate work.Â

Develop a career plan. Identify your next career steps. To start off, review the studies from No. 2. It is essential to know who you are, and what sort of job you’re looking for. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else. Define the job objective clearly and concisely. Do you need further education or retraining? Where will you market yourself? Will you need to relocate to attain the job of your choice? You will need to prepare marketing tools (resume, cover letters, business cards); do you have a current resume that describes all of your experience and skills?Â

Don’t forget that you are in control now. No more drifting into whatever comes along. You can say: â€œThis is what I want to do, and I’ll move heaven and earth to get it!â€ You need to write out a plan, mapping out logical steps leading from where you are now, to where you expect to be in six months, a year, five years.Â Another very important thing to consider at this stage, is whether you are prepared for obstacles. Life does not consist of smooth, straight roads devoid of bumps or corners. Get mentally prepared for the long haul, even though we may get lucky and secure the perfect position early on in your campaign.Â

Put your plans into action. Action requires self-discipline and organization. You are embarking upon a marketing campaign, to secure for yourself a position that will allow you to achieve your fullest potential in the job market. The steps mentioned in No. 3 need to be in place at this juncture.Â

Executing your plan now requires action. You need to employ drive — prod yourself to accomplish your goals. Set targets to be achieved in a certain time frame. Do whatever is necessary to achieve the goalÂ

Regularly review your career progress. This last step cannot be overemphasized. Review all the steps you have taken and assess whether or not you are on course or off track. Sometimes revision is necessary to meet the needs of both yourself and the job market.Â

Getting feedback from potential employers can assist you in this very important area. Listening to feedback helps us to sharpen our efforts and be ready for action. Does your resume impress a human resources manager or hiring manager? Are your cover letters concise and to the point? Is your overall marketing strategy proving to be effective in securing interviews?Â Lastly, are you making sufficient progress in our plans, or do you need more support? Sometimes it helps to talk these things over with a professional counselor, or even a friend. An objective point of view helps you to see things from a different perspective, and can encourage us to literally launch ourselves into more action with tremendous energy. Never be put off by apparent lack of success. Persistence is the key here. Keep going, and a rewarding and fulfilling career can be yours.Â

Among his credentials, Paul Hastings is a Certificated Professional Career Consultant. His past experience includes: employment counselor, job search consultant, work experience coordinator, career development consultant, mental health services professional, and a published writer. Paul Hastings Consulting Group, situated in Victoria, BC, Canada, has been involved in Human Resources work for over a decade, working in the field of career development with clients from all walks of life. For more information on a Career Plan, Interest Inventories, or aptitude testing, Contact: Paul Hastings Consulting Group for more help. Copyright Paul Hastings Consulting Group.

www.quintcareers.com

Building Your Career Portfolio: Four Career Investments for a Purposeful Lifetime

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:50:20 +0000

by Carol A. Poore

Â “When I was laid off, I was shaking so badly that I didn’t know whether I could drive home,” said Kristin, 32, a mother of three who lost a public relations job. “My heart was pounding and I felt disassociated, like the whole thing was a bad dream.”Â Â After working at the same company for five years, David, 36, was escorted out of his building after being informed that the company was heading in a new direction and no longer needed his type of skills.Â Shock, rootlessness and anger are just a few normal responses many feel when they lose their jobs to corporate downsizing. Since the national crisis on Sept. 11, the U.S. Dept. of Labor states that jobless claims are approaching 700,000 across the U.S. — the highest in nearly a decade.Â

Â How can you mitigate career risk — otherwise known as the pitfalls of marketplace change, economic turndowns, downsizing, personal health and life changes, and distasteful company politics that can wreck havoc with one’s life?Â The answer lies in building aÂ CareerPortfolioâ„¢, a career risk management approach, similar to building a financial portfolio, that can help you develop four, specific career assets, or “investments.” Why four? Because these four ingredients offer a well-balanced opportunity for you to earn, learn, and help others throughout the rest of your life. And, like a financial portfolio, you can diversify risk so that you always have a number of career options on tap.Â Begin with a Personal Purpose
To build a CareerPortfolio, start by developing your personal purpose. Your personal purpose is your investment strategy that guides all of your career decisions.Â Begin by answering the following questions.Â Â

How would I like to be remembered 100 years from now?Â Â
What am I passionate about?Â Â
Two projects when I made a difference in recent years are (list them):Â Â

Now think about the big picture and write down the purpose of your life by filling in the blank: The purpose of my life is to____________________________.Â You can revise your personal purpose statement as needed. It will help you decide what types of opportunities are worth pursuing. You will become purposeful rather than just “busy.”Â Develop Your CareerPortfolioâ„¢
Now, it’s time to assess the kinds of career assets you either may want to develop. If you have two or more of the following career assets working in your life, you will be building optimal career wealth over time.Â Â

Primary Income Investment — your job, or business that you own, where the majority of your financial income is earned.Â Â
Secondary Income Investment — an optional, alternate source of income that allows you to gain additional knowledge, career options, income, and sense of purpose. Not everyone is destined to own a business. However, those who choose to develop a business or occasional side project can start out small, and grow the business over time.Â Â
Volunteer Investment — finding one or more ways to reach out to your community in a way that is meaningful to you. When volunteerism supports your personal purpose, you can gain new skills and meet valuable new contacts, all while making a difference in your world.Â Â
Lifelong Learning Investment — including mentorship, focused reading and education.Â Â

Once you identify your desired career assets, you can put together a step-by-step plan for building your CareerPortfolio. Your overall life goals, available time, the ability to balance work and family, and stage of your life all should factor into your decision-making.Â A CareerPortfolio in [[ Phoenix ]]
Pam Overton, partner in the national law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Attorneys at Law, has built a CareerPortfolio comprising three major career investments: Primary, Volunteer, and Lifelong Learning.Â Pam’s personal purpose is to excel at her career, while supporting her family and placing them as her No. 1 priority. Her purpose includes having a strong charitable and spiritual life to add perspective and balance.Â Her Primary Income Investment is her litigation practice, which focuses on complex [[ litigation ]], business torts, breach of contract and condemnation matters. In this role, Pam won the Golden Heart of Business Award in 2000. She also was recognized by Today’s Arizona Woman Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Business Women in the State of Arizona” for two consecutive years.Â

Pam’s Volunteer Investments include serving on the board of directors for Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping women who need assistance in career, financial and life skills to better their futures. This board of powerful community movers and shakers provides Pam an opportunity to learn leadership skills, provide value to the organization, and learn more about community issues.Â Pam’s additional Volunteer Investments include supporting cancer and heart research and development. She has dedicated many fundraising hours at All Saints’ Episcopal Day School where her children attend school, integrating volunteer service with family life.Â For Lifelong Learning Investments, Pam is a member of several lawyer’s professional associations and has served on the Arizona State Bar’s Ethics Committee, sharing and gaining insight which ultimately benefits her clients.Â “All of these career investments add valuable perspective to my career and bring opportunities to learn and build lasting friendships,” Pam said.Â

Pam reviews her career investments periodically to ensure balance, as she and her husband raise their three children.Â Â

If you have two or more CareerPortfolio assets in place, you will be far more flexible and confident to face future career changes. Regardless of your age or place in life, it’s never too late to build a purposeful and rewarding CareerPortfolio

.Â Â

Carol A. Poore is the author of Building Your Career Portfolio (The Career Press, Inc., 2001). Active in the Phoenix-area’s business community, she is director of communication at New West Energy, a subsidiary of SRP. Building Your Career Portfolio is available at local Borders Bookstores, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, www.careerpress.com, www.amazon.com, and www.b&n.com. For speaking and workshop information, contact Carol at cp@careerportfolio.net.

www.quintcareers.com

Â

Â

Build a More Meaningful Career

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:47:36 +0000

by Robin RyanÂ

Copyright Â© 2003 by Robin RyanÂ

11,000 days. Thatâ€™s the number of days youâ€™ll probably work over your lifetime. Youâ€™ll likely have six or seven career changes and 11 or 12 jobs in total. You may be wondering if you need a change now.Â

30 million people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings permeate their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. They may lack the know-how to change, may be afraid of leaving the security of a paycheck, or have a hundred excuses for why itâ€™s okay to be so dissatisfied and stay at their job.Â

There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Taking a passion and making it your career — living a dream — can be not just a wish, but a true and certain reality. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:Â

Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself — What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.Â

Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.Â

Others have done it and so can you. Sometimes itâ€™s easy to forget that we can change if we really want to. Although she was a prominent lawyer, my client Sarah was dissatisfied in her work, and glad to take a few years off to have two children. She told me she hated â€œpracticing law.â€ She found it boring, yet she felt enormous guilt at abandoning a career she spent years training for and made great money in. We worked together, focusing on her real interests and natural talents. Sarah landed a terrific new job as an executive director for a nonprofit organization. She leads others, influences policies, develops programs, and is a very happy person. â€œI even make a great salary, but I love my job so much, Iâ€™d do this for free,â€ she said.Â

Make a decision. Many people flounder for years and never turn their dreams into reality. They let themselves remain in a negative or stuck place. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. The only thing at stake is your happiness. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so donâ€™t wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life.

Robin Ryan has appeared on the “Dr. Phil Show,” “Oprah,” “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” CNN, and CNBC and is considered Americaâ€™s top career coach. She is the best-selling author of 60 Seconds & Youâ€™re Hired!, Winning ResumÃ©s, Winning Cover Letters, and What to Do with the Rest of Your Life. Sheâ€™s the creator of the highly acclaimed audio training program Interview Advantage and The DreamMaker. Robinâ€™s passion is helping people find better jobs, which she successfully does through her career counseling practice in which she offers individual career-coaching and resumÃ©-writing services. A popular national speaker, Robin has spoken to more than 1,000 audiences on improving their lives and obtaining greater success. To purchase her books and audio training programs, go to her Webiste: RobinRyan.com. To contact Robin email her at RobinRyan@aol.com or phone her at 425.226.0414.

http://www.quintcareers.com

Why Replace A Missing Tooth ?

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:27:37 +0000

Posted By:Â Dr.Sanjay Kalra, MDS(prostho), [[Â Implantology ]]Â & [[Â Cosmetic Dentist ]]Â

Â

Most of the times people get their tooth removed and fail to get it replaced especially if it is on the back side. This happens because most of the people are unaware of the harmful effects of the vacant space created by the loss of a tooth.

The major problems that occur if missing teeth are not replaced :
I. Losing teeth â€œTwo for oneâ€
If a molar (back tooth) is extracted in the lower jawÂ and not replaced, the tooth opposite to it in the upper jaw loses its function because it no longer has a tooth to chew against. â€œTherefore losing one tooth can result in the loss of the use of two â€œ and so on.

Â II. Esthetics -Â A missing front tooth looks very bad and adversely effects a personâ€™s smile.

III. Overeruption -If a back tooth is missing the tooth opposite to it tends to over erupt (move further in mouth) into the space created by the void.

IV. Pocket formation and bone loss - Due to over eruption and tilting of the opposite tooth is very difficult to clean the area leading to deposits and inflammation of gums. A space is created between the gums and teeth which is called a pocket. Constant food lodging into the pockets leads to infection and bone loss making the tooth very weak and more prone to decay due to insufficient cleaning.
V. Adjoining teeth tend to move into the space created due to tooth loss. This movement leads to imbalance and loss of proper occlusion. It can further lead to difficultly in chewing, pain in TMJ, headache etc.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

These problem never arise if the missing teeth are replaced immediately. Missing teeth can be replaced by

Â

I) A fixed bridge

II) A removable partial denture or

III) A dental Implants- Tooth in an hour

I) Fixed bridge -In this method the adjacent two teeth of the missing area are reduced in size and covered along with the missing span. This requires unnecessary loss of sound tooth structure.

II) Removable Partial DentureÂ Â Â - A plate is made containing the missing tooth/ or teeth, which takes the support from the gums. It has to be cleaned after every meal, is of removable type and not very difficult to maintain.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â .

Â III) Implant (Titanium Metal)Â -Â Â Â Â This is the latest technique used to replace missing teeth. It is a minor surgical procedure in which a small hole is drilled inside the bone. An implant is placed (screw like structure) and the flap is closed, after 3-4 months an artificial tooth is placed over the implant, which has become a part of the bone and stays life long, No harm comes to the adjoining tooth and the tissues.

Implant can be done immediately after extraction. Now a days artificial tooth made up of ceramic material which is almost of some hardness as of the natural tooth is loaded overÂ implant immediately.

So if any of one of you have a missing teeth get it replaced right away and enjoy the full functional efficiency of your teeth.

Great Teeth : The Status Symbol For The New Millennium

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:14:30 +0000

Â Posted By: Dr. SanjayÂ Kalra,Â Â MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]] & [[Â Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Youâ€™ve often admired people with great teeth. Teeth like that seems like sparkling white jewels, all looking, fitting, and working together perfectly.

Some people are just â€œborn that wayâ€. Everyone else, including movie stars and other â€œ beautiful peopleâ€, have had help to beautify their smile, just as plastic surgeons have endowed them with better than perfect bodies.

The important factor that influences the quality of [[dentistry]] is lifespan. Not too long ago, you needed your teeth only for about 60 years or so. Now weâ€™re living longer and our teeth need to last us a good 20 years more. Indeed, the lasting quality of what goes into your mouth is a serious concern. Quality- Oriented dentists no longer focus on â€œdrill and fill, patch and bill.â€ Rather, the dentist studies carefully the health of your gums and support bones, how your teeth fit together and what can be done to keep your teeth healthy for years to come.

Where once a silver filing would do, there are now composites that match tooth color. Stainless steel crowns have been replaced by porcelain crowns, artistically matched so that they are indistinguishable from your natural teeth. And with bleaching and veneers, who needs to live with discolored or dingy teeth ? Tooth jewelling can add a sparkle to your smile through bonding of diamonds on tooth enamel.

You donâ€™t have to wait for weeks to get your missing teeth replaced. Immediate implant insertion and loading of tooth crown can give you back the esthetic & functional smile in an hour.

Microscopic Endodontics has illuminated the blind procedure of Root Canal Treatment thus increasing success rate in tooth saving.

