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Institution 2018

If you do not make it to Tier A Institution

So, you arduously prepare for the Entrance test and are all set for the coveted Tier A college of your choice. But, lo! you just missed the mark. You would not be able to make it to the IIT/NIT league. Or, you appeared for CLAT but did not make it to the top NLU’s. What now worries you is “ What do I do with a degree from a Tier B institution? The placements are not all that great”. 

 

No worries! There are ways more than one to make sure you have a job offer in hand as soon as you graduate from college. No one would say-”Oh, you are just a fresher, that too from a Tier B institution”.

 

Following are some of the ways:

 

Be ‘Hands On’:

 

The world is changing, and WE are changing faster! Whether you go for a technical or non technical role, you would need to beef up your resume with technical proficiency. Gone are those days when your technical proficiency section was limited to MS Office. Therefore, utilize your time in getting a ‘hands on’ of  various tools. Here are just a few examples of tools you might include in the technical skills section:

  • Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Hootsuite, Buffer, TweetDeck
  • CRM Systems: RightNow, Salesforce.com (SFDC), Microsoft Dynamics CRM
  • Blog Platforms: WordPress, HubSpot, Movable Type, Tumblr, FlatPress
  • Email Service Providers (ESPs): BlueHornet, MailChimp, ConstantContact.
  • Project Management Tools: Trello, Asana, Microsoft Project, Basecamp.

Recruiter Speak

Shreeja Devaraj, Recruiter, Saguna Consulting Services, a Management Consulting firm with offices in Ludhiana and Vizag, says,” While hiring freshers, we look at the college or institution they graduated from. But that is not the primary deciding factor. More important is what the candidate has been doing while earning his degree. If the attitude is positive and he has enough hands on experience of tools that would be handy in his profile, certainly he gets an edge over another candidate who has just an institution name to flaunt”.

 

Select internships well

Student Speak:

  1. Jaya Harsha Vardini, BBA-LLB ( Hons.), 4th year, Lovely Professional University, says,

I have always felt that the subjects we study are the same, the professors who teach us are are equally qualified, the grades we get are also the same, but the NLU pass outs get the cake served on a platter while a  non NLU student like me has to fight my  way to grab a spoon. I am not going to sugar quote the truth , the struggle is real! But I am also not going to deny the fact that we deserve to get the platter,  all it takes is just a little extra work to get it.

I have been vigilant from the day one with my grades, co-curricular and extra-curricular. Although I feel that just presenting a paper or participating in a moot is not enough, the world needs something extra, something different. Since I want to get placed in the corporate sector once I graduate, I have worked hard and have always  chosen the internships at the right places.I have recently completed my internship at the Luthra and Luthra Law offices which is one of the top law firms in India. While interning I always take the work given seriously and try my best create a good impression, something they would remember me by. Moreover I have taken many summers schools because it speaks for itself that I have gone out of way to learn something extra. Even while choosing the summer schools, I have chosen the ones related to the corporate subjects. I have narrowed my focus on few subjects. I have completed certificate courses in the Intellectual Property Rights and am looking forward to attend a summer college at the University of South California this year. I feel that the internships and summer schools don’t just add a feather to my cap , but they get a seat for me at the table reserved for top students”.

 

Curate your online presence

If you feel that your networking should start after your degree, you are mistaken. And if you somehow believe, just because you do not get into the top league, people will not notice, you are even more mistaken. There’s usually a line of candidates who will also go through the interview process before/after you. Once the company decides that you make the shortlist, many also search for you online to see if there’s anything else they find.

Maintain a LinkedIn profile, even if you don’t have work experience. LinkedIn has a public part of the profile that shows up when someone searches your name. A quick note on recommendations: Stay away from too many recommendations from your peers. They will definitely find you extremely talented and a future asset to any team, and the interviewer will definitely discount their views. Try getting recommendations from your professors, or from senior professionals that you do your college internships with. That counts a lot more.

Also, be careful about what you say on twitter or on facebook. It may seem wonderful to shoot out something funny or vehement on a political scandal. But remember, your future employer may not find it funny, or think you naive or fanatic.

 Take on unpaid work

Instead of cribbing that you could not make it to your dream institute, make the most of your time. You can build your resume while getting your degree. You can take on some volunteer work that can help bolster your resume. Taking on short-term unpaid (or low-paying) gigs can give you additional experience in your chosen specialty, and can increase your chances of being the perfect candidate for your dream job. 

 

Summing up:

Therefore, while you anxiously wait for an email or a letter that hopefully contains good news of  admission to a college of your choice;in case you don’t, do not fret and fume. You can take small steps to make your degree from any college  work for you, so much so… that the sender of that envelope ceases to matter.

Let’s retire the Pitch

#1 Deepak, Can we chat today at 2? I have a super business idea to talk about…

#2 We will try to build the brand by exploiting social media while reaching out to potential partners to create the cross promotional opportunities. This might  will lead to higher marketplace visibility for our value proposition.

When in investors meetings, Do you come across claims similar to these? If yes, here are some common responses.

#1- Oh, not again..

#2- Damn- This is nonsensical balderdash delete- delete permanently- never show this message again.

Phew!

What’s wrong with the way we pitch.? 

We are so pushy when we sell, that we desperately grope for ’I’s and get lost in them.

So, what do we do? 

Having been in the Management Consulting industry for close to a decade now, and being tossed over by people multiple times, we’ve gone to a point where we can actually help companies pitch to investors and come out victorious.

Here’s how:

If you pitch, they will itch:

Well, you heard it right. DO NOT PITCH. The moment you pitch, there is a queasy feeling in the pit of the stomach” This guy wants me to shell out some money”. Try this.

Tell a story not of your brand or product, but of what is happening around you. Whether it is customers or investors, they will get hooked to what you say. And when you do this effectively, you will create a stronger connection between you and your buyers. This connection is often based on the fact that they can relate to your brand on a personal level, giving them even more reason to buy.

The famous novelist Virginia Woolf once said, “ Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end.”

Strike at that consciousness. Appeal to the heart. Back it up with facts. 

Approach linear, and you have lost it. Start by naming the undeniable shift in the world that creates big stakes and huge urgency for your prospect.

The heart and the head go hand in hand…

If your elevator pitch is long, they will take the staircase:

When I go for networking events, one of the questions that I ask everyone who I meet is” What does your company do? Or which business are you in- Often times, I have seen CXO’s go on a monologue describing their business and I stifle a yawn.

This is precisely what you should not do while pitching. You start with a crisp and brisk elevator pitch that is hyphenated between small talk and how your product or service would solve a problem or make their lives easier. have a well-crafted pitch that takes no longer than a minute to deliver in an unhurried — but rehearsed manner. 

Brevity is the soul of wit…

If you meander, they would wander:

Professional investors, such as venture capitalists and serious angel investors, do not have long attention spans. The reason is not necessarily that they have attention deficit disorders but that they need to consider, evaluate, and choose among so many investment proposals that 30 minutes of uninterrupted time is all you can reasonably expect to have to present your proposal. 

