Careerbench.info

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(v) Upright & competent Officer being superceded or sidelined due to external influence or for lack of pliability.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

Nishkam Chatrath — 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