Bone expansion & bone grafting surgeries give life & hope to receding jaw bonesÂ due to chronic gum disease & advancing age. These procedures not only help in better osseo integration but also retention of dental prosthesis.

Invisible braces / lingual Orthodontics can correct the irregular and ugly duckling smile by wires and braces, which are not visible and give excellent correction. They are good substitute to old TINCAN smile.

Now get ready to evaluate the possibilities for perfection. Dentistry in India offers the latest modalities in treatment right from conservation to cosmetics, so that you can flash a great smile always.

Facts And Myths About Root Canal Treatment

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:13:11 +0000

Â Posted By: Dr. SanjayÂ Kalra,Â Â MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]]Â & [[ Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Once upon a time, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, you’d probably lose that tooth.Today, with a special dental procedure called a root canal therapy you may save that tooth.Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If the dentist does notÂ remove the infected pulp, your tooth gets infected and beomes painful and you could lose it. After the dentist removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and medicated and then sealed off with gutta percha.To protect it then your dentist places a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.

FREQUENTLYÂ ASKED Â QUESTIONS?
Â
What is root [[ canal treatment ]]?
Your dentist uses root canal treatment to find the cause and then treats the problem of the tooth’s soft core (the dental pulp).Years ago, teeth with diseased or injured pulps were removed. Today, root canal treatment has given dentists a safe way of saving teeth.
Â
What is the [[ dental pulp ]]?
The pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. It lies within the tooth and extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the root in the bone of the jaws.
Â
What happens if the [[ pulp ]]Â gets injured?
Â When the pulp is diseased or injured,it can’t repair itself & it dies. The most common cause of pulp death is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity. Both of these problems can let germs (bacteria) enter the pulp. Germs can cause an infection inside the tooth. Left without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip, in the jawbone, forming a “pus-pocket” called an abscess. An abscess can cause damage to the bone around the teeth.
Â
Why does the pulp need to be removed?
When the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling can result. Certain byproducts of the infection can injure your [[ jaw ]]Â bones. Without treatment, your tooth may have to be removed.
Â
What does treatment involve?
Treatment often involves from one to three visits.
First, an opening is made through the crown of the tooth.
Now a days theÂ dentist can see inside the [[ root canal ]]Â with a dental microscope and work at high magnification to deliver the best treatment.
An opening is made through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber.
The pulp is then removed.The root canal(s) is cleaned and shaped to a form that can be filled.
The pulp is removed, and the root canals are cleaned, enlarged and shaped.
[[ Medications ]]Â may be put in the pulp chamber and root canal(s) to help get rid of germs and prevent infection.
A temporary filling will be placed in the crown opening to protect the tooth between dental visits. Your dentist may leave the tooth open for a few days to drain. You might also be given medicine to help control infection that may have spread beyond the tooth.
The pulp chamber and root canals are filled and sealed.
The temporary filling is removed and the pulp chamber and root canal(s) are cleaned and filled.
In the final step, a gold or porcelain crown is usually placed over the tooth.Â

How long will the restored [[ tooth ]]Â last?
Your restored tooth could last a lifetime,if you continue to care for your teeth and gums.However,regular checkups are necessary. As long as the root(s) of a treated tooth are nourished by the tissues around it,your tooth will remain healthy.
Â
Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!
Dr Gurpreet Duggal
Dental Surgeon

Tooth Whitening

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:11:38 +0000

Â Posted By: Dr. SanjayÂ Kalra,Â Â MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]] & [[ Cosmetic Dentist ]]

Everyone is different. Just as our hair and skin colour vary, so does our teeth colour. Very few people have brilliant-white teeth.

American academy of cosmetic dentistry surveyed its memebership in 2001 in order to create an understanding of the demand for cosmetic dental procedures and the results were quite encouraging.Tooth whitening is the most common cosmetic service provided by dentists.

An estimated ten million Americans will spend a whopping 2 billion dollars on tooth whitening products and services this year. so in order to create growth in our practice, we also need to offer cosmetic procedures.

Before going into the details of the procedures of Tooth whitening, it is important to know the reason for staining of teeth and the mechanism of action of tooth whitening.

Traditionally stains have been removed for the last 100 years but the modern methods of stain removal are quite a few.Initially discovered by accident by an orthodontist named William Klusmier. He instructed a patient to use an oral antiseptic containing 10% Carbamide peroxide in an orthodontic positioner, to be worn during night time, in order to facilitate gum healing.

Following are the modern methods of stain removal

Toothpastes and Prophy pastes

Brush on whitening

Strips to stick on teeth

Over the counter Tooth Whitening Systems

Â Dentist assisted Tooth whitening systems

Bonding, VeneersÂ
Â

A lot of studies have been conducted on the safety of Tooth whitening agents and it has been found that they are absolutely safe to use. But some precautions need to be followed. The results are good and satisfying.

PIT AND SEALANTS

Dr. Sanjay Kalra — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 19:10:14 +0000

Â Posted By: Dr. SanjayÂ Kalra,Â Â MDS(prostho), [[ Implantology ]]Â & [[ Cosmetic Dentist ]]

What are Pit and [[ Fissure ]]Â Sealants?
Sealants are a safe and painless way of protecting your childâ€™s teeth from decay. A sealant is a protective plastic /composite coating which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing [[ decay]] .
How do Sealants Prevent Decay?
Sealant material bonds to the chewing surface of the back teeth forming a protective barrier covering the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surface. Decay-causing bacteria normally reside in these grooves and are difficult to remove with even the best of tooth brushing habits. By sealing the grooves, bacteria are not presentÂ in this susceptible area and henceprevent decay.
Which teeth should be [[ sealed ]]?
Sealants are only applied to the back teeth â€“ the molars and premolars. These are the teeth that have pits and fissures on their biting surfaces. Sealants are not meant for areas between the teeth or for the front teeth. Also, teeth that have decay or old fillings present are not sealed.

How are Sealants Applied?
Sealants are applied by a dental hygienist or dentist. First, the teeth to be treated are cleaned and polished. A mild acidic solution is placed on the chewing surface. This roughens the enamel surface to effectively bond with the sealant material. After rinsing and drying the tooth, the sealant material is flowed onto the tooth. Then the dental hygienist or dentist shines a bright light on the area for a few seconds. This light hardens the sealant instantly. Finally the bite is checked.

How long do Sealants Last?
With advances in dental technology and materials, properly applied [[ sealants ]]Â last for many years.

When should this be done?
Sealants are often applied as soon as the permanent teeth start to come through. This is usually between 6 and 7 years of age. The rest are usually sealed as soon as they appear which can be any time between 11 and 14 years of age.
Do Sealants replace the [[ Fluorides ]]?
The function of both the fluorides and sealants is to prevent the decay of tooth. Sealants are applied topically to only certain susceptible areas of the back teeth. Fluoride is used to prevent or reduce dental decay on all surfaces of all teeth. It is absorbed by the teeth most effectively during the developmental years and is retained in tooth enamel permanently.
Five ways to prevent tooth decay

Twice-daily brushing and flossing

Fluoride containing paste.

Pit and fissure sealants

Regular checkups and cleaning by dental professionals

[[ A balanced diet ]]

Multimedia Industry in India

virtualciti — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 18:32:46 +0000

[[ Multimedia ]] is an integration of IT, Communication and Media, a tool that makes communications interactive, immersive and powerful.

Like other software segments, the global need in Multimedia related industries is for trained manpower. India has emerged as one of the largest markets to produce such multimedia specialists and the world is coming to us today to equip their studios with our professionals, with their sound technical knowledge and strong fundamentals.

The Indian Entertainment Industry stands at over Rs. 19,700 crores (US$ 4,377 million). It is expected to grow in double digits- at 11 % compounded annually over the next five years. The key driver for the Entertainment Industry in next decade would be Technology. India with its vast pool of skilled IT manpower and creative storytellers, is poised to take a great leap from a mere outsourcing destination to the right full holder of [[ Intellectual ]] Property.

Indiaâ€™s animation sector is witnessing a major boom. Indian animation industry, according to National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), currently growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30 percent, is expected to touch 15 billion dollars by 2008. The domestic industry growth would be driven by more co-production deals and increasing development of intellectual properties in India. The total global animation production is expected to touch 70 billion dollars shortly.

India has also not been left untouched by this wave of [[ proliferation ]] of gaming as a popular form of entertainment. The electronic gaming industry is one of the fastest growing segments within the software industry, even bigger than the global film industry. An AC Nielsen report states that the Indian gaming market (minus mobile gaming) was expected to be worth $50 million by 2005 with $15 million likely to come from PC gaming and $35 million from console-based gaming.

Mobile gaming is fast emerging a rage in the wireless business. Gaming is gradually becoming a key element in operatorsâ€™ and content developersâ€™ strategies. Propelled by end-user demand, gaming is growing quickly as an increasing number of Indian consumers take advantage of wireless mobility to enjoy entertainment on the go.

â€œIndiaâ€™s mobile gaming market will touch about $336m by 2009, while 220 million people will be playing games on phones by 2009 generating billions for mobile companies,â€ according to market analysts, In-Stat/MDR. â€œThe Indian mobile-game business currently makes up about 5 percent of the global wireless market but itâ€™s growing fast,â€ the research further points out.

Currently online gaming constitutes around 14% of the total video gaming segment. This is predicted to go up to a staggering 45% by 2009.

To enable those interested in this burgeoning field to sculpt a career in the Games industry, Arena Multimedia and Arena Animation Academy has a well-researched, industry-relevant Course DAE, and a huge alumni base of over 200,000 creative people which has already been given rave reviews by games development companies such as Indiagames, Paradox Studios etc. as well as new Indian upcoming animation studios such as VirtualSoft
A quick glance at some New Age multimedia careers :

â€¢ Entertainment (Movies, TV)
â€¢ Education (Classroom Based Training, Web Based Training)
â€¢ Advertising (Print and TV Commercials)
â€¢ Engineering and Design
â€¢ Defence (VR simulations)
â€¢ Marketing and Business
â€¢ Interactive Multimedia & Web
â€¢ Mobile computing
â€¢ Gaming
â€¢ Print & Publishing
â€¢ Fashion and Interior Designing
â€¢ [[ Animation ]]
â€¢ Special Effects

Television Advertising FAQ’s

Nishkam Chatrath — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:45:14 +0000

Frequently asked questions about television advertising:

Q. How much does it cost to make a television commercial?
A. Back on 11/20/00, a New York Times story stated that the average cost of producing a 30-second national television commercial in 1999 was $343,000.Â And that story was over five years ago!Â The Times said this figure came from a survey of 1,753 national spots produced by 20 agencies.Â In contrast, a local advertiser with a good Immediate Response offer should be able to get a commercial produced for around $500. Â Q. Isn’t it better to spend more to make a higher-quality, better-looking commercial?
A. It is if you are selling an expensive product or service and you are offering quality and prestige. But if you are selling a bargain-priced local service, an expensive commercial may actually work against you, by making your service look expensive.Â

Q. How much does it cost to run a [[ television ]]Â commercial?
A. That all depends on how many viewers are estimated to be in the audience, how much commercial time is available for purchase and how many advertisers want to purchase it.Â Â
Â Â According to a New York Times article published in September, 2004, a 30-second spot on “American Idol” was being sold for $658,333.Â During the 2003-2004 season, a :30 on “Friends” went for $473,500.Â You can buy a :30 on “Monday Night Football” for $323,000.Â The smaller audience for the WB means less money for spots: “Smallville” only gets $111,700.Â
Â Â At the other end of the network spectrum, a 30-second spot in the 2005 Super Bowl went for $2,400,000. Â (For the first Super Bowl, in 1967, you could have bought one for only $42,000 — but that was in 1967 dollars, probably about $250,000 in 2005 dollars.Â Still a lot less than the current rates.) Those rates are just to run the spot once, you understand!
Â Â But daytime and late-night spots in local markets can be surprisingly inexpensive. In a medium-sized market, $5 per thousand viewers is not unusual.Â So — a 30-second slot in daytime that reaches 10,000 viewers might cost you around $50 to $60.Â You may be able to buy “overnight” time slots — between midnight and 5AM — for as little as $1 each. Â Â

Q. Should I be in my own commercial?
A. In many cases, yes. People trust other people more when they can see them.Â And when they’ve seen you on television, they feel as though they know you.Â

Q. What if I’m not a very good actor?
A. No problem. You don’t need to “act” — just present your offer clearly and directly. Your prospects don’t mind if you’re not a professional spokesperson. Â

During the taping, you’ll probably be reading off a [[ Teleprompter ]]Â so you won’t even have to learn your lines.Â And remember, it’s your offer that counts.Â Q. Shouldn’t I advertise in prime time? Isn’t that where the viewers are?
A. Yes, that’s certainly where more of them are, but they won’t call you then. Even if they see your commercial and want to call you, by the time they would call you, they’ve forgotten all about you. And prime time television is very expensive.Â

Â Q. What do you mean by “Immediate Response” commercials?
A. Commercials that attempt to get the prospect to “call now”. The viewer calls the advertiser and he or she takes it from there.Â

Q. Is Immediate Response suitable for everyone?
A. No.Â for example, I don’t think it makes much sense to advertise a restaurant that way. But for business people and professionals who offer local services, who can benefit from talking to prospects on the phone and are looking for quick results — Immediate Response is probably the way to go.Â Â Â

Q. What are “image” commercials?
A. Also called “brand” commercials, they don’t attempt to get anyone to “call now”. They just try to get them to feel good about the product or service. Good image commercials are usually more expensive to produce than Immediate Response commercials and take longer to work.Â Commercials often contain elements of both Immediate Response and “image” advertising.Â

Q. Don’t I have to wait for “frequency” for my commercial to work?
A. With Immediate Response commercials, if your offer is good and your commercial is well placed, it should produce at least a few calls the first time or two it runs. If it runs several times in different programs and nobody calls, probably nobody is ever going to call. Something is seriously wrong.Â