Be sure to talk about the initial pain point your product solves.How did you come across it? Why are you solving it? Why is your approach the best one and how can you solve the problem for more people as a result of raising capital?

Be clear, simple and easy to act upon. 

Omit the fluff…

If you just talk about API’s want to know about KPI’s

You may be a tech geek going aboard about the cutting edge technology you would use in the product. Period. That interests only you.

Great investors understand KPIs. They would be interested in knowing what your KPI’s would be.

For example, a basic KPI such as Total Sales is critical for understanding if the company is performing well. “Underlying” KPIs are equally as important. For example, if sales are affected by 1) number of visitors to your website, 2) number of visitors who complete a contact form, 3) number of proposals you issue to these leads, and 4) the proposal closing ratio, then you should have a mechanism to track each one of them. It’s critical to identify the KPIs you will track in your business and list them in your strategic plan.

The numbers should say it, ALL…

They ask, you answer:

When you pitch a product, you do that to make the world a better place, create a long-term business that will keep you engaged and richly employed, and bequeath a legacy that will take care of your progeny. In contrast, the investor’s thinking process is usually “How do I make a lot of money in a short to moderate time frame?”  whose thinking process controls whether the entrepreneur closes on an investment?

Therefore, you must ensure your PowerPoint presentation and business plan address how the investor will make money from investing in your product or PoC. 

Be prepared to answer  investors questions about how the investment will be monetized through, among other things, licensing agreements with larger companies or a strategic sale of itself to a larger company.

Keep your food where your mouth is, or rather where your investor’s mouth is…

Repeat this for every pitch you do and after 3 or 4 pitches you should notice you’re getting fewer questions 

You would not only have pitched perfect but also been able to ride over the conundrum of the ‘yawn’ and ‘delete in the mind’ options of the investor.

That’s when you retire the pitch and bring to life real results.

After all, you get patted for trying and paid for producing.



Empowering QA

Empowering QA- From the fringes to the folds

CxO levels, be ready to take some tough calls this year!

If you wish to take your organization to the next level, empower your QA team. With agile becoming more and more ubiquitous, QA team would occupy more of  a centrestage in the coming years. The traction and attention  your business gets in the market would  depend on-  What is your attitude towards quality in the digital era? And what role does your QA team play in the entire value chain in driving digital transformation? Do you put the horse before the cart?

The numbers say it all.

Glassdoor just released its 50 Best Jobs In America 2017 list, and  QA Manager ranked number 22. At Saguna, this ranking doesn’t surprise us. In fact, we see a lot of potential for this role to become even more coveted in the coming years. 

Now, the question arises, how do we empower the QA team?

Do not micro manage:

When agile and Devops walked in, micromanagement walked out of the door. Micromanagement is akin to tortoise in the game and it represents a role-based rather than a project-based mindset. Most importantly, it doesn’t allow people to come together creatively.

So, time to let go of all the minute details and trust your team. This feeling is something that managers switching from waterfall to agile struggle with often and they enter into a portmanteau- Wagile.

Therefore, empower your QA team to take their own decisions. They should be able to tell you- “ The app is not ready to go live, it shows a snag on IE”. or “ The whole sale transfer of one language to another would not contribute to the scalability of the application”.

And, trust me,  it would not lead to egomaniacal overconfidence…

Invest in full stack QA:

Quality is essential for our products and business, and many organizations underestimate the value of QA. In theory, QA should be involved in the project development lifecycle right from the start, but in practice, it doesn’t happen often enough. A full-stack QA team which grows and enables full-stack QA engineers, will help make it happen.

Put simply: #loveQA. For you to make it to Glassdoor rankings and beyond…

Birds of a feather…

When it comes to QA it is always better that they work in pairs. Knowledge transfer via pair testing is one of the most efficient way to train new members and maintain agile team velocity, assuming your team has senior testers or developers who are willing to share their knowledge and time with new team members. Pair testing is similar to pair programming, which is an agile software development technique in which two programmers work together at one workstation.  In pair testing, two team members work together at one keyboard to test the software application. One does the testing and the other analyzes or reviews the testing. This can be done between a tester and a developer or a business analyst or between two testers with both participants taking turns at driving the keyboard. Pairing is useful in breaking down communication barriers between developers and testers and creating interdependence between people in functional silos– thus building strong workplace alliances.

Birds of a feather, will always flock together…

Less is more:

When it comes to testing, less is more. Over testing does not lead to better testing. Instead, empower your QA team to frame test cases in a manner that maximises coverage and minimises duplication. This can be done by just focussing on the critical path and also proofreading the test cases. The tests can be modular test suites that can be integrated into the developer’s workflow.

Therefore, if you wish to escalate your business, involve QA in the centrestage. 

That’s how a Facebook and a Google is made…

Isn’t it?



Taxation Careers go Bullish

Taxation Careers go Bullish

It is the best of times and it is the worst of times. The budget 2018 comes as a mixed bag. It is the first union Budget after the implementation of GST in July 2017. After its implementation, most provisions of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) were tweaked and tax rates of numerous products were reduced in subsequent GST council meets which resulted in a sharp decline in government’s tax collection figures.GST replaced more than a dozen indirect taxes; these indirect taxes together formed a bulk of the government’s earnings. Service tax alone accounted for more than 14% of the government’s revenue in the last Budget in 2017. .Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who is also the GST Council Chief has stated that this year’s budget will provide further opportunity for him to address issues related to GST and also to further tweak the GST rates. Almost every sector desires a rate cut in the GST rates but probably only a few of these expectations will be met on the budget day given the precarious fiscal situation that the FM has to deal with. This may sound precarious, but looking at it from a careers perspective, it opens a tangent a job opportunities in the accountancy and taxation consultancy field. Let us take a look:

Tax Consultant:

The new budget creates a spurt of opportunities for taxation consultants.Tax advisors have an important role to play in advising clients on the tax implications arising out of business transactions and ensuring that clients are well versed with tax laws,Various other sectors like e-commerce, retailing, manufacturing, services, logistics, supply chain, banking and financial sector will see a substantial rise in the job opportunities in the upcoming season.Many large corporates have set up special GST cells internally to deal with the new tax regime.

What does a tax consultant do?

Tax consultant, also known as tax advisor is an experts in tax law, planning and compliance. He serves businesses and individuals alike by staying current on new tax law and positioning taxpayers for short and long term tax optimization. A tax consultant typically expands on the role of tax preparer. While tax consultants prepare tax returns, they also often work closely with clients throughout the year to ensure client tax liability is minimized. Tax consultants are strong written and verbal communicators able to explain tax law and strategies in a way that is accessible and easy for clients to understand. Tax consultants work for public accounting firms, law offices, financial consulting firms and many even have their own independent tax preparation and consultation businesses. In all settings, tax consultants can be expected to perform duties that include:

  • Conducting research on tax laws
  • Strategizing with clients to minimize tax liability
  • Communicating with clients to explain tax issues
  • Preparing tax returns
  • Estate planning
  • Keeping clients compliant with their tax obligations

Examinations:

To be a tax consultant, you need to be a commerce graduate, You will need to get into a professional course like CA, ICWAI or MBA followed by a Tax Consultancy course. One can opt for various courses in Taxation that are very attractive and have a great knowledge and training in taxation. Some of the courses that can be done are the, certification course in taxation, degree course in taxation, doctorate level course.