Q. How do I put together an Immediate Response commercial?
A. As a television commercial once put it, “Hire me and I’ll tell you.” I don’t give specific, step-by-step, instructions here on how to build an “immediate response” commercial.Â In general, though, the principles of construction that I use to build commercials for local business people are similar to those that national “direct response” advertisers use to create their commercials. They sell “Dream Bed”, “Bamboo Steamer” and “Ginsu Knives”; I sell the services of [[ lawyers ]]Â and dentists and other advertisers. We share the same goals — we want viewers to call now!Â

Q. Can I sell my idea for a great TV commercial?
A.Â No.Â But I get this question a lot.Â Someone comes up with what he or she believes is a fantastic idea for a television commercial (or radio commercial, or entertainment show — whatever).Â Now he wants to sell the idea to a big company, advertising agency or TV network.Â Sorry, can’t be done.
Â Â Big companies do not buy “over the transom” ideas from people who do not already work for them.Â For one thing, no one on the outside can ever know all the details of any particular project — budget, target audience, personal opinions of the client, that sort of thing — so those “great” ideas could never work as well as their creators think they could.Â Most outsiders do not understand the production requirements, including money, to turn their ideas into reality.Â Plus, there are huge potential legal problems for any company that accepts ideas from outside.Â Â
Â Â If you actually do have great ideas for advertising or entertainment then you are going to have to get a job in the [[ industry ]]Â before anyone will take you seriously.Â Q. I have a product I would like to sell using “Direct Response” TV.Â How do I do that?Â
A. As I have said elsewhere, I have never known anyone who has made money selling products — as distinct from services — on a local basis using direct response television.Â Products take regional or national coverage.Â Even then, only a tiny percentage of products sell great while the vast majority are big losers.Â Â

Â Q. What about infomercials?
A. Unless you are a professional in the infomercial end of the advertising business, you have virtually no chance of making any money using infomercials to advertise your product or service.Â Even seasoned professionals lose money more often than not.
Â Â A June, 2004 story in the [[ Baltimore Sun ]]Â about the infomercial business stated that only one out of 60 infomercials was commercially successful.Â Remember this if you are approached by an infomercial producer, offering to make one for you.Â While that producer will certainly make plenty of money from it, your chance of making any money are about the same as your chance of becoming King of Denmark.Â Forget it.Â Just understand that selling products with infomercials or even short-form commercials on regional or national TV is a vastly different game than selling your professional service using 30-second spots on local TV.Â I can get a service client started in a local market for as little as a couple thousand dollars to make a spot and test it.Â But, in most cases, to sell a product on TV in such a way that you really have any shot at all at making money, you need to have at least $150,000 that you can afford to risk.Â And it is very risky — not the place to invest your kid’s college fund! Â

Â Beware!Â There are many [[ unscrupulous ]]Â people out there who will tell you that your product idea is great for TV when they know (or should know) that it is not.Â They make money by convincing you to spend a lot of money on commercial production.

Six Steps to a Blockbuster Resume

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 12:43:46 +0000

By ResumeEdge.com Â

Â

A resume has one purpose - to market your skills, achievements, professional background, academic history, and future potential to a prospective employer. Much like a 30-second commercial, today’s resume must provide maximum data as quickly as possible, differentiate you from all other candidates, and be attractively packaged.
Impossible, you think?Â Not at all.Â Writing a winning resume simply takes thought and planning.Â After all, you wouldn’t drive from Los Angeles to Manhattan without mapping the surest route.Â The same goes for your resume.Â By using the ResumeEdge^Â© six-step process, you’ll gain perspective on your career target and the audience you need to reach, learn how to showcase your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and produce a document with maximum punch.
Of course, if you do need professional assistance, our certified resume writers are on hand 24/7 to provide expert, personalized guidance.
The ResumeEdge^Â©Process Â

â€¢Â Step One: Targeting Your Career and Audience

â€¢Â Step Two:Â Formatting for Maximum Impact

â€¢Â Step Three:Â Skill Set and Qualifications Summary

â€¢Â Step Four:Â Accomplishments and Special Skills

â€¢Â Step Five:Â Professional Experience

â€¢Â Step Six:Â Education and Training

Â

STEP ONE:Â Targeting Your Career and Audience
You must have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish in your professional life in order to maximize the impact of your resume for your targeted audience — the hiring manager or graduate school admissions director.Â
Before you begin, ask yourself these questions.Â Are you:

1.Â Making a lateral move?
2.Â Seeking a promotion?
3.Â Career transitioning?
4.Â Pursuing admission into a graduate program?*
For numbers 1-3 above, the most effective way to begin targeting your resume is to search openings that appeal to you on job boards (i.e. Monster, Hot Jobs. CareerJournal), internal company postings, or newspaper classifieds.Â
With these in hand, you can highlight the qualifications you will need to be considered and the duties you would be expected to assume.Â Every match in terms of qualifications and experience will serve as key words** in your resume, as well as provide focus so that the resume can be tailored for your targeted audience. The more closely the content of your resume matches the content of these postings, the more likely you will be asked to interview.
* Â Â Resumes provided for graduate school admission showcase your skills, professional experience, accomplishments, and academic history in much the same way as “job” resumes.Â The difference is that an admissions resume will focus on what transitions well to the classroom, not to the workplace.
** Â Key words include industry-specific jargon or acronyms (i.e. “generally accepted accounting principles” (GAAP) for accountants; “Certified Professional Resume Writer” (CPRW) for resume writers; “Series 7 licensing” for brokers; “initial public offering” (IPO) for investment bankers; “at-risk child” for social workers; “Level 2 Training” for physicians; “intellectual property law” for attorneys; “triage” for nurses; and nouns or noun phrases indicating qualifications or required tasks (i.e. general ledger, word processing, contract negotiations, benefits, payroll, closing (for sales people); catering services, new menu items, capacity planning (for chefs); logistics, quality assurance, advertising campaigns, product launches, staffing, training, orientations. Companies that employ scanners require a set number of hits on key words before the hiring manager will personally review the applicant’s resume.Â It is always wise to incorporate as many key words as possible into your resume.
Â

STEP TWO: Formatting for Maximum Impact
The moment your resume is opened by a hiring manager or admissions director, it must appeal to him or her on an aesthetic level, while accurately reflecting your industry or career goal.Â To do anything else is to relegate your resume — no matter how brilliantly it is written — to the rejection stack.
In order to ensure that your resume receives the initial attention it deserves, it’s important to adhere to certain formatting guidelines, which include:Â
Â·Â Template and Font Choice
Â·Â Effective Use of White Space
Â·Â Prioritization of Data
Template and Font Choice
In all cases, templates and font choice should:
1.Â Be easy to follow.Â There is no greater irritation to a busy hiring manager or admissions director than to receive a resume where data is presented in a haphazard or inconsistent manner.Â That’s why templates are used.Â An effective template will present company names, dates, job titles, academic information, and all other pertinent data in a clear manner, so that a quick glance will tell the contact person what they need to know.

But consistency in format isn’t the only point to consider.Â Templates should be chosen because they accurately reflect a candidate’s career or goal. In other words, a banker, accountant, or administrative assistantÂ would choose a more conservative format than a graphic artist or interior designer.Â Nothing is more jarring — or disastrous — than to receive a financial professional’s resume written in italics or script with accompanying graphics.
2.Â Â Â Â Â Be easy to read.Â Resumes written in bold text or italics are extremely difficult toÂ readÂ and project a lack of professionalism.Â The same goes for artistic fonts that resemble handwriting.Â It’s a common misconception that jazzing up a resume with these stylistic tricks will get the document read.Â On the contrary, the resume will get noticed — and discarded — within seconds.Â It’s not the font you use that attracts attention, but rather the resume’s initial appearance and the words crafted within it.

When in doubt about font choice, always err on the conservative side.Â Two good choices are Times New Roman or Arial in 11 points — no smaller, or the text will be difficult to read.

Effective Use of White Space
There is no quicker way to get your resume ignored than to create a document with (narrow or nonexistent) margins, and block after block of uninterrupted text.Â No one wants to read a text-heavy document with sentences that run on for four or five lines.Â In today’s fast-paced world, you must get your point across quickly, with a minimum of words presented as bulleted sentences within special sections (i.e. Professional Experience, Education, Qualifications Summary), separated by well-placed white space.
Think of white spaces as necessary pauses — a chance for the hiring manager or admissions director to catch her breath, collect her thoughts, and digest (and appreciate) the data you’ve presented.
Prioritization of Data
Imagine you’re a hiring manager.Â It’s 7:30 on a Monday morning, and an important position needs to be filled in your company’s legal department. Over the weekend, 200 resumes came in from eager applicants all wanting to fill this one job.Â Most of the resumes are attractively formatted and use the appropriate font type.Â So far so good.Â But on closer inspection, most of the candidates have relegated their willingness to relocate for the position — a core qualification — to the very end of their two-page resumes.Â More than a few have buried accomplishments within the text, figuring this will force the hiring manager to search for that data, which means the entire resume will have to be read.Â Some have placed bar admission, another important qualification, dead last on the resume, believing that where they can practice law certainly isn’t as important as the fact that they are attorneys.Â And a few misguided souls simply list company names and dates of employment, assuming that the hiring manager should know without asking what legal duties they performed at these firms.
It’s enough to drive a hiring manager to distraction — or another career.
But then, at last, there are those few resumes that list the important data at the top of the first page. In less than five seconds the hiring manager knows that the first candidate is willing to relocate and assume the cost of those expenses, if required.Â This candidate also provides a special section beneath the Qualifications Summary that indicates where she is licensed to practice law.Â The second candidate does the same, while also pulling out Career Accomplishments and placing them at the top of the first page.Â After all, why keep a 100% win rate at trial a secret, or the fact that one can practice before the state’s Supreme Court?
Given the above scenario, it’s clear which applicants will be called in for an interview.Â No hiring manager will read every single resume that comes across his desk.Â Nor will a hiring manager search for data.Â In today’s tight job market it’s up to the candidate to prioritize data so that a hiring manager knows at a glance what the job seeker has to offer the company in terms of achievement, work experience, education, licensing, certifications, and special concessions, such as relocation.

Â
STEP THREE:Â Qualification Summary & Skill Set
Picture yourself at the market after a long day at the office. You’re in a rush, of course, and want only to purchase those items on your list, if they’re on sale.Â Hurrying into the store, you glance around for the weekly advertising piece that indicates which items will be offered at a discount.Â Trouble is, there’s no advertising piece this week, and no one to answer your questions.Â If you want to purchase the items you most need at a discount, you’re forced to walk up and down each and every aisle until you find what’s available.
Doesn’t sound like much fun or an effective use of time, does it?Â And yet this is the same type of frustration hiring managers are exposed to every time an applicant sends in a resume that fails to open with a well-written Qualifications Summary and/or Skill Set.
What is a Qualifications Summary?
It’s a brief paragraph that showcases your most effective skills and experience as they pertain to your job search.Â More importantly, it’s your chance to convince a hiring manager of the skills you can bring to the position.Â This is essential, given that hiring managers generally afford no more than 10 seconds to an applicant’s resume, unless they’re compelled to read further.Â
So, how do you compel them to keep reading?
Let’s use this example:Â You’re an accountant who has worked at XYZ Company for nine years and been promoted every time you’ve come up for review.Â Because of your organizational efforts, the company is saving $2500 monthly.Â You’ve passed the CPA exam.Â You’re skilled in Profit & Loss (P&L), audits, taxation matters, and internal controls.Â Now, you want a Controller position.
Rather than including all of the aforementioned data in the body of the resume, where the hiring manager would be forced to look for it, but won’t (remember, you’ll be given 10 seconds before the hiring manager moves on), the wise candidate would write something like this:
Results-oriented, detailed professional with comprehensive accounting experience. Background includes consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility. Skilled in P&L, audits, taxation, internal controls, and streamlining procedures, effecting a monthly savings of $2500 at XYZ Company. Recently passed the CPA exam; currently seeking a Controller position.
In five lines and a mere 45 words, you’ve given specific examples of what you can do (P&L, audits, taxation, internal controls), quantified an accomplishment (streamlining procedures, effecting a monthly savings of $2500 at XYZ Company), indicated past performance (consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility), provided data on certification (recently passed the CPA exam), and provided your career path (currently seeking a Controller position).Â And you’ve done all of that in a well-written paragraph that’s interesting and easy to read. (Note that personal pronouns are not used here.Â In business writing, which includes resumes, personal pronouns such as I, me, or my are never used).
Three examples of outstanding Opening Summaries:
IT Professional, Webmaster
Government Consultant
Foreman
Fine, you say, but what about an Objective?Â Where does that go?
In the modern resume, an objective statement is no longer used.Â The reason for this follows.
Qualifications Summary vs. the Objective
In the outmoded Objective, the candidate told the hiring manager what he wanted, whether that was a job at the company, room for advancement, a chance to use a new college degree, or any other reason an applicant could think of and the hiring manager could dismiss as self-serving.Â On the other hand, the Qualifications Summary proactively declares what the candidate can do for the targeted company, which places the hiring manager’s needs first.Â Â A wise applicant always uses a Qualifications Summary, either by itself or combined with a Skill Set.
What is a Skill Set?
Generally speaking, it’s a list of your core competencies as they relate to your targeted career goal.Â Again, let’s take the example of the accountant who has just passed the CPA exam and now wants to be a controller. Rather than presenting all of that data in the qualifications summary, a portion of it would be showcased as a tag line (professional title or title of job you’re targeting) and skill set, and might look something like this (followed by a reworked qualifications summary paragraph):

Results-oriented, detailed professional with comprehensive accounting experience. Background includes consistent promotions to positions of increased responsibility for notable achievements, including $2500 in monthly savings at XYZ Company by streamlining procedures.
This time, the first two lines, which contain just 15 words, present core strengths quickly and effortlessly.

Â
STEP FOUR:Â Accomplishments and Special Skills
Accomplishments
There is no data on your resume more important than your accomplishments.Â Why?
Think of it this way: you’re a hiring manager with one position to fill and 10 qualified candidates clamoring for the position.Â Each candidate has the same basic educational and professional background.Â So, who gets the job?
The candidate who contributed the most at past positions.Â Accomplishments are all that separate you from other equally qualified candidates, with one caveat. Your accomplishments must be quantified.
What is an Accomplishment?
1.Â Increasing the company’s bottom line (i.e. facilitating its growth)
2.Â Streamlining procedures
3.Â Promotions
4.Â Special projects successfully completed
5.Â Decreasing costs
6.Â Company- or industry-sponsored awards
7.Â Certifications and licensure
What is not an Accomplishment?
1.Â Daily responsibilities that are included in your job description
2.Â Regular attendance at work
3.Â Getting along with co-workers
4.Â Working full-time while going to college at night
5.Â Volunteer or community service unless it has a direct bearing on your job search
In other words, an accomplishment is service that goes beyond your usual job description.Â But for an accomplishment to have the most effect, it must be quantified.
What is a Quantified Accomplishment?
One that includes dollar figures, percentages, and time periods.
For example: Our accountant has streamlined procedures, realizing a $2500 monthly savings for his company.Â The dollar figure quantifies the accomplishment, while the “streamlined procedures” explains how he did it.Â Now, if he achieved those savings within three months of hire, that would further strengthen his accomplishments, and it might be written thusly:
Â·Â Achieved a $2500 monthly savings for XYZ Company within three months of hire by streamlining procedures.
Imagine the hiring manager’s reaction to the above as opposed to this entry:
Â·Â Streamlined procedures for XYZ Company.
Doesn’t say much, does it?

Special Skills
Special Skills should always be presented up-front so that a hiring manager knows what you can do.Â In some instances, a special section (i.e. Computer Skills, Languages, Office Procedures, etc.) should be created to showcase these special skills.
Special skills will include:
1.Â Computer proficiencies
2.Â Office procedures (i.e. answering multi-lined phone systems, taking dictation (include speed), transcription, typing (include speed), 10-key, etc.)
3.Â Linguistic capabilities (i.e. fluency in a foreign language, ability to translate, etc.)
4.Â Any skill that’s industry-specific for the job you’re seeking
Here are a few examples of resumes with outstanding accomplishments and skills showcased effectively for hiring managers:
IT Professionals - Project Manager
Chief Marketing Officer
Executives - Supply Chain Director

Â
STEP FIVE:Â Professional Experience
In the Professional Experience section you will list your employers, job titles, and dates of employment in a reverse-chronological order; that is, your most recent job comes first, followed by your next most recent job, and so on.Â This format is standard and is expected by all hiring managers and admissions directors.
With regard to employment dates:
Generally speaking, hiring managers prefer years of employment, rather than months and years (i.e. 1999 - 2003 as opposed to May 1999 - April 2003).Â However, some college admissions programs want specifics when it comes to dates, so it’s best to use precise dates when applying to graduate school.
In the Professional Experience section you will also include daily tasks and responsibilities beneath the appropriate employer listing.Â If you’ve included a Career Accomplishments section in your resume, you should not repeat that data here.Â Once data is presented in a resume, it must not be repeated.
To ensure that your daily tasks are presented in an interesting and easy-to-read manner, you should do the following:
1.Â Use a bulleted format.Â This breaks up large blocks of text that could prove daunting to a hiring manager.
2.Â Delete unnecessary articles and adjectives.Â Your sentences should be short and snappy.
3.Â Begin each sentence with an action verb.Â This quickens the pace of your writing and makes the text more enjoyable to read. For a comprehensive choice of action verbs, please use this link: Power Verb List.
An example of a bulleted format, pared down writing, and sentences beginning with power verbs follows: (Again, we use our accountant)

Verb tense:
Â·Â For those jobs where you are still currently employed, write your job duties in the present tense.
Â·Â For those jobs in the past, write the responsibilities you held in the past tense.
Additionally, Professional Experience can be captured and showcased in three formats:
1.Â Functional
2.Â Chronological
3.Â Combination
In the functional format, you are stressing what you know over where you gained your experience. This works for those who have strong skills, but a weak employment record.
In the chronological format, you are providing a work history dating back from the present. This is the most common format and is generally preferred by hiring managers.
In the combination format, you are stressing what you know in one section, while also providing work history dating back from the present in another.Â This is a highly popular modern format.

Â
STEP SIX:Â Education and Training
Education:
Â
Data provided in this section should be prioritized (and included) according to:
1.Â Your current career level (entry-level as opposed to professional)
2.Â The purpose of your resume
3.Â The country in which your resume will be distributed
Your current career level:
If you’re an entry-level candidate with little or no professional experience, your education should be presented immediately after the Qualifications Summary and/or skills area.Â The reasoning for this is that education is currently your most marketable asset.Â Here, you would include:
Â·Â GPA (if 3.5 or above)
Â·Â Awards/scholarships
Â·Â Dean’s list
Â·Â Coursework relevant to job search
If you’re a professional with five or more years of experience, Education should be listed last on your resume.Â GPAs, awards or scholarships, and mention of dean’s lists are not generally provided in a professional or executive resume, except for those used for entrance into graduate school programs.
The purpose of your resume:
Resumes sent to admissions directors for graduate school can list Education before Professional Experience or after, depending upon these factors:
Â·Â If the applicant has just recently completed his bachelor’s degree, it should be listed before Professional Experience.
Â·Â If the applicant has real-world experience related to the graduate degree she is seeking, the Professional Experience should be listed first.
The country in which your resume will be distributed:
If you are distributing your resume within the US, high school education is not included. The only exception to this rule would be if you’re applying for a job with the federal government. In that case, you would include high school data.
When distributing a resume outside the US, then high school education is included.
Training:
Include all specialized training that is transferable to your new job target. If you have not attended college, include all specialized training in your target field. Hiring managers generally prefer to see some post-secondary education.

Does a Higher Education Mean Higher Pay?

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:35:24 +0000

By: http://www.exforsys.com

Examining the Real Cost and Benefits of a Masterâ€™s Degree

Congratulations. Youâ€™ve just graduated from college, have a degree in hand, and posses the one thing that almost every college graduate is familiar withâ€”debt. So, armed with your new education, a strong desire to jump into the working world feet-first, and an even stronger desire to start paying off student loans, you decide to immediately start working. But wait! What if becoming a working stiff before the ink on your sheepskin has dried doesnâ€™t appeal to you? What if you decide that pursuing a graduate degree is the only way to ensure long-term job security and higher pay? Is obtaining a masterâ€™s degree the only path to long-term career stability? Does a higher education mean higher pay? The answers may not be as obvious as you think.Â

Â

What Do You Plan on Doing? Â

True enough, obtaining a masterâ€™s degree can lead to job security and more opportunities for advancement. However, it does depend on the field in which you want to work. Put simply, some careers demand that prospective employees get a masterâ€™s degree. For example, in natural sciences and law, an entry-level position is only available to those possessing a masterâ€™s degree. Want to be a teacher? You should plan on obtaining a masterâ€™s degree at some point, as many districts require it in order for teachers to continue employment. For anyone seeking work in these fields, obtaining a masterâ€™s degree is not about making more money or acquiring promotions, itâ€™s about getting a job and keeping it. That said, obtaining a masterâ€™s degree is not a question of price, but of desire. If you desire a job that mandates having a masterâ€™s degree, then getting one is not an option.Â

Do the Math Â

When getting a masterâ€™s degree IS an option, many college grads are left scratching their heads. This is where determining the full pros and cons can get tricky. After all, some students borrow $100,000 or more just to complete a two-year program. After interest, payments, and the stress of owing so much money, it is important to break down prospective salaries with a masterâ€™s degree to determine if the cost is worth it.

According to the 2000 census, households with someone holding a masterâ€™s degree earned approximately $77, 935. However, the median household income for those possessing bachelorâ€™s degrees was $65, 922. Clearly, there is a definite financial advantage to going the extra educational mile.

The cost of obtaining a masterâ€™s degreeâ€”nearly $100,000â€”can look pretty daunting on paper. However, appearances are deceiving. First of all, most graduate programs average around $60,000 dollars. So, if a student takes out a student loan for $60,000, the higher salary would end up paying for the education in about four years.

After that, what you make is what you keep. According to the U.S. census bureau, the average person with a masterâ€™s degree earns around $240,000 more than someone with a bachelorâ€™s degree. Over a lifetime, a masterâ€™s degree can translate to a lifetime salary of $3.3 million. Obviously, $3.3 million - $100,000 is a pretty nice equationâ€”and one worth calculating.

Donâ€™t mistakenly think, however, that a masterâ€™s degree is an instant ticket to easy money. In some fields, a masterâ€™s degree may be niceâ€”but not vital to earning more money or gaining clout. Take business, for example. For years, business majors all over have flocked to MBA programs, certain that doing so would sign their clinch their future paychecks. Imagine their surprise, then, when two researchers at Stanfordâ€™s Graduate School of Business released a study in August 2002, stating that a masterâ€™s degree in business administration does not â€œteach students anything useful in the real world of business.â€ They also went on to say that the masterâ€™s degree has little effect on salaries in the long run.

No matter what the cost of the program, it is imperative that you research your field and the true economic impact that obtaining a masterâ€™s degree will have. How much, compared to recent bachelorâ€™s graduates, will you make? How much does the program cost? Usually, simple arithmetic can take the guesswork out of determining the financial feasibility of a masterâ€™s program.Â

Whatâ€™s My Motivation?Â

Okay, so life isnâ€™t ALL about money, right? Sometimes we follow paths based on fulfillment, and choosing career paths and the educational methods are no different. Sometimes, getting a masterâ€™s isnâ€™t about promotions or money. Sometimes getting a masterâ€™s is about knowledge. In this case, it is difficultâ€”if not impossibleâ€”to factor the pros and cons of furthering your education. After all, if your goal doesnâ€™t involve making more money, then determining whether your program is worth the financial burden or not may be irrelevant. In a nutshell, itâ€™s hard to put a value on knowledge. And some people seek knowledge at all costs. For example a lover of philosophy may decide to get a masterâ€™s just for the simple pleasure in it. What a great motivation. However, one must still keep in mind the financial and time constraints that getting a masterâ€™s degree entails. Can you reach your goal without stretching yourself too thin financially and time-wise? If you can, then go for it. And rest assured knowing that, no matter what your field, a masterâ€™s degree does almost always help financially.Â

Making a Choice Â

Clearly, deciding whether or not to pursue a masterâ€™s degree is a personal decision influenced by many factors. Cost, future income potential, and career advancement all help determine whether or not obtaining a masterâ€™s degree is worthwhile. However, research has clearly shown thatâ€”in the long runâ€”getting a masterâ€™s degree is almost always a wise financial bet. So, whether you are in it for economic gain or for the love of knowledge, getting a masterâ€™s degree is often worth the cost

What Employers Are Looking For During The Interview Process ?

Nishkam Chatrath — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:31:06 +0000

By: http://www.exforsys.com

Interviewing can be difficult, but when you know what employers are looking for the task suddenly becomes manageable. Interviewing well is not just about experience, the ability to do the job, or the skills and education you have acquired itâ€™s also about your ability to sell yourself to your prospective employer. While every employer has specific things that they are looking for in the way of past experience and education, almost all of them look for similar things in the people that they interview. If you know what you should be emphasizing during an interview youâ€™ll feel more confident and youâ€™ll be more likely to get the jobs you want!

First, you must know if you are qualified for the position that you are interviewing for. There is nothing more embarrassing than going to an interview and spending your time with someone only to be told that you donâ€™t meet the minimum requirements for the job. Only apply for jobs that you know you can qualify for in the way of education and experience and remember that the two are not always interchangeable for some employers. If a job listing says that a Masters degree is necessary, you shouldnâ€™t attempt to apply for the job if you do not have that degree. But, if an ad says that a Masters degree is recommended and you know that you donâ€™t have the degree but you have experience that will replace the formal education, you can apply with some amount of confidence. You need to be sure that you pay attention to detail when applying for jobs to save you the time and the stress, not to mention the embarrassment, of applying for jobs that you do not qualify for.

Next, you need to know how to write a good resume. Employers understand that not everyone has resume writing talents, but a good resume is a good way to catch the eye of a potential employer. Itâ€™s often a resume that gets you an interview, so make sure not to overlook this important detail. If you already have an interview scheduled, you should still make sure that you have a nice looking resume as itâ€™s a good idea to bring a copy of your resume along with you in case the employer has misplaced the last copy of the resume you sent him or her.

Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Employers like to hire people that know where they stand within their field. What are you really good at, and what do you think you can work on to become even better? Make sure that you can look at these things and decide how your strengths will benefit the company you are interviewing with and how you think you can work on your opportunity areas within that company. Many people make the mistake of only talking up the positive, but employers like to see versatility, honesty, as well as your ability to help the company grow and the ability of the company to help you grow.

Employers are often looking for individuals that can communicate well. Communication is an important asset to all companies that have more than one or two employees otherwise things just wonâ€™t get done. Play up your ability to communicate with other employers, supervisors, and clients. Also, mention that you have the ability to be a team player as well as set individual goals for yourself. Employers like to hire people that can do both because it creates a balance in the workplace so things get done in the most efficient manner.

Donâ€™t talk down past employers when you interview. Most employers like to speak with people that seem to take each situation and draw something positive from it. If a job is listed on your resume, you can assume that someone will ask you what you learned while you were there, why you left, and how you enjoyed your time. You donâ€™t have to lie about a bad experience, but remember to accentuate the positive experiences you had. Negativity will usually detract from your attractiveness to a prospective employer.

Employers are looking for people who can come to work with a good attitude as well as employees that will arrive for work on time. The best way to prove this to your prospective employer is to arrive early for your interview. Just fifteen minutes is plenty of time, but showing up on time and appearing eager and ready for the interview will set a good tone for your future working relationship. Those that are late for their interviews give the impression that they are not ready to work and will be less likely to be hired. Every employee is a liability of sorts for the employer, so itâ€™s understandable why employers would want someone that starts out on the right foot by showing up on time.

The bottom line is that employers are looking for dependable people no matter what field you may be interviewing in. You first impression will mean a lot, so show up on time, be well groomed, put together a well-written resume, and put some effort and enthusiasm into each interview you attend.