Institute scape

  • Cosmic Business school, New Delhi
  • St. Peter’s College, Kochi
  • I.G.SS, Bangalore
  • Nagpur College of Taxation, Nagpur
  • St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
  • Symbiosis Law School
  • India Law Society Law College
  • Balaji Law College, Pune
  • Arihant Education Foundations, Arihant college of Commerce, Pune

Institutes and Certificate Courses:

To cope up with the ongoing changes in GST and bring greater awareness about the new tax proposals and policy, the Indirect Taxes Committee of the ICAI has introduced the Certificate Course on GST The objective of this Course is to enhance the knowledge as well as to provide benefit to the members in the global service market. It aims to facilitate the members in industry as well in practice by: providing specialized and updated knowledge in the area of GST in a systematic manner and enhancing analytical and problem solving skills for decision making. All the members of the ICAI ie:”chartered accountant” who is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India constituted under this Act 1949) are eligible for this course which is of 10 days duration available in two options – weekends and weekdays from Mon to Fri.

Cleartax :

It offers a comprehensive learning program for CAs, CS, Law practitioners, legal consultants or on GST prepared by various indirect tax experts.You can grasp basic to the most advanced concepts of GST supported by e-learning videos,quiz and webinars to respond to the queries.

TaxGuru:

Various batches for Online Certification Courses are being organised by the the GST professionals and Taxguru to make people understand this new taxation system in the best way.

ChalkStreet :

A solution for tax professionals,legal consultants, accountants,students or even a casual taxable person.This comes loaded with a number of useful videos,pdf files, webinars and tests as well.

GST Centre :

You shall get a whole range of GST courses and Diplomas in GST like a beginners course,an intermediate course,an expertise course or a business management course.

ICT Academy :

ICT Academy is an initiative of Government of India and has been selected by NACEN, Government of India for undertaking training on GST. 

Newer Avenues:

In this journey towards a newer tax regime, fresh avenues have started blooming which has brought about 20% average growth rate of niche tax firms. 

Boutique Tax firms:

The complexity of GST is being taken up seriously by companies who want to avert all sorts of associated risks. The timing is certainly apt for carving out a niche for all the boutique tax firms in India and the increasing need for tax consultants.Most of the organizations have started discussing taxation in boardrooms trying to mitigate any risk arising out of it. This increased focus because of the associated complexity has increased the involvement of senior tax experts. In SMEs and promoter driven organization, preference for boutique and smaller firms have been there for many years as they are skeptical of sharing all confidential information which includes their personal taxation data with the larger firms. 

Additionally, senior level personalized attention by  hand holding the promoters by Take for example, consultancy firm Ernst & Young India. In its Indirect Tax practice, the firm has seen over 60 per cent increase in hiring. Almost all our Indirect Tax hiring in FY2017 was GST related. 

Therefore, for all those who are in accountancy, taxation, and financial management, there are some exciting times ahead.

Careers in Cashless Economy

Careers in Cashless Economy

Over the past year or so, following demonetization, India has been making ardent efforts to move towards a cashless transaction economy by minimising the use of physical cash. This is in consonance with ‘Digital India’ programme which has a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. “Faceless, Paperless, Cashless” is one of professed role of Digital India. The leading advantage of building a cashless economy is elimination of black money. This has other implications on the economy. It changes the face of existing jobs and also sends a spiral of new set of jobs and careers.

Let us take a look

UPSCALING OF SECTORS AND CAREERS:

Infrastructure:

If we have to move towards a digital economy, we also need to build an infrastructure around it. In 2014 (as per the  data available), there were 18 ATMs and 13 commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults – in comparison, the number in Brazil was 129 and 47 respectively. If we have to keep pace with the growing use of plastic currency, we need to step up the infrastructure in terms of ATM’s in the rural and semi urban areas.This would mean an increase in jobs related to construction and infrastructure.

Financial/ Digital Literacy:

To gravitate towards a cashless economy, there has to be a complete change of mindset in India. People have to start trusting other forms of transaction other than cash. RBI and many other premier banks conduct the literacy programmes in the rural areas, especially. However, the literacy levels, especially related to finance and digital usage, have to improve. This is a pre-condition for the success of the digital push or the cashless economy. A nationwide financial literacy campaign accompanied by a medium-term strategy to improve access to, and awareness of, electronic payments has to be launched. Targeted financial education programmes can improve financial skills and credit management, and increase account ownership. The RBI and finance ministry have made Financial Literacy Centres (FLCs) a cornerstone of the PMJDY. These centres provide tailored financial education programmes to introduce adults to banking products and setting financial goals. Well-publicised literacy activities conducted at the 1,400-odd FLCs will go a long way in realizing the vision of a cashless-economy. So, if you have an understanding of the Digital world and are willing to train, there are various job opportunities available for you.

FIn Tech:

Due to the change in the way money changes hands, there has been an upscale of Fintech sector with many start ups garnering attention. As credit underwriting for MSMEs remains a challenge, fintech firms bringing in technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, psychometric analysis and social media behaviour analytics to evaluate credit-worthiness is a welcome development. This creates a need for IT jobs that have a confluence of Finance and technology- both as a functional consultant who has an idea of how the system works and also someone who can write code for such applications and has an understanding of Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning.

Cryptocurrency:

One thing that is in no doubt, however, is that the phenomenon of the cryptocurrency is here to stay; in fact, it has opened up a whole new sector in the crossover world between the IT and financial investment fields. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Asiadigicoin have also been the recipients of a positive upswing from Modi’s currency purge.The interest in cryptocurrencies themselves is almost matched by the increasing attention that is being paid to the underlying blockchain technology, which many think could revolutionize the way we do business in wider ways than were ever imagined.

Tech companies, banks, consulting firms and private sector businesses are all hiring blockchain developers, and demand is currently outstripping supply. This has led to a spike in the number of small business consultancies springing up to meet demand and get a slice of the pie.In many cases, large companies will look to build a team around a small core of developers with expertise in blockchain technology. This means a wealth of support roles for anyone with solid software engineering and development skills and a basic understanding of the underlying blockchain principles. You may get a job as a Social Media Marketing Manager (Cryptocurrency), Cryptocurrency Engineer, Marketing Content Manager, Blockchain/Cryptocurrency Associate. It is also true that it is not all about blockchain. Anyone with expertise in aspects such as online security and networking can also play a vital role alongside the developers. You would need to beef up your Engineering degree with the following courses from abroad:

Universities that Offer Blockchain Courses

George Mason University offers a master/phd level course “Blockchain Technologies”

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign offers “Cryptocurrency Security”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a course called “Shared public ledgers, cryptocurrencies”

  • New York University- USA
  • Duke University- USA
  • Princeton University- USA
  • Stanford University- USA
  • University of California- Berkeley- USA

Mobile wallets:

 

A natural offshoot of a cashless economy is mobile wallet industry. The value and volume of mobile wallet transactions more than doubled in the last year alone and as such the industry is leading the charge to making India a cashless economy. Increased adoption of smartphones and mobile data packages has been one of largest contributors to this growth and as the penetration of the technology increases and mobile data costs come down, the industry is primed for further growth. Mobile wallet providers have now become a kind of mini banking institutions (Payments banks) and it would not be surprising if they will get their banking licenses, and follow the path like Paytm, Airtel etc. 

 

The mobile wallet roles not only include those of developers who make a good product, but also market it in a way that touches every consumer aspect from excellent UI/UX to all basic wallet features to one touch payment –millennial generation – to one to one customer engagement. Then there are roles that can bring about an integration between hardware and software and also an expertise in NFC which is now available on nearly all high-end smartphones. This will be very lucrative if we take into consideration the Government’s agenda of financial inclusion. 

 

Cyber Security:

As India shifts to a cashless economy, cyber-threats are at a new high with the number of such incidents occurring in banking systems increasing. This calls for an increase in demand for Cyber security professionals. They use innovative technology to combat hackers, cyber terrorists, network outages, and other technical problems that could compromise network security. There are lots of opportunities in government agencies and defense/aerospace firms for cyber security professionals. However, all kinds of companies are looking for cyber security professionals nowadays. You may get job as an Information Security Analyst,Software Security Engineer, Security Architect, Penetration Tester, Information Security Crime Investigator or a Forensic expert.

Colleges offering B.Tech & M.Tech (Cyber Security) in India:

  • GNA University, Phagwara, Punjab
  • University of Technology and Management – [UTM], Shillong
  • Raksha Shakti University – [RSU], Ahmedabad
  • Graphic Era University – [GEU], Dehradun
  • Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science – [HITS], Chennai

Some courses being offered  abroad:

  • Cisco Networking Academy, USA is providing free online courses named as CyberSecurity Essentials.
  • Wilmington University, New Castle, Delaware is providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs
  • Lewis University, Romeoville, IL is providing BA & BS Degree program
  • Masterstudies, UK is providing M.Tech in Cyber Security program
  • Mercy College, USA is providing B.S And M.S Cyber security Program
  • Cranfield University, UK, M.SC degree in Cyber Security
  • University of Salford, UK , M.Sc Degree in Cyber Security.
  • St. Mary’s University, USA, M.Sc degree in Cyber Security.

Certifications

If you already work in the field of cyber security, you know how important certifications can be. While they are certainly not the end all be all, and will not land you a job on their own, they carry a lot of weight, are definite resume boosters and are sometimes required for employment. Important certifications that those looking to make a career in cyber security should consider obtaining include:

CISSP – The Certified Information Systems Security Professional. If you want to work at the Department of Defense, obtaining your CISSP certification is a requirement. And it carries a lot of weight beyond the Dept. of Defense as well. By getting your CISSP certification you open the door to higher level positions and the possibility of increased pay.

CISM – Certified Information Security Manager. This certification focuses on governance, risk management and compliance.

CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor. This certification focuses on auditing, controlling, monitoring and assessing information systems and can add a significant pay boost to a cyber security professional’s annual salary.

GIAC – Global Information Assurance Certification. This certification focuses on specialty hands-on technical capabilities such as intrusion detection and forensics among others.

CEH – Certified Ethical Hacker. For entry-level applicants, a CEH certification can be a great way to land your first job or get you into an entry-level position at your top choice company.

The Road Ahead:

The path forward is clear. By year 2020, nearly $500 billion worth of transactions in India will happen digitally, using online wallets and other digital-payment systems, 10 times the level currently, according to a report by Google India and The Boston Consulting Group. This would change the face of existing jobs and create some new ones. Therefore, switch your gears and be ready to upskill yourself as India marches ahead, yet another year, into cashless economy.

lagunge Love

The Language Love

One of the offshoots of Globalization has been the need for businesses to expand their wings in multiple countries. This has led to the creation of a flat world where people need to cross barriers and do transact with their counterparts across nations. To do that with fluidity, we need translators who have fluency in multiple languages.Translation can be a rewarding career, either as a full-time vocation or as a supplement to your writing jobs. As a translator, your main work is to translate texts from one language to the desired language without there being an iota of difference in its interpretation to the reader from the original text. Those translators are considered as successful who are able to impress their readers with simplicity and intact originality of the text they have translated. However, translators in the 21st century find themselves in a difficult position.On the one hand there is a steadily growing demand for translation as a result of increasing global trade and communication generally. On the other hand it becomes harder and harder for the professional translator to meet this demand. Also there is Machine Translation that is catching up fast. So, translators need to add that extra potion of value to play catch up with Machine Translation with respect to speed. Without translation, there’s no global business. We need to become more confident and to make a strong story of our business. The translation industry has a future, but we need to change because the world is changing.  Getting In: Today,youngsters are opting to learn Spanish, French, German and Italian, to name some of the popular languages, for full-time careers. Arabic, Persian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Russian, are a few more. You should have fluency and command over at least in two languages and have a flair for writing.  To get admission in good university and colleges, graduation is must.  For good translation, one has to go into the soul of the content. It is also recommended to see the translation work of seniors and experts.   There are forking pathways  to learn foreign languages. Whereas several students start learning a foreign language in their school, numerous others opt the course after their 10+2 and go for graduation courses that are offered by various institutes, colleges and universities.    In order to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in any foreign language, you should have cleared the higher secondary school certificate or 10+2 from a recognized board. The duration of the bachelor’s course is mostly three years. You may linearly step up into a Master’s degree after completion of graduation in the  relevant stream.. Usually the duration of the course is two years. You can also go in for a PhD which is being offered at select universities in India. Those are interested in higher education in foreign languages can opt for post-graduation and PhD which are being offered at select universities in India. After doing the diploma or degree course, you can join some job as a junior translator or can go for the higher studies in the respective languages provided by various universities/institutions. Like for Japanese, there is a language proficiency test conducted by Mombusho Scholars Association and Alliance Francaise is the centre for conducting various French tests like the TEF (required by Canadian High Commission), the TCF, DELF/DALF test and diploma delivered by the French Ministry of Education. Skillset:   To get into translation, you should possess fairly good knowledge of the language and have good research and communication skills. In case of a foreign language, it is an added advantage if you know about the history, economy and the political system of that nation. Besides, it is also necessary to have public speaking skills, analytical skills and be computer savvy.   Course Cursor:   Courses after XII:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Translation and Interpretation)

  • Bachelors in Journalism & Media

  • BS Communication

  • BA Honors (Interpreting and Translation BA Honours).