Interviewing can be difficult, but when you know what employers are looking for the task suddenly becomes manageable. Interviewing well is not just about experience, the ability to do the job, or the skills and education you have acquired itâ€™s also about your ability to sell yourself to your prospective employer. While every employer has specific things that they are looking for in the way of past experience and education, almost all of them look for similar things in the people that they interview. If you know what you should be emphasizing during an interview youâ€™ll feel more confident and youâ€™ll be more likely to get the jobs you want!

First, you must know if you are qualified for the position that you are interviewing for. There is nothing more embarrassing than going to an interview and spending your time with someone only to be told that you donâ€™t meet the minimum requirements for the job. Only apply for jobs that you know you can qualify for in the way of education and experience and remember that the two are not always interchangeable for some employers. If a job listing says that a Masters degree is necessary, you shouldnâ€™t attempt to apply for the job if you do not have that degree. But, if an ad says that a Masters degree is recommended and you know that you donâ€™t have the degree but you have experience that will replace the formal education, you can apply with some amount of confidence. You need to be sure that you pay attention to detail when applying for jobs to save you the time and the stress, not to mention the embarrassment, of applying for jobs that you do not qualify for.

Next, you need to know how to write a good resume. Employers understand that not everyone has resume writing talents, but a good resume is a good way to catch the eye of a potential employer. Itâ€™s often a resume that gets you an interview, so make sure not to overlook this important detail. If you already have an interview scheduled, you should still make sure that you have a nice looking resume as itâ€™s a good idea to bring a copy of your resume along with you in case the employer has misplaced the last copy of the resume you sent him or her.

Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Employers like to hire people that know where they stand within their field. What are you really good at, and what do you think you can work on to become even better? Make sure that you can look at these things and decide how your strengths will benefit the company you are interviewing with and how you think you can work on your opportunity areas within that company. Many people make the mistake of only talking up the positive, but employers like to see versatility, honesty, as well as your ability to help the company grow and the ability of the company to help you grow.

Employers are often looking for individuals that can communicate well. Communication is an important asset to all companies that have more than one or two employees otherwise things just wonâ€™t get done. Play up your ability to communicate with other employers, supervisors, and clients. Also, mention that you have the ability to be a team player as well as set individual goals for yourself. Employers like to hire people that can do both because it creates a balance in the workplace so things get done in the most efficient manner.

Donâ€™t talk down past employers when you interview. Most employers like to speak with people that seem to take each situation and draw something positive from it. If a job is listed on your resume, you can assume that someone will ask you what you learned while you were there, why you left, and how you enjoyed your time. You donâ€™t have to lie about a bad experience, but remember to accentuate the positive experiences you had. Negativity will usually detract from your attractiveness to a prospective employer.

Employers are looking for people who can come to work with a good attitude as well as employees that will arrive for work on time. The best way to prove this to your prospective employer is to arrive early for your interview. Just fifteen minutes is plenty of time, but showing up on time and appearing eager and ready for the interview will set a good tone for your future working relationship. Those that are late for their interviews give the impression that they are not ready to work and will be less likely to be hired. Every employee is a liability of sorts for the employer, so itâ€™s understandable why employers would want someone that starts out on the right foot by showing up on time.

The bottom line is that employers are looking for dependable people no matter what field you may be interviewing in. You first impression will mean a lot, so show up on time, be well groomed, put together a well-written resume, and put some effort and enthusiasm into each interview you attend.

Your education and experience are important, but you really need to know how to talk to people. Really think about what your assets are and how you will be able to contribute to a company. An interview is much like selling yourself and your experience; so donâ€™t get too comfortable until you are sure that the job is yours!

Remember that the interview process can be stressful, but when you know what employers are looking for you can concentrate on a good personality, being on time, education, experience, a well-written resume, and being able to sell yourself to make the process easier. Knowing where to focus will allow you to devise a method of organization and success for the interview process so you can get the jobs that you want and not bother to apply for the jobs you donâ€™t want!

Your education and experience are important, but you really need to know how to talk to people. Really think about what your assets are and how you will be able to contribute to a company. An interview is much like selling yourself and your experience; so donâ€™t get too comfortable until you are sure that the job is yours!

Remember that the interview process can be stressful, but when you know what employers are looking for you can concentrate on a good personality, being on time, education, experience, a well-written resume, and being able to sell yourself to make the process easier. Knowing where to focus will allow you to devise a method of organization and success for the interview process so you can get the jobs that you want and not bother to apply for the jobs you donâ€™t want!

JOB HUNTING COSTS: WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DEDUCT

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:10:46 +0000

JOB HUNTING COSTS: WHAT YOU CAN AND CANâ€™T DEDUCTÂ

Did you know you may be able to deduct certain costs associated with looking for a new job? Itâ€™s a fact, says the Massachusetts Society of CPAs. Whatâ€™s more, even if you donâ€™t find a job or if you get terrific offers but decide to stay with your current employer, the deduction rules still apply. Of course, you must meet certain eligibility guidelines, and youâ€™ll need to itemize your deductions.Â

LEARN HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE DEDUCTIONÂ

To be eligible, you must be seeking a job in your current line of work. That means if youâ€™re a nurse and youâ€™re looking for a new nursing position, you qualify. Should you decide youâ€™d like to become a librarian, you wonâ€™t be able to write off the cost of finding your new position.Â

Job search expenses are not deductible when there has been a substantial break between your prior employment and your search for a new job. For example, a spouse who leaves the work force for several years to raise a child cannot deduct costs associated with a job search. Youâ€™re also barred from deducting expenses related to your job search if youâ€™re looking for your first job, as might be the case for college graduates.Â

KNOW WHAT IS DEDUCTIBLEÂ

You can deduct fees you pay to an employment agency or outplacement firm. The cost of resume preparation, printing, and mailing are deductible, as is the cost of stationery, such as paper and envelopes. Long distance phone calls, publications that aid your job search, and job-wanted ads, the classifieds or trade journals are also deductible.Â

For some job hunters, the cost of travel is the biggest expense. Air or train fares, hotel and meal expenses, cab fares, and other incidentals may be deductible when you travel a distance for an interview. CPAs caution that this holds true only if your primary reason for the travel was related to your job search. The amount of time you spend on personal activities compared to the amount of time you spend looking for work determines whether your expenses are deductible. Bear in mind that you may not deduct expenses for which a prospective employer reimburses you.Â

UNDERSTAND HOW TO FILEÂ

You must be able to itemize deductions on Schedule A of your tax return in order to claim a deduction for job search expenses. These expenses fall under the heading of miscellaneous itemized deductions, which also includes tax preparation fees, unreimbursed employee business expenditures, education that furthers your profession, investment fees, and work uniforms.Â

Even if you itemize, you may not get the full benefit of this deduction. Thatâ€™s because these expenses are deductible only to the extent that in the aggregate they exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income. If your adjustable gross income is $100,000, you can deduct only those miscellaneous itemized deductions that exceed $2,000 (2 percent of $100,000).Â

KEEP GOOD RECORDSÂ

Be sure to keep good records to document your job hunting expenses. An effective way to track your expenses is to keep a log in your PDA or in a notebook. On a daily basis, record your job search activities and the expenses associated with them. Also, be sure to save related credit card receipts and cancelled checks. If your job hunt includes travel, a log showing what you did while out of town will help you substantiate that the trip was primarily for job seeking purposes.Â

CONSULT WITH A CPAÂ

A CPA can help you understand the requirements for deducting job search expenses and answer your questions concerning how to qualify for this deduction.

Be snotty: Confident specialists usually successful.

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:06:59 +0000

Be snotty: Confident specialists usually successfulÂ

Published January 25, 2007 in issue 0604 of the HooK.Â

Linda Chernoff has the conversational skills of a socialite and team-building talents of a top executive. Her rÃ©sumÃ© could start with her prized â€œpeople skills,â€ but instead she focuses herself more narrowly: event planner.Â

Good move. The best way to ensure youâ€™ll always be in demand is to become a specialist.Â

This means you should typecast yourself: action hero, funny guy, tough girl. Ezra Zuckerman, associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, studied actorsâ€™ careers and concluded that even though they see typecasting as deadly, itâ€™s actually a ticket to a solid career. Actors who get typecast early on get more work, more consistently.Â

The typecasting rule applies to other careers; specializing is a way to differentiate yourself in a crowd. Many people describe themselves as generalists so as not to eliminate job prospects. However, specializing makes you more likely to be hired and hunted.Â

â€œHeadhunters,â€ Zuckerman explains, â€œare specialized, and they look for something they can package and sell. Since a candidate search is specialized, the headhunter is not set up to process people who donâ€™t fit into a specialty.â€Â

As with almost all career advice, solid execution requires knowing where your gifts lie. And, like most people, Chernoff was not initially sure. She started out as a law firm administrator, then worked in publicity at Temple University.Â

Her favorite part of that job was planning events like golf outings and tailgate parties. Now sheâ€™s development associate for special events at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.Â

Specialization is the goal, but be wary of too much or too early. Even a reasonable specialty can go awry if you limit yourself before you know enough.Â

â€œWe think itâ€™s more and more important as a business person to develop one or more areas of deep expertise over time,â€ says Liz Ramos, a partner at the consulting firm Bain & Co. In the beginning, she continues, the focus is on â€œlearning communication techniques and skills for the job.â€ After two years at the company, Bain emphasizes learning to â€œmanage oneâ€™s job and develop as business leaders.â€

Only after three to five years does Bain encourage people to â€œthink about if they want to continue in consulting or go to business school or another opportunity such as an entrepreneurial venture.â€Â

Once you get to that last step, you necessarily take yourself out of the running for some jobs. But if you donâ€™t position yourself as extremely good at something, youâ€™ll never have a chance at a top position.Â

Opera singer Stephanie Chigas knows this intuitively. Sheâ€™s a mezzo-soprano at the beginning of her career. While other opera singers accept chorus roles for supplemental income, she doesnâ€™t. â€œSome people say, â€˜Iâ€™ll do anything that comes my way,â€™ but I donâ€™t want to do that. I have different goals for myself. It may sound a little snotty, but I want to be a solo singer.â€Â

Snottiness is paying off. Chigas has sung at Carnegie Hall. In fact, snottiness is part of specializing, because committing to a path requires an implicit revelation that you think youâ€™ll succeed.Â

Conversely, generalizing often looks weak, lacking direction or commitment.Â

â€œGeneralizing could be useful as a hedging strategy if youâ€™re in a volatile industry,â€ says Zuckerman, but if you see yourself going to the top, you need to sell yourself as a specialist, not someone hedging against a darker day.Â

Itâ€™s scary to specialize because thereâ€™s the chance youâ€™ll choose something in which you canâ€™t succeed. But you can always try again.Â

MITâ€™s Zuckerman offers hope in the form of Bette Davis. Her career began in the 1930s as a blond bombshell. But there was no spark. So her studio recast her as a vampy, man-slayer type, and she was a hit.

How to impress, in 45 seconds !!!

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:04:56 +0000

Think of a resume as a personal advertisement in which you are trying to sell yourself to a prospective match. A resume should stand out to a hiring manager who’s looking for the right person for a company. This is especially important in a competitive job market. Recruiting experts say hiring managers have at most 45 seconds to scan one of countless resumes they receive. In fact, 27 percent of human resources managers say they get on average more than 50 resumes for each open position, according to a survey released recently by Careerbuilder.com, an online job search site partly owned by Tribune Co., parent of Newsday and The Baltimore Sun. And more than 13 percent of human resources managers receive more than 100 resumes per job opening. (The study, which surveyed 360 hiring managers, has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.) You want to think about your resume as a marketing or sales tool, almost like advertising for yourself, says Susan D. Strayer, a Washington-based career coach and recruiting consultant.

Among the biggest mistakes job candidates make, according to Strayer, are sending out mass resumes without regard to qualification and not customizing the document to the job description.It’s really important to make yourself relevant to that particular company or position, says Jennifer Sullivan, a spokeswoman at Careerbuilder. The Careerbuilder survey also found that 63 percent of human resources managers cited spelling errors as the most annoying resume mistake. Other errors included not tailoring resumes (30 percent), lying (23 percent), including too many insignificant details on job duties (21 percent) and having resumes that are more than two pages long (21 percent). (Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer.) Here are some other quick tips to write a top-notch resume. Emphasize examples of problem-solving, leadership, team-building and performance improvement. They were cited by Careerbuilder as top keywords searched by recruiters. Include a short profile or objective at the top of the resume that summarizes your experience and skills. Strayer says a profile gives recruiters a way to quickly determine whether I want to continue reading or not. Keep your resume visually simple. Don’t use fancy fonts.

EDITED: Here is the Requested CV Sample :

http://www.careerbench.info/cvsample.doc

Changing careers is a matter of passion

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:03:04 +0000

Changing careers is a matter of passionÂ

When the time is right to change your career path, youâ€™ll know it.Â

A nagging feeling will grab you from the inside, one that seems like boredom or frustration with your current job, but runs much deeper. This is not your average drag-your-feet-in-the-morning type of feeling. It has to do with big choices, life-long dreams and the routines of daily life. This is about happiness.Â

Change isnâ€™t easy. In fact, it can be downright terrifying. Thatâ€™s why Iâ€™ll never tell you to drop everything and dive head-first into a new career. I will say, however, that today is the perfect day to imagine your way out of a bad job situation, and into something that makes you smile.Â

Here are some of the important steps:Â

Let passion change your life. Maybe you are a teacher at heart, but have been working in health care for many years. Or perhaps you have a passion for sports but never practiced it as a career; instead you took up finance, sales or another admirable trade that just doesnâ€™t motivate you on a daily basis.Â

What excites you? What is that nagging feeling trying to tell you? This is your life weâ€™re talking about, your time and your potential. Donâ€™t be afraid to ask yourself questions that can lead to change.Â

Gain experience and credentials. Knowledge is power, as they say, so learn as much as you can about an industry or job that intrigues you.Â

Some fields are open to everyone, while others require special training or experience. If you want to change your career, take steps in the new direction. Find out what you need to do, and do it.Â

Position yourself for success. Your resume and cover letter will help make an impact in your new vocation, so use them to your advantage.Â

Highlight your most relevant qualifications and give examples of your transferable skills. As a career changer, enthusiasm is one of your primary selling points. Passion can breathe new life into an organization, so donâ€™t hesitate to come right out and say it in your letter.Â

Donâ€™t let fear scare you. If you arenâ€™t ready to start from scratch, see if you can integrate the things you love into your daily routine. Find projects that stimulate you. Learn a new skill. Take on a volunteer job. The more you follow your dreams, the happier you will be.Â

Take the risk. Many people are insecure about their lack of experience when they enter a new field. Donâ€™t be!Â

If the time is right for you to switch to a new profession, know what your strengths are, and present them with confidence.Â

Whether you are transferring from finance to advertising, starting a consulting business, or returning to the work force after several years of retirement, your background and personal attributes are absolutely unique. Keep this in mind as you begin job hunting, and use it to increase your enthusiasm and fuel your passion as you move forward on your career path.Â

Remember that change takes courage, and job searching takes determination. Prepare yourself for the adventure, position yourself for success and get ready to launch your new career.Â

Eve Nicholas has written resume materials and offered no-nonsense advice to thousands of job seekers. She can be reached at Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com

Are you journalist material?