  • Bachelor of Language and Linguistics

Institute Scape:

  • Max Mueller Bhavan for German, New Delhi
  • Alliance Francaise for French
  • Calcutta University (CU) Arabic, Persian and French
  • Jadavpur University (JU)
  • The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture- Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish
  • The Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad- German, Roman, Russian,
  • Delhi University- Arabic, French, German, Hispanic, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Russian,
  • Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)- Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
  • English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad
  Foreign Colleges/ Institute:
  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona provides BA Honors.
  • Middlesex University, London
  • Western Sydney University, Sydney
  • Singapore University of Social Science, Singapore.
  Courses after Graduation:

  • M.A (Translation and Interpretation)

  • MRes in Translating Cultures
  • M.A. Translation
  • Interpreting MA
  • M.Sc (Interpreting and Translating)
  • Master in Innovative Technologies in Translation: Italian
  • Research Literary Translation, M.A.
  • M.A. Linguistics
  Colleges in India:
  • Cochin University of Science and Technology
  • Dravidian University, Andhra Pradesh
  • Gujarat Vidyapith, Gujarat
  • Himachal Pradesh University, Himachal Pradesh
  Foreign Colleges/ Institute:
  • University of Westminster, London offers MA in Interpretation and Translator
  • The University of Edinburgh, UK
  • London Metropolitan University, UK
  • University of Surrey, UK
  • School of Management and Languages, Edinburgh, UK
  Diploma:
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Translation (PGDT)

  • Diploma in Translation

  • Diploma in Professional Translation (French to English)
  Institute Scape:
  • Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
  • Saga Institute of Management Studies- SIMS, Malappuram
  • Bhagat Pool Singh Mahila Vishwavidalaya- BPSMV, Sonipat
  Career Scape:   Teaching and research If teaching is to your liking then you can pursue a degree in the language you would like to teach after 12th. After a post-graduation in the subject, you can appear for NET and begin teaching in colleges/universities. If you want you can do B. Ed and teach in a school.   If research is your cup of tea, then you can study linguistics and contribute to the ever evolving field of language study. Within linguistics, there are several branches and you can choose the one you are interested in. All major universities in the country offer postgraduate degrees and/or diploma courses in linguistics.  

Journalism

If you have an outgoing personality and an aptitude for languages, journalism is one of the options you could consider. Journalism – be it print/television/online requires a good news sense and the ability to present the relevance and importance of the event to the viewer/reader. Journalism requires the ability to talk to people and get people talking. Hence, the requirement of an outgoing personality. Television journalism requires a large verbal repertoire while print and online journalism requires a good repository of words. All of which should be easy if you are good at languages.    

Public Relations and Corporate Communications

Similar to journalism, public relations requires good writing skills and the ability to interact with a wide variety of people. Public relations professionals have to dish out press releases that appeal to journalists, organize interactions/events and ensure that the company/individual they are working for is adequately covered by the media. All of this becomes easy if the individual has a good command over languages.If working in the corporate world is to your liking, you could consider working for the corporate communications department of companies. All companies have such a department because it is essential in today’s day and time to be in the public eye for the right reasons. The work of a corporate communications is similar to that of a PR agency. However, in a PR agency, an individual gets to handle a multitude of clients while being in the corporate communications of a company you handle all communication-related work only for that one company.   Content Writing and SEO(Search Engine Optimization) In recent times, ensuring that your website is visible and appears among the top few in search results is important in an online space teeming with millions of websites. A number of companies are waking up to this reality and are hiring professionals to ensure that they have content that clicks!   To become an online content writer/SEO all you need is internet literacy and extensive use of social media. While you could take up certificate creative writing courses, this kind of writing is more of a learn-on-the job thing. All you need to have is good researching skills and the ability to write information in an interesting manner.  

Script Writing and Copywriting

If your love for languages is accompanied by love for films/television/theater you could try your hand at script writing. Several universities/film and television institutes/theater institutes offer courses in screenwriting / script writing / play writing. Copywriting is usually associated with the advertising industry where advertisements require smart play of words to appeal to the audience. If you have a way with words, copywriting may just be the thing for you.  

Author 

If your love for imagination and writing is as strong as your love of languages then you could consider being an author/writer/novelist. And the best part is that to be an author you need not wait to finish a certain degree/diploma etc. You can just let your imagination run wild (or your research skills if you prefer non-fiction) and begin writing your book anytime. In fact you can even write your book while pursuing another career. Obviously a degree and exposure to other people’s works will have a great impact but there is no start date to when you can begin writing!  

Editing

  If you can spot a spelling/punctuation/grammatical error easily, proofreading is probably the option for you. Similar to content writing you can begin freelance proofreading and editing assignments while pursuing an undergraduate course itself. If you are good proofreading assignments pay well.  

Speech Writing

Speech writing is an unconventional career option that you could consider if you are inclined. You may find place in political parties where it is very important to make the right impression on the public.      Will technology replace humans?   Over the past few years there has been a rising debate over the issue of technology replacing humans. Owing to the advent of technological advancements like Google translator, some might feel that these technological advancements might replace humans. While this does serve a purpose if you want to understand the gist, the reality is that these translations are not very accurate when it comes to court documents, detailed medical reports and advertising copy, to list a few examples. Therefore, the outlook remains very positive for those wishing to pursue a career as a translator or interpreter. According to the latest research, by 2018 employment in this field is expected to increase by 22%.   So, get ready for the most promising careers of today and tomorrow…
Gate to GRE

ZERO IN ON GATE AND GRE

GATE or GRE? This is the question that is constantly on the minds of students when they are on the threshold of graduation in Engineering. Both these are the prestigious examinations for entry into post graduation and have their relative merits and demerits. Both look equally competitive and  open a broad spectrum of offshoots to choose from. Here is an attempt to understand the subtle differences between the two:

  ABOUT GATE

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an all India examination administered and conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science and seven Indian Institutes of Technology on behalf of the National Coordination Board – GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. It is held for PG admissions to Engineering/ Technology/ Architecture and Science programs offered across IITs, NITs and other leading centrally funded institutes. It is totally a technical exam for those who wish to get recruited in PSUs.

ABOUT GRE

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the United States, in other English-speaking countries and for English-taught graduate and business programs world-wide.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRE & GATE Who takes the test? GATE

is taken by the students who wish to pursue higher education in India whereas

GRE

is usually taken by the students wish to pursue studies outside India.

Who accepts the Test? In GATE

,  colleges across India (including the IITs and NITs) accept GATE scores whereas thousands of universities and institutions  abroad accept GRE scores for admissions.

GRE gives importance to the English language skills of the candidate besides gauging them on other subjects. The GRE score is accepted mainly in the U.S. After acing the exam, students can go for M.S and PhD.

GATE exam is the ticket to get admission in M. Tech in Indian universities and its score is accepted in countries like Singapore and Germany. Students can pursue even M.E, M.S and PhD after clearing GATE.

GATE

helps students to get scholarships and other funding (provided by MHRD and other government organizations) for Masters and/or PhD in various top engineering colleges across world whereas

GRE

helps students to get admissions in some of the best colleges in the world.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: GATE

:

Candidates, who want to apply for GATE, must meet  the following criteria :

  • Aspirants who are in their second or higher year of the Four-year Integrated Master’s degree program (Post-B.Sc.) in Engineering or Technology can appear for GATE.

  • Candidates who are in their third or higher year of the Five-year Integrated Master’s degree program and Dual Degree program in Engineering or Technology can appear.