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:56:17 +0000

Is a career in Journalism for you? Have a look at our checklist :

You need to be:Â

A gossip - A journalist is always interested in er is going on, whether it’s what your maid tellsÂ

about your neighbors, or whether it’s the conversation among people. This is how you pick up ideas for stories to do. But the gossip needs to be backed by facts.Â

Totally inquisitive - The questions why, what, where, when and how should always be playing in your head, no matter what the situation and circumstances.Â

AÂ good peoples person - Because you get your information from people. People should find you easy to talk to and a good listener and questioner.Â

Alert and fast - The life of a reporter is hectic and pressure-filled. They always have to be a step ahead of the next guy or risk missing the story. It’s a race against time, and deadlines are crucial; everyone wants to be the first to print the story or get it on the air.Â

You should not be:Â

Scared to approach strangers for information - Because that’s what the job is all about.Â

Self-conscious - This applies particularly to those interested in television or radio journalism. That’s because, if you’re a reporter, you’ll be talking to a camera in a public place while surrounded by a crowd of curious people dying to get on television and say hi to their moms!Â

Averse to media - “If you hate watching Star News or hate reading newspapers or hate discussing news, don’t go for it,” says Palash Kumar, special correspondent with the French wire service, AFP.

Career Launcher
(My Dream Career Series)

Journalism

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:49:33 +0000

Journalists bring you the news. Floods, earthquakes, wars, murders, robberies, fashion, kidnappings and about political crises around the world. They are usually or unusually ‘in the thick of things!’ Journalists bring information to the public. They work for newspapers, magazines and television stations. They interview people, collect information, conduct research and write stories. They bring you the world.
A Worldof Journalism

Information
Yes, we’ve watched the television serials about journalists and what they do, but there’s a lot more to the profession. Journalists work to keep the public informed of all the things that are happening in their cities, states, countries and the world over.
Journalism is concerned with collection and broadcasting of news through the print media as well as the electronic media. Journalism has a long and well-established tradition in India. The Indian press inclusive of newspapers like The Times of India, The Indian Express, ‘The Asian Age and news channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News, BBC, CNN, NDTV 24×7 and magazines like Business India, Outlook, India Today just to name a few; have always been vigilant towards safeguarding the democratic values in the country and are fearless in reporting.Â
The information revolution has made the job of a journalist more challenging. They do not just inform but analyse an issue or a news item or an incident and influence people’s opinion about them. Communication media as such, have become more accessible and cater to various groups of readers with diverse tastes. An ordinary newspaper today has exclusive sections devoted to topics like fashion, films, culture, education, etc. The scope in journalism is increasing, especially with the diversification of the media. Newspapers/periodica/s/magaZines/journals in the print media, and radio channels as well as the national and private TV networks, etc, in electronic medium have brought in more competitiveness and the reader or the viewer has gained the most, more than ever before.

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How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be?

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:34:58 +0000

Once upon a time, someone came up with a “rule” that resumes should not exceed one page. No one really knows who came up with the rule, but a great many job-seekers still seem to live in fear of this supposed edict.
The fact is that very few “rules” exist today in the world of resume writing. Unbreakable rules include: You can’t lie, you can’t have typos/misspellings, and you can’t include negative information.
Just about every other rule you’ve ever heard about resumes, however, is breakable, including rules about how many pages your resume should comprise.
Times have changed, after all, as Grant Cooper, president of Strategic Resumes, notes in the Resume Critique Writer software that he authored. “Brief resumes are simply no longer effective in today’s increasingly competitive job market,” he said. “The advice that ‘They only want to see one-page resumes,’ is perhaps the single most outdated and incorrect statement job-seekers hear today.”
But if you’ve come to this article looking for the definitive word on how long a resume should be, you’ll probably be disappointed. We informally surveyed experts — members of Career Masters Institute and the Professional Resume Writers and Research Association — about resume length. And their consensus:
It depends.
This situational view of resume length is pervasive among resume experts. The comments of Marnie McCown-Guard of Profile Career Services are typical: “I have written one-and-half-page resumes for senior-level people with 20+ years of experience, and I have written a three-page resume for a recent college graduate.”
Virtually every expert in our research said each individual situation dictates resume length. From their expertise, however, we developed some guidelines to help you determine the right length for you.
It should be noted that length is primarily an issue that pertains to the traditional, formatted, “print” version of your resume. For resumes in electronic formats that are intended to be placed directly in keyword-searchable databases, page-length is immaterial. So this article’s guidelines apply either in situations where your formatted resume is screened by human eyes without having been placed into a keyword-searchable database or after a keyword search has narrowed the field of applicants.
The guidelines:
Resumes for new grads and entry-level job-seekers are often, but not always, one page.
Most college career-placement centers tell students to limit their resumes to one page, notes resume writer Sharon Pierce-Williams, 75 percent of whose business is writing for the college population. Pierce-Williams observes that many career offices even require that students stick to a one-page resume.”
Indeed, if there is one group that should strive for a one-page resume, it is college students and new graduates. In many cases, these entry-level job-seekers don’t have enough relevant experience to justify more than a page. Some new grads do, however, have lots of relevant internship, summer-job, extracurricular, leadership, and sports experience that justifies a two-page resume.
Pierce-Williams takes an unusual approach to new-grad resumes. “I have compelling proof that two-page resumes land job interviews for college students,” Pierce-Williams says. “Length depends on extra-curricular involvement and leadership. It takes a certain ‘go-getter’-type student for a two-page resume.”
Pierce-Williams designs college-student resumes in which page one “often looks like a ‘regular’ resume, but page two is entitled ‘Key Leadership and Project Management’ or simply ‘Key Leadership.’” Pierce-Williams says she uses this page-two section to list three to four projects in which the student made a difference in an association or sorority/fraternity.
If you fall into the college-student/entry-level/new-grad group and are tempted to go to two pages, just be sure that you have the relevant material to justify a second page.
A two-page resume may be the best bet for the vast majority of job-seekers who are above entry-level but below the executive level.
“Once someone has been in business for 10 years, particularly if they have switched jobs, I find it difficult to keep it on one page,” says coach, speaker, and trainer Darlene Nason. “I think a two-page resume is a good average.”
In his Resume Critique Writer software, Strategic Resumes’ Cooper offers this view of the growing acceptance of the two-page resume: “The resume has now taken the place of the initial interview, and only those with significant qualifications and strong resumes are even invited to interview. As a result, more, not less, information is now needed on the resume, and the past insistence on short resumes has now given way to more in-depth, two-page resumes for most professional positions,” Cooper writes “True, it does take an additional minute or less for an HR professional to review the second page of a resume but that extra minute is seen as far more helpful than scheduling a questionable candidate for a personal interview.”
One-page resumes have typically been expected at job fairs, but that tradition seems to be falling by the wayside.
“Even the job fairs that claim to accept only one-page resumes seem to be more and more accepting of well-crafted two-page resumes,” says Cooper, “and the candidates that present them at those events often stand out above the crowd with simplistic or crammed one-page resumes.”
Even among employers, there’s no consensus on preferred resume length.
Surveys show that employers who prefer a one-page resume are in the minority, and the situational view is prevalent, as writer Susan Britton Whitcomb discovered while researching her popular book, Resume Magic (JIST Works).
“I conducted a survey of HR managers from some of the Top 100 Companies to Work for in America (from the book of the same name by Levering and Moskowitz),” Whitcomb relates. “One survey question asked their opinions as to the length of a resume.” The results revealed that 12 percent of respondents felt resumes should be “one-page, never longer;” 67 percent felt resumes should be “kept to one or two pages;” and 21 percent responded “as long as needed to convey the applicant’s qualifications.”
Resume writer Tracy Laswell Williams found similar results in her December 1999 survey of 40 HR managers and recruiters in Colorado. Twenty percent of Williams’ respondents said a resume should be one page; 20 percent said two pages; and a whopping 60 percent said resume length “depends on the level of the position.”

Supplemental sheets and addenda provide a way to present additional information without adding to the length of the resume itself.
“A suite of addenda,” says Deborah Wile Dib, president of Advantage Resumes of New York, can be “a strategic way to mention presentations, awards, published works, technical skills, extensive education, and expanded success studies.” Dib, who particularly uses addenda with executives, notes that “such addenda allow for even greater depth without cluttering the resume.”
Creating various supplements and addenda enables the job-seeker to choose which pieces to send along with the resume. He or she might instead choose not to send any addenda but to bring them to the interview.
No matter what the length, the resume must capture attention on the first page, preferably the first third of the first page.
Given that employers screen resumes for between 2.5 and 20 seconds, a resume must quickly capture the reader’s interest. “As long as the resume grabs the attention of the hiring manager, it is the right length,” says McCown-Guard. “Whatever the length of the resume, the critical factor is to make absolutely certain that your reader’s interest is piqued within the first half of the first page,” cautions Laurie J. Smith, president of Creative Keystrokes Executive Resume Service.
Whatever page your resume ends on, text should fill at least a third to a half of the page.
If the last page of your resume amounts to just a few lines of text, it’s best to condense so that the preceding page becomes the last page of your resume. Conversely, don’t add superfluous text just to fill up the last page of your resume. “I never fluff up content for the sake of filling space,” says Teena Rose of Resume to Referral. “Irrelevancies can dilute the overall effectiveness of the resume.” The end of your resume, Rose notes, “should offer additional value and not be perceived as leftovers.” [Editor's note: See more of Rose's resume advice in the article, New Grads Must Dig Deeper to Beef Up Skimpy Resumes.]
Don’t sacrifice your resume’s readability to make it conform to any arbitrary “rules” about resume length.
It’s always pitiful when we have to whip out the magnifying class to read the tiny 8- or 9-point type on the resume of a job-seeker who has gone to absurd lengths to limit his or her resume to a certain number of pages. Don’t discard readable type (we suggest no smaller than 10.5 point; 11 to 11.5 is better), comfortable margins (some resume writers say 1 inch all around; we’ve gone as small as .7″), space between lines, white space, and a pleasing, eye-attracting layout just to cram your resume onto X number of pages. “It’s less taxing and time-consuming to read one and a half or two well-formatted pages than one page where everything’s squished together,” observes Gail Taylor of A Hire Power.
“Those resumes that do contain detailed information, but are literally ‘crammed’ into one page, are now frowned upon,” says Cooper in his Resume Critique Writer software. “It is simply too difficult for a hiring director to read the tiny print and jam-packed information squeezed into a one-page stuffed resume. Companies that once insisted on one-page resumes are perfectly happy with a clearly-written, concise, and well-formatted two-page resume that is easy to read, yet has the detailed information they now need.”
Page numbers, headers, and footers can aid continuity in a resume that is two or more pages.
All resume pages beyond page one need to be numbered. Some job-seekers choose a “page 2 of 3″ model. “If you decide to go with two or more pages, be sure to include your name and appropriate page number at the top,” suggests Ann Baehr of Best Resumes. “And organize all of the information with distinct categories to make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for at a glance.” Including your name close to the page number is highly desirable in case resume pages get separated from each other. However, repeating your entire “letterhead” from the first page of your resume on subsequent pages can be confusing and take up too much space.
Career-management coach Don Orlando takes a novel approach to a footer designed to entice the employer to keep reading the resume: “At the bottom of my multi-page resumes, there is a [customized] footer that reads something like this: ‘More indicators of performance General Motors can use now. . .’”
It’s OK for a resume section, such as your experience, to straddle two pages of your resume, but avoid splitting the description of a given job over two pages. Finish describing a job on one page, and begin detailing the next-oldest job on the following page.
For executives at the highest levels (senior management, executive VP, and “C-level” positions such as CEO, CIO, CTO, COO) even two pages is probably not enough; three, four, or more pages may be required.
“At executive levels, the resume must be long enough to deliver the extensive information that decision-makers need to make an initial assessment of suitability for the position/interview (typically a director-level to C-level job),” Dib asserts.
Experts like Dib who specialize in executive resumes cite several reasons for multi-page resumes at the top echelons:
“Decision-makers have a much larger scope of need than just skill sets or even accomplishments,” says Dib. “They need to see the ‘intangibles’ that make a great leader, including … vision, proven long-term leadership, agility and flexibility to proactively meet the lightening-fast changes in the marketplace, well-honed change-management skills, thought leadership, demonstrated ethics and integrity, the guts/ability to make and implement tough decisions, and even a dash of charisma. This cluster of tangible and intangible skills cannot reach critical mass in a one-page resume or even in a two-page resume.”
Adds Roberta Gamza of Career Ink, “The hiring company will be making a huge investment and risking quite a bit on a candidate, so they need to know much more about the candidate than can fit on two pages. A chief executive resume can go to three, four, or more pages, or may have a portfolio of several documents.”
It’s just too risky to make a blunder in hiring a top executive, says Smith. “In today’s unforgiving economy and cutthroat markets, a mistake in hiring of top-level leadership can spell doom for a company. To make an informed hiring decision, a greater level of detail on a candidate’s experience, education, management style, problem-solving skills, and delivered results is critical.”
Further, Smith points to the negative way a senior-level job-seeker may be perceived if his or her resume is not a multi-pager: “I have spoken with multiple recruiters over the years who have remarked that when they receive a one- or two-page resume from a high-level candidate, the immediate question they have is: ‘What’s the matter with this candidate and why don’t they have more to tell me?’ To adequately present a senior executive’s qualifications commonly requires a three- to four-page, sometimes even a five-page presentation.”
Smith also observes a lack of success in landing interviews among execs with puny resumes. “As a specialist in executive resume writing, I occasionally encounter an executive who is under the mistaken impression that he or she needs to restrict his or her resume presentation to one or maximum two pages. Typically, this executive has been looking for quite some time with no results.”

Katharine Hansen, CCM, CECC

www.careerindustry.com

Indian TV globalization is ‘in fashion’

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:23:48 +0000

October 15, 2002 marked 25 years since the advent of satellite TV in India. Its globalization has impacted across the populous country which in its turn, has both, changed the way Indians perceive the world outside, and prompted the Indian satellite and cable industry to cross frontiers with world programming. The national television channel, Prasar Bharti, had to grapple with the entry of cable television and the increasing number of channels vying for viewership and revenue.
According to industry estimates, in 2000, a total of 43 channels generated a demand for 40,000 hours of original content with 37 million homes wired to cable television. Statatics show that a family watches television together in India, and hence programming is reflecting the approach of appeal to this audience with an increase in dramas and soap operas about family life.
TV producers are looking at globalization. Ekta Kapoor, managing director of Balaji Telefims, producer of India’s most successful soap operas emphasizes, “We must see how our content can monetize the ethnic international audience”. While regional language programming continues to cater to the linguistic diversity of the Indian television audience, the scope is broadening to incorporate new services such as internet-over cable, pay per view (this has been approved by the Indian parliament but the bill is yet to be enacted), video on demand and cable telephony. In fact, in the past year, various TV conferences held around India have focused on continuing changes in Indian television and the cable industry that have incorporated the necessity of globalization.
According to reports, in 2001, more than half the growth in cable and satellite homes came from the rural and semi-urban areas, indicating an increasing penetration of cable into less populated regions and What to do NOW if you want to be in film and Television?

Watch movies, watch television, read books about both, check out websites, trade magazines, try and understand what is working and why. If you know people in the industry, talk to them and try and get as much information from them as Possible. “And that doesn’t mean just watching hit films or popular serials. If you watch what has failed, that’s also part of your education. Formal education is one thing but when you sit with an audience in a cinema hall and watch a film, you realize down to a very micro level, what is being appreciated and what is being rejected - right from acting, writing, music, the locations, even the clothes.
In particular, read Spirit of Lagaan, the book about the making of the film ‘Lagaan ‘.
Another important activity which will give you a very good idea about what films and televisions are all about, are film clubs that run in colleges and also film festivals like Mumbai International Film Festival, for Documentary and Short Films which are a very important par:! and a very significant factor in appreciation of films.

Some books which you can go through are:
Sight and Sound magazine by British Film Institute.
Our Films Their Films - Satyajit Ray
A Critical View - Andre Bazin, Francois Truffaut

Read screenplays of movies to get an idea of how a screen play is written. A few of the sites where you will get these are:
http://www.dailvscript.com/
http://www.cinema-sites.com/
http://www.awesomefilm.com/
http://sfv.iv.ru/

â€œIf you want to be in films or television, you must watch a lot of films and television so that you understand what works with the audience and what doesn’t, 1/ says director Kunaf Kohliâ€

Jeena
isi ka naam hai …
Ekta Kapoor is the creative director and founding force behind Balaji Telefilms which created 23 of the top 50 TV shows in India. The first woman entrepreneur to receive the coveted E& Y Start-up Entrepreneur of the year award in India, she has been named one of the 50 most powerful communicators in Asia by Asiaweek magazine.
Not all fairy tales have an easy start. There is a struggle after which the hard work pays off. The same is true for Ekta Kapoor too. Despite a family that was into films, the thought of facing the camera never interested her. The concept of being1)ehind the camera, however, intrigued her.
Ekta is a confident young woman who knows exactly what she wants. “Is it wrong to pre~nt tradition and middle class values? I know of no rule that says I have to have extra marital affairs in my serials! My serials show women in a strong and positive light, who have their values intact but also have a mind of their own. The seven-year-old company has moved from clocking 8.5 programming hours per day in January 2000, to 33 hours in January 2001″.
Ekta Kapoor has rewritten the script on TV entertainment for the masses. She has created more than 20 soaps on 10 major Indian networks; a comedy series ‘Hum Paanch’ that she created, ran for five years till the current K sorios wilh famous serials like ‘Kkusum’ which features on Sony TV or ‘Kkyunki Saas Bhi … ‘ which runs on Star TV. The Indian showbiz community watches Ekta’s every move, and older, more experienced producers are quick to copy any new Kapoor concept. She continues to produce absorbing dramas - whether about an ambitious tycoon or a beautiful but scheming wife or a 70-year-old grandmother looking for a job - that consistently strike a chord with viewers across the subcontinent.

â€œThe rich do not need values, the poor do not have time for them. It is middleclass values that my serials are about.”

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Film and Television

Nishkam Chatrath — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 08:06:00 +0000

We all know what films and television are, but we tend to think that itâ€™s all about acting. It isnâ€™t â€“ acting is just a part of the whole thing. If you want to get into films, you must understand all the different things that you could do or need to organize for the film as a whole to work.Â

A CELLULOID LIFE

â€œ With the advent of television, a new force is being given to the world. Who can tell what the power to extend vision will mean ultimately in the stream of human life?â€
-David Sarnoff, President of the Radio Corporation of America.

The film industry, though generally unorganized, gives employment to a large number of people. The young get drawn to this industry mainly due to the glamour that surrounds movies and the people associated with its making, though the reality is quite different. The process of making a movie may be quite grueling and taxing and involves a lot of repetitive work, but the end product may give immense creative satisfaction to its makers and artists performing in it.

Are you film-maker material?

Is a career in film-making for you? Have a look at your check list.

You should be:
An extrovert- Because this field is mostly about people and how interact with them . gifted with insight, creativity and ability to express- Because film and television is a medium of communication. So, if people are not able to understand what you want to convey, them the whole idea behind the exercise is a waste.

A team player - because in truth, thereâ€™s no single person in a film or television production who is solely responsible for its success.

Fairly meticulous about details â€“ anyone in production has got to be able to keep an eye on details, and not let anything slip.

An observer â€“ make notes about people. If you get into this profession, you need to understand how minds work because anything anywhere can spark off an idea and can emerge as the theme for a film or a television serial or an ad for that matter.

Hard working, patient and preserving. You should have the determination to carry on and passion for what you are doing..

Familiar as much as possible with human emotions, impulses and reactions. As with any profession in the media, all the experience that you have helps. Thatâ€™s because if youâ€™re in films or TV, youâ€™re in the business of communication, and you can only communicate effectively if youâ€™re aware of how people react to certain things, how people do certain things, and so on.

You should not:
Give up easily. Youâ€™ll working for long hours with all kinds of people. At times, youâ€™ll be away from home for long periods but you will have to take it in your stride.

A few other aspects of Film and Television

The Producer- is the person behind the scenes. Putting together a television show Involves a thousand details. From the script to the actors, from the sound to the props, who has final responsibility? He does. Heâ€™s the producer.

There are two kinds of producers…
The first is involved solely in finance. He will sit with the director and work out a budget and handover the cash. The other kind of producer is whatâ€™s known as an executive producer. Heâ€™ll be on the set while shooting is on, make sure everything thatâ€™s necessary for the shot is available. Handles all the involved in making the film (or television serial) and make sure everything is organized to the last detail and that the film or serial does not go over the budget.

Casting Director: This is the person whoâ€™s in constant touch with artists of different calibers and styles. Heâ€™ll arrange auditions and camera tests, work out fees dates, and in the case of extras, schedules. He, therefore, must have a huge database of actors of all types that he can draw upon for a film. So, if you want to cast Shah Rukh Khan or Salman khan in your next film, you know whom to contact.

Light Technician: The lighting guy makes sure thereâ€™s enough light for the camera to pick up movements clearly, or not so bright that it reflects off the camera lens. The responsibility is a great one, particularly because you have to know and understand the quality of light. All this is important to a film, because the film needs to be as realistic as possible. If thereâ€™s poor light outside and yet the scene demands a bright sunny morning, the light technician will set up his equipment in such a way that what you see in the final film be a bright sunny morning.

Scriptwriter: The scriptwriter is the person who has actually written out the story that will be made into a film or a serial. This involves creating the characters, creating the plot, writing the dialogues and so on. He also has to be something of a visualizer because he has to see where the story is going and how it must get there. He could even adapt a favourite book for the screen. Writing screenplays is one of the highest paying jobs a writer can do. In the 1990s, Joe Esterhaus made headlines when he earned $3 million for writing the screenplay for ‘Basic Instinct’.

Sound Technician: The sound guy is a very technical person. It’s his job to make sure that there are no outside sounds interfering when a film is being shot, that dialogue and music is picked up clearly by the mikes and so on. He can stop the shooting when the sound goes bad. For instance, if there’s a plane flying overhead during an outdoor shoot, he will hold up shooting till the plane has vanished completely. That’s because his equipment is so sensitive that it will pick up sounds that even the human ear cannot hear.

Editor: Do you think the film that you see is the same as when it is shot? If you do then you are mistaken. After a film or TV serial is shot and wrapped up, the editor takes over. He has to take the huge amount of film shot at various times and various places and, working with the director, cut it down to the required length, complete with commercial or interval breaks, in a cohesive manner, so that the story flows like it should. Since films are not shot on a continuous basis (the shooting of scene 1 is not necessarily followed by the shooting of scene 2), it’s the editor’s job to make sure that the continuity is maintained (that scene 1 is definitely followed by scene 2). This can be difficult, because if scene 2 is shot at a different time, say at 3 p.m. while scene 1 was shot at midnight, the editor has to use his skills to make sure the lighting stays consistent (so that scene 2 is not brighter than scene 1). The editor also gets the graphics into the film (that’s the opening and closing credits, the titles and so on). As someone who hasn’t been involved in its production, he’s in a position to see which scenes work and which don’t, where the film is losing focus, what needs to be cut out because it’s extraneous to the story, and so on. So, in a way, he becomes the second director ..

Cinematographer: Have you ogled at all those terrific locations that films usually show you? A brilliant view of America or the sunset or Aamir Khan dancing … well, the locations are beautiful but to show them just as they are or to capture them in a more beautiful way is the work of the cameraman or what the industry has named him - the Cinematographer. The qualified cinematographer is greater than a mere cameraman. He knows and understands his equipment to such an extent that he’ll be able to tell the director what his cameras can achieve in making the vision of the film real. Basically, the cinematographer translates the director’s vision on a film. He works with the director to create scenes where his camera picks up long shots, close-ups and so on, all of which contribute to the impact a scene can have on the audience. A lot of cinematographers have gone on to become directors.

Choreographer: Have you ever wanted to dance like Madhuri Dixit or dreamt about dancing like Hrithik Roshan on stage, moving your body in steps that are so amazing? Well, they don’t dance on their own - they have a person who teaches them those amazing steps that you always copy. A choreographer is required for the myriad songs that are necessary in Indian films. Typically, the choreographer will work with director to understand the reason why there’s a song at a certain point in a film (though the trend these days seems to be to scatter songs throughout the film without any reference to the storyline). The choreographer should know and understand different kinds of dance genres from all over the world, and should have trained in dance. Some of the famous Indian film choreographers you might have heard about or who may be your idols too are Saroj Khan who choreographed the famous ‘Bhumro’ dance in ‘Mission Kashmir’, which was picturized on Preity Zinta. Then Farah Khan, who has choreographed the famous ‘Chaiya Chaiya’ song from ‘Oil Se’, filmed on Shah Rukh Khan dancing on the train.

Costume Designer: A costume designer is necessary to the film or TV production because she/he understands how the characters should be dressed. For historical or period depictions, the designer has to do a great deal of research to find out how people at different levels of society were dressed at that time and create those costumes. For futuristic films, the costume designer has to figure out what kind of clothes people are likely to wear in 3005, for instance, and create those. For example, ‘Lagaan’ had a costume designer who had to design clothes for the villagers set around the independence period.

Set Designer: The set designer, also known as the art director, is a very vital part of production because she/he is the person who creates the actual physical surroundings of the characters. If the scene is set in a slum, the set designer will have to make a slum, if it’s a fancy nightclub, the set designer will create a nightclub. When it comes to Indian films, you’ll find that a lot of sets are ready-made, particularly at large studios such as Mumbai’s Film City, where you stumble across temples, railway stations, log cabins and so on, that you can hire and use (which may explain why certain scenes look so familiar in different films). These days, there are films where an entire set is designed and built to give the film the right feel. For example, the whole set lor ‘Devdas’was designed and built to give it that period feel of opulence

Music Director: The music director works with the director to create the music for the film/television serial. This comprises not only music for songs,
but also background music for various scenes in the film. Those amazing songs that you tap your feet to, sing along with the actors, some emotional, some wacky, some devotional, some romantic, expressing such emotions that it gives the movie a totally different feel. These days there are films like ‘Kaun’ and ‘Bhoot’, which work entirely due to their background score. Music has become an important aspect of television too. You have serials like ‘Kyun ki Saans bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ having a set of songs in between the serial, and care has to be taken for the composition of the title songs, as now they have become an important part of the serials itself. Music directors like Jatin-Lalit, Nadeem-Shravan late R.o. Burman, Anu Malik are some famous music directors

Fight Master/Stunt Director: The amazing stunts that Akshay Kumar performs or Sunil Shetty’s ability to
fight with so many people singleÂhandedly, is nothing but the efforts of the stunt director that have made it possible. The fight master or stunt director creates the fight scenes or stunts necessary. While a lot of stunts you see on screen are clearly masterpieces of editing, a lot are physically performed and the people doing them are directed by the fight master or stunt director. These days, stunts and fights are revolutionized by using special effects. ‘Matrix’ is a good example of this.
‘Raja Harishchandra’; made by Dadasaheb Phalke and released in 1913, was the first Indian-made feature film (3700 feet long).