  • Candidates who have obtained qualifications equivalent to B.E. or B.Tech through professional organizations, such as, UPSC and AICTE .

  •  Indian nationals along with international students from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be eligible to appear for the exam.

  • The candidates should have completed their Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Master’s degree in Science in a relevant subject.

  • There is no age limit for the entrance test.

  • There is also no specified minimum pass percentage (qualifying exam) to apply for GATE

GRE:

There is no specific eligibility criterion for GRE. However, candidates have to fulfill the eligibility criteria of the institutions where they wish to pursue studies after taking the GRE. Anyone can register for this exam, irrespective of age or qualifications. The only thing you need to keep in mind is the fact that you will be required to produce your original passport as proof of identity at the exam center, so make sure that you have a valid passport before you register for the GRE exam.

PATTERN: GATE:

Candidates can select ANY ONE of the 23 different papers offered by GATE.  General aptitude section is common to all papers. Other sections of the paper differ according to the paper selected.  Each paper will include a mandatory General Aptitude (GA) section comprising 10 questions. 5 of these questions will carry 1-mark each, while the remaining 5 will each carry 2 marks, for a total of 15 marks.

  • GATE 2018 is a computer-based test that will be conducted in online mode

  • GATE question paper will consist of two question types: multiple choice questions (MCQs) and Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions

  • The questions will be displayed on a computer screen randomly

  • In case of MCQs, the candidate needs to select the correct answer, while for numerical answer type, the candidate must enter the numerical answer using a mouse and virtual keyboard ( the keyboard attached to the computer will be disabled)

  • The candidate will have to complete the test in 3 hours. After the allotted three hours, the screen will automatically close down and no further action will be possible.

  • During the exam, each candidate will be provided with a scribble pad where the candidate can do all his rough work.

  • Each question paper will contain questions related to General Aptitude (GA) in addition to subject-specific questions.

GRE 

GRE comprises of 4 sections ie Analytical writing skills, Verbal reasoning, Critical thinking and Quantitative reasoning

The first one (i.e. The Analytical Writing section) is  a written test whereas the others are of objective type.

The writing section

has two tasks and you have 30 minutes to complete each task, making the total time for this section to be one hour.

The Verbal section

has to be completed within one hour as well as both the two sections require 30 minutes each. Same goes for

Quantitative section

, where you get 35 minutes for the two sections.

WHEN TO TAKE THE TEST:

GATE:

There is no restriction or bar on the number of times you can appear for the GATE exam. You are eligible to appear for GATE, as long as you meet the academic eligibility criteria for the exam. The dates for GATE 2018 are out and it is scheduled for 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th February 2018. GATE 2018 will be organized by IIT Guwahati this time.

GRE:

If you are preparing to take the GRE, then one thing you might be wrestling with is when to take the test. The most popular time to take the test is in October, November, and December. If you aren’t sure if you’ll achieve the score you want on your first try, then you may want to schedule the GRE so that you can take it again if you score poorly. You can take the GRE revised General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period.

While you can take the GRE up to 5 times, you may only take it once per calendar month (including a month in which you cancel your score). You’ll want to schedule enough time in your planning process to register and re-take the test (if necessary) and have a new score submitted to schools before the application deadline. If you are dissatisfied with your initial score, you should retake the GRE only if you are confident that your score will increase considerably—for instance if you were ill or had family/personal problems. Both scores will be reported to the schools in which you apply. Schools typically accept your highest score.

 

PREPARING FOR BOTH 

GATE is completely a technical examination whereas GRE is more of Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude and English language. There is no ranking system in GRE and the admission process is based upon the overall judgment of your profile which includes your academics, work experience, extracurricular activities, social skills & GRE. GATE is different and dead opposite in approach. It is more of subjects studies up to 6th semester of your Engineering which constitutes the syllabus where the emphasis is on technical knowledge and application of the subject.

Diligent preparation is required for both but practically the efforts required for GATE is more than GRE as engineering syllabus in India is usually shallow and not application based. So based upon your planning, you could start at least 6 months before the exam as you do not have the luxury of taking the exam at your convenience like GRE. Revising topics & practicing papers on a consistent basis is the key for GATE

  GATE OR GRE?

Both GATE and GRE have their relative advantages and challenges. Which exam you decide to take depends on where you wish to head. The basic advantage with GATE is that if you do well, you will get to see most prestigious engineering institutes in the world. It is easier to crack after graduation, as the exam is totally based on the subjects one studied in the 4 years of engineering. Hence, even average students, by putting little effort, can sail through the exam. You get a scholarship to support education and get wonderful two years of life that you are going to remember for rest of your life. Even, if you score little less, it will take you to some colleges where you will enjoy scholarship and time.

The real daunting task comes when the master degree is finished. IITs, NITs and some good universities have placements and everyone have to face huge competition. Another disadvantage, because of high competition, is that somehow one need to remove few candidates to make selection procedure to finish in given time, and usually CGPA or percentage will come into picture as a short listing criteria killing many bright students if you did not care much about your scores. The recruitment procedure for PSU is a valid GATE score of the current year and then a round of Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). The weight age given to GATE score is between 75% to 85%. Different PSUs that recruit through GATE include Power Grid, the central transmission utility (PGCIL), National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) etc.

If public Sector Undertaking is not your liking and budget is not a  constraint, you may  prepare for GRE as it would give you a global exposure. It has now become a single test that opens gateways of both graduate schools and business schools for you worldwide.

Preparing for GRE needs extra effort as English is not our first language, though most of Indian students do well, but one the average we don’t do well in English. Apart from this, after GRE, one has to run around a lot to fulfill many other admission requirements. This may discourage you students from taking this option.

SUMMING UP

Whether it be GATE or GRE, what matters most is hard work, dedication and perseverance, as ultimately what’s important is a successful career, be it in India or any foreign country. And for a positive career graph, you have to be consistent in your efforts and make wise decisions by considering the pros and cons of both the exams and then zero in on the appropriate option.

Stepping into Nascent Sector- Biofluid Mechanics

Stepping into Nascent Sector- Biofluid Mechanics

India is witnessing an alarming increase in diseases and injuries of all kinds. According to a recent report, 17% of the urban Indians have kidney injuries; and there are nearly two million heart attacks a year, one person dies every 33 seconds owing to a heart attack and over 4 million people are living with chronic joint pain. For such ailments we use pacemakers, defibrillators, artificial kidneys, blood oxygenators, prosthetic hearts, and joints. Have you ever wondered what these pacemakers, defibrillators etc. are made of? They are made of fluids that include, air, blood, lymph and water. It can be found both in plants and animals. With a surge in heart diseases, joint problems and kidney injuries.,the study of the discipline that deals with such devices that is Biofluid Mechanics has also gained momentum. Let us understand what Biofluid Mechanics

What is Biofluid Mechanics?