Remixed India

It was RD. Burman, fondly called Panchamda, who brought grooviness into Hindi film music,
ushering in the era of electronic rock, and providing Hindi film music a whole new ‘happening’ sound. His hip and energetic youthful compositions proved extremely popular from the late 1960s till the early 1980s, providing much of the music that defines the reputation of singers like Asha Bhonsle and Kishore Kumar.
RD. trained under Ali Akbar Khan and entered films, assisting his father S.D. Burman. He often played the mouth organ in his father’s orchestra and occasionally even composed tunes CAe Meri Topi Palat ke Aa’ from Funtoosh’ (1956) and ‘Sar Jo tera Chakraye’ from ‘Pyaasa’ (1957)). The songs like ‘0 Haseena Zulfon Wali’, ‘Aaja Aaja Mein Hoon Pyaar Tera’, ‘0 Mere Son a Re Sona Re’, ‘Deewaana Mujhsa Nahin’, were unlike anything audiences had heard before and the music of ‘Tee sri Manzil’ was hummed across the nation.
RD. formed a formidable team with Nasir Hussain. With ‘Love Story’
(1981), RD. became the first choice for teenage love stories like ‘Betaab’ (1983) which owe a great deal of their success to his music. RD. also occasionally sang his own songs in a unique gravelly voice like ‘Duniya Mein’. from ‘Apna Desh’ (1972) and ‘Mehbooba, Mehbooba’ from ‘Sholay’ (1975). It is a tribute to RD.’s genius and the timelessness of his music, that most of the soundtracks today being re-mixed in the IndiPop scene are his compositions.

Have you got these with you?

Things you need to become a director:

A beard - all great filmmakers have beards-Steven Spielberg, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shyam Benegal Farhan Akhtar (a small goatee practically invisible, but it’s there). Don’t worry if you can’t grow a beard, you can always borrow one. Umm … one of those chairs- You know the collapsible ones that are made out of wood and canvas with director written on the back?
A famous film- you can make the most expensive film .. or you can make the cheapest film …
Got all of the above
Congratulations, you are now a
FILM DIRECTOR!

In the balance
What are the good and not-50-good bits about a career in film and television? Let’s see ..

The good bits:
It’s a highly creative process, so there’s a tremendous amount of
satisfaction after a project is complete.

You’re working with a large team of people, so there’s no chance of being lonely.

You make a lot of friends and useful contacts.

You’re part of the glamour industry, so other people will be gazing at you in awe.
Keep in mind, however:
This business works on contacts and word of mouth, so you need to be properly networked in your field. Without a network, you have little chance of succeeding.

There is no such thing as a weekend in this profession, no chance of availing of public holidays, little chance of sleep while a film or a serial is in the production stage. So kiss your friends and family goodbye.

Glamour industry or not, there are lots of myths about being in film and television, so you’ll find people slotting you into a certain stereotype which can be very annoying. Competition in this field is fierce.

World Cinema
Movies from all over the world which are worth a watch
‘Pather Panchali’ (Bengali) - Satyajit Ray
‘Oka Orie Katha’ (Telugu) Mrinal Sen
Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’ Girish Karnard’s (Kannada) ‘Vamsa Vriksha’ and ‘$amskara’
Roberto Benigni’s (Italy) ‘Life is Beautiful’,
Shekhar Kapoor’s ‘Elizabeth’
Akira Kurosawa (Japan) ‘Ikiru’
‘Battleship potornpkin” (Russia ) Sergei M Eisenstein.

Training required to get a job

Educational qualifications
Most of the areas in film-making are highly technical and therefore require professional training. Even for artists and directors who are basically creative people requiring inherent talent, training helps in honing the skills. No such educational qualifications are required, though you might as well get yourself a basic Bachelor’s degree in any Subject because that’s always helpful on your CV.
However, you’ll require a degree in some discipline if you want to study at the Films and Television Institute of India, Pune, which is the best-known institute for all aspects of film and TV Production. Selection for these Courses is through an aptitude test. For those interested in cinematography, you can apply to the FTII with a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, but with
maths and physics in your Plus 2. And Sound engineering and recording al
the FTII requires a B.Sc wilh physics, electronics and maths. Check out thu courses offered by international film schools like The London Film School, etc, to get an overview about the international film scenario.

Technical skills required
Currently, there are very few institutic;>ns offering technical courses in film-making, so the best thing to do is learn on the job. Try and attach yourself to a well-known and well- respected senior technician so as to learn from him.

Workplace
The workplace is chaotic and very stressful. What you see on screen as a plush and luxurious scene is just a few pieces of wood and furniture knocked together in a makeshift manner on an actual set. The sets can get incredibly hot and sweaty because of the lights, and work can also be very tedious, because a shot may sometimes be taken up to 100 times because some little thing went wrong. On the other hand, there’s a great deal of camaraderie on’the sets - everyone’s part of the team including the spot boys, everyone eats together and everyone gets respect for the part they’re playing in bringing out the production.

Use your contacts. Often, that’s the only way. That, and luck. Your patience might be rewarded. Now that television is getting more organized as an industry, you do stand a chance of landing a job, particularly if you’re from the FTII or National school of Drama. “Nowadays, with the television industry growing, people are open to hiring trainees,” says television producer Ravina Kohli. “But ultimately, you have to convince them that you really, really want to work in television.”

Career Launcher

(My Dream Career Series)

How much money you can make in Advertising?

Nishkam — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 08:02:00 +0000

Money tends to be good in advertising you could start at Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month and thereafter, the skyâ€™s the limit. â€œSometimes, you could get paid so much that it doesnâ€™t make sense even to you.â€ says Sunil mahadik. â€œBut that depends strictly on talent.â€

You can start as a trainee, no matter which aspect of advertising you work in. then you could work your way up the ladder. Client servicing people and media buyers are usually picked up right after their MBA programme, though of course, they can also apply to the head honchos of their fields in an ad agency. Art and copy people could get into creative arts and film, TV and radio production. Some of the famous ad agencies are Mudra, FCB ULKA. Leo Bernett, Lowe, Ogilvy&Mather (O&M), St.Lukes Communications, which have their branch offices all over India. You could to any of these if they are set up in your city. You will get a good amount of exposure while you are working in these as they have big clients and huge competitors.

Career Launcher

(My Dream Career Series)

Advertising

Nishkam — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 07:50:00 +0000

Do you wonder why ads have to interrupt serials an not the other way round? If you find the war between the pepsi and coke ads more interesting than a Michael Schumacher race, then this is the career for you.

A world of Ideas:

Advertising is essential a part of that industry which involves communication of information and ideas by using various mediums like news papers, magazines, poster, web sites, commercial on tvâ€™s, hoardings, exhibitions, sales promotion campaigns and demonstrations. Advertising serves three basic purposes: first is sales promotion, i.e.to persuade people to buy a particular product or service or to attend an event, second is image building of a company or an organization or an event, and the third is to bring about awareness of a particular scheme or developmental programme taken up by the government or developmental agency for the welfare of people.

Any big advertising agency would surprise a number of operational departments like client servicing, creative department, media department, and production department. Work differs in each department an so do the desired personal working in these departments. Like, a person in creative department of an advertising firm needs to be original and creative and have the ability to create campaigns(an organized programme of adâ€™s) suitable to the requirements. Similarly, those in client servicing department should be adept in negotiating and therefore have excellent communication and numerical skills.

Is a career in advertising for you? Have a look at our check list.

You should:
Â· Ideate all the time, be full of ideas; because you never know what your client will approve of.
Â· Be able to look at the world from various angels; as you never know what can spark off an idea for an ad you might be working on.
Â· Be an effective communicator, since advertising is all about communication.
Â· Be a team player; as any piece of advertising is never yours alone. Itâ€™s agroup of people who work together to create that single piece of communication.
Â· â€œBe a good reader and an avid film watcher,â€ says Rupa Gulab, whoâ€™s been a copywriter for more than 18 years. â€œ because books and films teach you a lot of things that you may never have experienced in your life about places, situations, relation ships, etc. music appreciation is also very important because, remember, youâ€™ll be working on films, jingles, and radio.â€
Â· Have the ability to cope in a competitive environment.
Â· Be sensitive towards consumer behaviour and current trends.

You should not:
Â· Have a closed mind. Be open to everything around you . you never know what can inspire you at the last moment.
Â· Stick to the tried and tested all the time. Try to think out of the box. People respond to weird ideas more than to the ones already done before.
Â· Be sensitive to rejection because your client may not like a lot of your ideas. And as far as advertising goes: the client is god.

Career Luancher

(My Dream Career Series)

11 Things NOT to Do the First Week on Your New Job

Nishkam — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 12:25:00 +0000

According to Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence”, the hardest thing kids must do is break into an already-formed play group.

In adult life, that’s starting a new job.

We are intensely territorial at heart. Our reptilian brains are keyed to be suspicious of “intruders,” and to fear what we don’t know. Your first few days in a new job, you’re being scrutinized under a microscope and are only tentatively welcome. Use your Emotional Intelligence to survive the first 100 hours! Here are 11 things NOT to do.

1. Don’t FORGET PEOPLE’S NAMES.

If you do nothing else, remember people’s names. When introduced, wait expectantly for a cue. If they stick out their hand, shake it. if they don’t, just smile and say the usual.

2. Don’t MOVE IN TOO FAST.

Take it easy bringing your “things” to the office. Save the photos and personal items for a while. Place your yogurt discretely at the back of the refrigerator. Don’t grab any old cup from the coffee room, or start making the coffee until you see how it’s done. It’s a reptilian, territorial thing. You’re moving into THEIR turf.

3. Don’t TALK TOO MUCH, REVEAL TOO MUCH, OR EXPRESS UNNECESSARY FEELINGS OR OPINIONS.

Keep your conversation light, neutral, and just enough to be friendly. Sure as you get loose, you’ll step on someone’s toes. You don’t know yet who just got divorced, who’s married to an Italian, and who’s opposed to daycare. As soon as you say, “Well personally I hate…” the next person who comes in will have that, do that, like that, or live there.

Use “neutral” language and tone of voice, like the anchor people do. Avoid any slang or colloquialisms in this new country. The King’s English: what you learned in school.

4. Don’t ASSUME ANYTHING.

Maybe everyone leaves at 5:31 on the dot; maybe they don’t. Keep a low profile and pay attention to what others are doing. You’re moving into an established culture and they have a set way of doings things whether they’re mindful of it or not. You want to fit in, not stand out. Remember the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

5. Don’t OVERDO IT. THAT THREATENS PEOPLE.

Save the designer stuff and status symbols. Appearing “better than,” in any way, will backfire on you later. If you drive a brand new expensive something or other, park at the back of the lot, and don’t advertise it. If you just got back from a barefoot cruise, or just bought a new home, save it for later. You don’t know the circumstances of those around you. The person you’re telling may have just filed bankruptcy.

And speaking of parking … one first day on a job, with uncanny bad form, I actually managed to park in the boss’ unmarked, but definitely claimed, parking place. “How lucky,” I thought. “I can park right in front of the door.”

6. Don’t VOLUNTEER.

They don’t trust you yet. “Get” that. Don’t volunteer to make the coffee or make the nightly run to FedEx. You could poison them. You might never make it to the FedEx office. (I am not kidding.)

7. Don’t MAKE IT TOO HARD, OR TOO EASY.

Pace your initial tasks. If you start out blazing, you’ll be held to that pace forever, or you may threaten others who do what you do. If you go too slow, you might not be there long. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

8. Don’t SAY ‘NO’.

If you’re asked to join them for lunch, pitch in for a baby shower gift, “grab the phone,” or do a task for someone, say “yes.” If something goes against the grain (and there’s always one person in an office who tries to make life hell for the new guy it seems), file it for later. First you need to find out how disputes are handled.

The good manager, the one with the high EQ who knows people, and knows HER people, will tell you, “If so-and-so gives you any trouble, just be nice. Then come tell me and I’ll take care of it.”

The inept manager won’t know, or isn’t willing to deal with it, and you’ll have to figure it out for yourself. How do you do this? By having your antennae out. Observe and process.

EXCEPTION: Occasionally in an office you’re ignored for the first few weeks, except by the loser, who will ask you to join him or her for lunch, trying to build an alliance. In that case, you come up with an excuse (”Sorry, gotta run to the bank at noon.”)

9. Don’t CRITIQUE, CRITICIZE, or APPEAR TO BE COMPLAINING.

You’ll notice things that could be done differently and better, but if you speak at this point it will sound like complaining or criticizing. If it’s too hot or too cold, for instance, wait it out. The “new kid on the block” isn’t entitled to anything. You can straighten the place out later.

10. Don’t VIOLATE PACK BEHAVIOR.

You watch the Discovery Channel, donâ€™t you? Well, picture the troop of monkeys, i.e., if youâ€™re not the alpha male, youâ€™re just one of the pack, so start grinning and grooming the others.

11. Donâ€™t UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFECT OF INITIAL CONDITIONS.

In physics itâ€™s called â€œsensitive initial conditions.â€ It means the way â€œitâ€ (any system) begins makes a huge and permanent difference. Think of what you say and do as being broadcast with a loudspeaker into a cavern which will reverberate and echo for months. Thereâ€™s not such thing as an â€œinnocent commentâ€ when youâ€™re new, and if you show up in a bright print dress when everyone else is in neutral and pants, youâ€™ll reinvent the term â€œsticking out like a sore thumb.â€

The onus (hard work) is on you. They will be adjusting to you. You must adapt to them, a far stronger concept. When in doubt, get coaching! You want to get off to a good start.

Susan Dunn

http://career.preferredconsumer.com

â€¢Â Step One:	Targeting Your Career and Audience
â€¢Â Step Two:Â	Formatting for Maximum Impact
â€¢Â Step Three:Â	Skill Set and Qualifications Summary
â€¢Â Step Four:Â	Accomplishments and Special Skills
â€¢Â Step Five:Â	Professional Experience
â€¢Â Step Six:Â	Education and Training