Biofluid mechanics is a discipline which uses or touches on many other disciplines including biology, medicine, biochemistry, biorheology, hemorheology, mathematics, bioengineering and physics. Biofluid Mechanics applies engineering, mathematical and physical principles of fluids to solve complex and multifaceted problems, primarily in biology and medicine, but also in aerospace and robotics.
This field has a direct bearing on clinical issues including heart surgery and heart valve replacement, the reaction of pharmaceutical in the body, surgical by pass techniques, ultrasound studies, and the role of hemodynamic reactions on the endothelial cells – a major element in the development of heart disease the leading killer in the modern world. It can be considered as the conjuncture of mechanical engineering and biological engineering. It spans from cells to organs, covering diverse aspects of functionality of systemic physiology, including cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive, urinary, musculoskeletal and neurological systems etc.

The need:

The subject of Biofluid Mechanics is a fascinating subject due to the fact that it attracts attention from both the scientists and general public. The study of biofluid dynamics is directed towards finding solutions to some of the human body related diseases and disorders. Unlike engineering applications, understanding human body biofluid dynamics is not easy. This is due to the fact that in vivo experiments are not easy to perform. Non-invasive experiments are useful but not always give theo desired result. Thus, both theoretical and computational biofluid dynamics play a major role in the understanding of human body biofluid dynamics. The extracorporeal systems, such as medical devices, can be experimentally tested by satisfying local government regulations. Real biofluids are often essential to test these devices. Such fluids can only be obtained by licensed bodies. Thus, in the development of medical devices both theoretical and computational biofluid dynamics play a major role at the early stages of design and development.

Eligibility and skill set

Biofluid Mechanics is offered as an elective subject in Post Graduation level in Biomedical Engineering. In order to pursue your masters in biomedical engineering need to have pursued your Bachelor of engineering or bachelor of technology or equivalent in Biomedical or Medical Electronics with at least 50% marks in aggregate.
For getting int Bio Fluid Mechanics, you should have research and problem-solving skills, competence in developing arguments from scientific, ethical and philosophical perspectives. You should also posses the ability to plan and manage projects; ability to gather, analyze and communicate complex technical data to others. Besides, you should also have the ability to work in all kinds of environments, developed through field-work experience.

Institute Scape

Institutes offering M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering ( India)
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
  • Manipal University, Jaipur
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
  • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Coimbatore
Institutes offering M.Tech and M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering( Abroad)
  • Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, offering M.Tech in Biomedical Engineering
  • University of Strathclyde, Glasglow, Scotland, offering M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering 
 

Responsibilities

The tasks you carry out will vary depending on your employer and the seniority of the post held, but may include:

  • Using computer software and mathematical models to design, develop and test new materials, devices and equipment. This can involve programming electronics, building and evaluating prototypes, troubleshooting problems, and rethinking the design until it works correctly.
  • Conducting research to solve clinical problems using a variety of means to collate the necessary information, including questionnaires, interviews and group conferences.
  • Working closely with other medical professionals, such as doctors and therapists as well as with end-users (patients and their careers).
  • Assessing the potential wider market for products or modifications suggested by health professionals or others.
  • Arranging clinical trials of medical products.
  • Approaching marketing and other industry companies to sell the product.
  • Writing reports and attending conferences and exhibitions to present your work and latest designs to a range of technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Meeting with senior health service staff or other managers to exchange findings

Scope in India & Abroad

India: This field is still in the development stage in India and, therefore, scope is very limited for this field. One of the main reasons why progress is slow is due to the lack of integration between research institutions, hospitals and universities in India. In developed nations such as USA, UK and Singapore, excellent integration exists between universities and hospitals, thereby creating the perfect environment for R&D in Biomedical Engineering. In India, most of the jobs related to Biomedical Engineering are in non-tech areas such as service, maintenance, customer support, sales and management. If you are interested in pursuing a career in research and core development work in Biomedical Engineering must look for jobs in universities, labs and research centers in India or pursue MS and PhD studies in USA, UK and other nations. 

Abroad: The scope for this field is excellent abroad. Biomedical Engineering is doing extremely well in USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Canada and Australia. Other countries such as Japan and China are also doing very well in this field. There has been some tremendous achievements and breakthroughs in these nations due to the excellent integration that exists between research centers, universities and hospitals, thereby enabling researchers, scientists, faculty and surgeons to work together to solve complex problems in medicine and healthcare. Pay packages are impressive for biomedical engineers in these countries. If you are very ambitious and looking to climb up the ladder in this field will benefit immensely from a PhD degree in biomedical engineering. A career in the above mentioned nations will be very rewarding and satisfying, provided you work hard. 

Career Scape

Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare equipment manufacturing sectors are the prime recruiters. Government agencies such as Drugs Department, State wise Health Departments are also known to recruit B.E./B.Tech. Biomedical Engineering Graduates. Average starting salary is generally between 3-6 Lakh Rupees per year. Chances of building a career abroad after Graduation is good, when it comes to this Engineering branch. Abroad, salary package will be much better in comparison to the figure mentioned above. You may also find jobs in Pathological labs, Clinics and Hospitals as well as Rehabilitation Clinics. Some of the commonly found job posts available for graduates are-

 

  •         Biomedical Engineer
  •         Equipment Design Engineer
  •         Lab Technician/Administrator
  •         Research Engineer

 

Road Ahead:

The application of sophisticated computational simulation models for the evaluation of the progress of disease, for the determination of long-term risk and for the planning of optimal treatment strategies is gaining ground in clinical practice: Personalized healthcare is a paradigm allowing for the enhancement of treatment specificity and efficacy. At the same time, continued progress in imaging helps reveal mechanisms and provides diagnostic possibilities that have not been available before.

Degrees-and-their-Diploma-opponents

Degrees and their Diploma opponents

After XII and after Graduation, a question that looms large on the mental horizon of students and parents alike is “Degree or Diploma”? There has been a tug of war going on between the two with the public opinion see sawing between the two. Over the past few years, however, diplomas have drawn in a lot of attention from students and educationists alike. Let us understand the reasons for the same and also take a look at some of the diplomas that pay off well.
Both degree and diploma are recognitions conferred to a person on the successful completion of an educational course. Degree and diplomas are words that are often used to describe accreditation by school, university of college. A diploma is a certificate that is issued by an institution, such as a university, college, or high school that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course. It also refers to the certification that is earned by completing professional/vocational courses such as Diploma in Electronics Engineering. An academic degree or simply a degree is often associated with award a person in recognition that the recipient has completed a particular course. Degrees that are commonly awarded are Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees.
There are some degree courses which have their own diploma opponents such as BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) is an undergraduate degree course while DBA (Diploma in Business Administration) is the diploma, MBA (Masters in Business Administration) is the post graduate degree course while PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) is a post graduate diploma course and BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) is also a undergraduate degree course while DCA (Diploma in Computer Applications) is a diploma course.

Routing for the Diploma:

Course Curriculum is more ‘hands on’

The course curriculum in most diploma programs is up-to-date and at par with the industrial standards. Hence, you are not just taught theoretical subjects but are also given practical hands-on training in your core area of study. Hence the courses in diploma subjects teach you what is relevant to the career industry.

Makes you job ready

Diploma is small area of startup in any professional course. Many university degrees will focus on theory-based knowledge whereas vocational education gives you the opportunity to understand the skills you need while allowing you to put these skills into practice. This will enable you to jump straight into the workforce with all the necessary knowledge and capabilities.

In tune with the skill crunch

There is currently a shortage of vocational workers; the skill shortage in India ensures what you learn from earning a diploma is valuable to employers. Furthermore, within six months of finishing their training, the amount of vocational education and training graduates that were able to find work after their studies exceeded the amount of jobs found by bachelor degree graduates.

Companies hire Just in Time (JIT)

Diploma programs are beneficial to students coming from any industry. Today, industries do not want to spend time in training students and getting them equipped with the talents and the skills essential for their job. Most organizations expect employees to start performing on the first day of their job itself. Hence the advent of diploma programs which equips students with these necessary skills required to meet the job requirements in a particular industry. Also, there are many professions that really do not require a student to do a degree course. A diploma program can be enough to get these students a job. Examples of such courses are fashion designing, interior decoration, jewelry designing, travel and tourism, Radio jockeying, food and nutrition, photography, merchandising etc.

Less Time Consuming

Diploma program saves a lot of time. University degrees require a minimum three years of full time study, while diplomas need only two years at the very most. Most diplomas can be completed within a year. The amount of time you spend in schooling will be lessened, allowing you to enter the workforce and reap the benefits sooner. Another benefit of the program is that you can save on the cost because diploma programs are not as expensive as degree programs.

Flexible and self paced

Diplomas are offered in different study modes like distance learning, part time, full time etc, it is not just students but working professionals and housewives as well that can take up these courses. Most vocational education courses can be started at any time of the year because unlike degrees, they don’t necessarily have to follow a higher education calendar. Many can also be taken online. In addition, it is possible for you to finish a diploma part-time while you work.

DIPLOMAS AFTER XII

Diploma in Computer Applications

A diploma in computer application or DCA is open to students who have completed class 12 and are interested in computer programming and related fields. A two-year, full time programme it includes practical modules such as introduction to computers, principles of programming, programming language, database, word processing and spreadsheet, system analysis and design, project management, Unix operating system etc. Computer applications professionals design and develop software and computer applications, help implement and test software, and write instruction booklets for potential users of the software. Three possible careers in computer applications include computer programmer, software developer and computer systems analyst.

Colleges:

  • Delhi University, New Delhi.
  • St. Xaviers College, Mumbai
  • Gujarat Technical University, Ahmedabad

Diploma in Journalism

Today a journalism as a career stands not only for a prestigious profession but also for a challenging career option. Journalists play a key role in the growth of any nation. The core purpose of journalism is to inform, educate and enlighten the masses on various issues revolving them.

Institute scape: 

  • Pearl Academy, Mumbai, offering Diploma in Journalism
  • MET Institute of Mass Media, Mumbai, offering Diploma in Multimedia Journalism
  • Amity University, Noida, offering Diploma in Journalism

Diploma in Fashion Design

Fashion designing is one of the most lucrative, appealing, glamorous and exciting career option. If you have a penchant for creativity, style and originality, a career in fashion designing is the one tailor made for you. 

Institute scape:

  • Pearl Academy, Mumbai, offering Diploma in Fashion Designing
  • Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida, offering Diploma in Fashion Designing 
  • International Institute of Fashion Designing, Bangalore, offering Diploma in Fashion Designing

Diploma in Business Administration

Business Administration has become prominent with the rapid growth of industrialization which made the industries think of a scientific approach towards business. As a result, a large number of business schools have come up rapidly all over the world, and a diploma in Business Administration has become the norm. 

Institute scape:

  • All India Institute of Management Studies, Chennai, offering Diploma in Business Administration 
  • Education Institute of Management and Engineering Studies, New Delhi, offering Diploma in Business Administration
  • National Institute of Management, Mumbai, offering Diploma in Business Administration

Diploma in Engineering

There are so many branches available in engineering; it is difficult to choose the best one. Almost every branch in the engineering course has got good scope in the specified or related field. Only thing needed for fetching good opportunity is excellent academics and skills in the particular branch.

Institute Scape: 

  • Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, offering Diploma in Engineering
  • DPG Institute of Technology and Management, Gurgaon, offering Diploma in Engineering
  • Rayat Bahra University, Mohali, offering Diploma in Engineering

Diploma in Agriculture 

As the name suggests, this Diploma course focuses on the discipline of agriculture. Agricultural practices have evolved over time. Earlier, we used to rely less on technology and more on manual labour.With time, technology has advanced. It has influenced our agricultural practices too! We now rely on agricultural machinery, fertilizers, pesticides and concepts of biology to boost our agricultural productivity. It deals with the various forms of technology (machinery, chemicals, seeds etc) that helps us improve agricultural productivity.

Institute Scape: 

  • Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, offering one year Diploma in Agricultural Journalism.
  • Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University, Jaipur , offering Diploma in Agriculture
  • The Gandhigram Rural Institute, Tamilnadu, offering Diploma in Agriculture 
  • Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad, offering Diploma in Agriculture

    • Diploma in Information Technology

    If you have a Science background, you can opt for computer management or hardware systems in their career options. They can go for computer applications, .Net, CCNA, CCNE, software, hardware and networking, system administration, internet security, ethical hacking, embedded systems, IT, computer programming, users of various computer language programming like java, MySQL etc. 

    Institute Scape: 

    • Amity Directorate of Distance and Online Education, Amity University, Noida, offering Diploma in Information Technology
    • Government Polytechnic, Bandra East, Mumbai, offering Diploma in Information Technology
    • Swami Vivekanand Group of Institutes, Chandigarh, offering Diploma in   Information Technology

    Diploma in Financial Accounting 

    A course designed for students looking to make a career in the field of accountancy and taxation. With practical on computer accounting makes you job ready. A Diploma in Financial Accounting enables students to work in the public and the private sectors, auditing, management, accounting, taxation, and business.

    Institute Scape: 

    • Indian School of Business Management & Administration, Visakhapatnam, offering Advance Diploma in Banking, Finance & Insurance 
    • Indian School of Business and Finance, New Delhi, offering Diploma in Finance
    • Times and Trends Academy, Pune, offering Diploma in Accounting and Finance

    Diploma in Home Science 

    Home Science may be defined as the study required to develop home or family life within a changing society by taking the help of scientific knowledge and methods.

    The subjects involved in making Home Science a wonderful learning tool for better-living are PCB, hygiene, rural development, community living, art, food, clothing, textiles and home management etc. The duration varies from institute to institute( 1-3 years). 

    Institute scape:

    • Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad.
    • Gujarat Technological University, Gujarat, offering Diploma in Home Science
    • Indira Gandhi Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi, offering Diploma in Home Science

    Summing up

     It makes most sense for those students to take up a diploma who are in need of a job early on in their careers and are looking to gain the skills for the same. Some students also take up a diplomabecause they do not want to get into the segment that appears for the gruelling Entrance Exams. Therefore, if you wish to fast forward your career and increase your chances of getting a job, you should be going the diploma route.