Category: Article

Ballooning the future

Do you wish to carve out your career in a  huge, ballooning industry? An industry that is about to become a part of our daily lives- the drone industry, that is becoming as important as automobile industry.

 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are the wave of the future when it comes to aerial surveillance and find increasing applications both in civil and military fields. The military uses for UAVs are pretty obvious as they provide an enormous amount of intelligence without putting any human harm and also render the additional advantage of eliminating human fatigue. Illustrating this, UAV operators on long flights can simply transfer to other operators, something impossible on surveillance aircraft.

 

Currently, it is one of the important growth and research area in the defense sector. The military’s effective use of UAVs in recent conflicts has highlighted their successes, and thereby vigorously driving UAV technology developments everywhere.

 

What is Unmanned Aerial System(UAS) or a Drone?

 

A Drone, also known as an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is an unmanned aircraft that is flown remotely, and ranges from small personal aircrafts that can be lifted by one person and cost a few hundred dollars, to military surveillance and attack aircrafts that cost over $21 million, can have up to 130 foot wingspan, and can be equipped with missiles.

 

Course Content and Pedagogy

 

This course introduces the initial designing and sizing process for rapidly growing fixed – wing UAV technology, integrated with its performance and stability analysis and prototype testing.

 

In the course content you will come to know how can we create agile micro aerial vehicles that are able to operate autonomously in cluttered indoor and outdoor environments. Besides, you will gain an introduction to the mechanics of flight and the design of quadrotor flying robots and  be able to develop dynamic models, derive controllers, and synthesize planners for operating in three dimensional environments. 



Institute scape:

 

Colleges in India and across the globe are meeting the demand for commercial drones by offering certificates, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees on piloting, engineering, and repairing drones.



  • Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Kelambakkam, offers M.Tech – Avionics with specialization in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Vel Tech Dr.RR & Dr.SR Technical University, Chennai, offers  2 year Master of Technology Programme on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to provide  graduate engineers knowledge and skills to develop their own Unmanned systems for typical applications and need.
  • ​Indian Institute of Drones, Noida, affiliated with Consortium of Unmanned Vehicle Systems(CUVSI) India under the aegis of International Foundation for Aviation and Development(IFFAAD) offers Diploma in Multirotor Pilot Course and Diploma in Fixed wing Pilot Course
  • TechEagle,Lucknow is developing DRONEs/UAVs of 1-5 meter( wingspan), 1-10kg(Payload), 1-5 Hours(Flight Time), and Modular for Companies, Research Institutes and individuals and also  imparting Technical and Practical knowledge to the country’s youth in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Drones.

 

Roles and Responsibilities:

 

Although at face value flying a UAV seems remarkably similar to playing a video game, the consequences of every pilot’s actions are deadly serious. Unmanned planes are at the forefront of gathering aerial intelligence around the globe, so in addition to being a skilled operator, the pilot must be able to analyze intelligence imagery in order to make snap decisions about when to pursue a lead or get out of dodge. Each UAV pilot must have the mettle to decide if and when to pull the trigger on someone half a globe away.

After completing their course get placed in top aeronautical industries and government agencies in India with the following roles and responsibilities:

  • Conduct air reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and acquisition missions.
  • Plan and analyze flight missions.
  • Perform preflight, in flight and post flight checks and procedures.
  • Launch and recover air frame from runway.
  • Perform maintenance on communications equipment, power sources, light/heavy wheeled vehicles and crane operation.

Career scope:

 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or Drones are used in every field importantly Aerial Photography, Search and Rescue, Traffic control, Environmental and Wildlife Monitoring, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Precision Agriculture, Air Sampling, Firefighting, Power line inspection, Postal delivery and many more applications. The unmanned systems industry is presently having tremendous growth. As a result there is an increased demand for unmanned vehicle systems designers. 

There are a predicted 100,000 drone-related careers set to flood the jobs market over the next few years. These will range from aerial photography and/or cinematography to mapping and modeling, not to mention thermography to name but a few. They range from full-time to contract based work, even internships across many industries and varying levels of experience required.

Drone Pilot:

Probably the most straightforward one to understand. Many potential employers do ask for the candidate to hold a suitable UAV certificate and knowledge of rules and regulations for flying things in the air. You will obviously control the drone to perform a wide variety of tasks and services that the particular company offers. This could be aerial photography or remote aerial surveying, for instance. Flying them is the simple bit, the skills that wrap around this are a bit harder to define. Why is the company using drones? For what purpose? If for surveying or inspection do you have other skills that would “guide” how you operate the drones.

Many other companies will also consider existing field engineers and technicians and train them up on the job. Depending on who you ask, this is likely to become the norm in the future of the industry. Other trends in the “business” strongly show that existing companies are bringing drone technology in-house to supplement their existing services. For instance, bridge inspectors use 3D scanning for remote monitoring etc. The types of jobs are huge, ranging from wildlife conservator to package delivery. 

Development:

Obviously with a large demand for drones at the moment the actual physical supply of them is another potential career. You could pursue careers with drone developers. These types of positions will clearly require some education in relevant fields like aeronautical engineering, robotics, mechanical engineering etc. Experience is of course always a bonus but you could start out as an intern and work from there. Pursuing a career with drone producers will obviously require key skills in STEM.

Marketing:

Clearly, you could try to develop your own and try to sell them. Or consider becoming a drone merchant and profiteer that way. If you are looking for employment rather than building your own business, you could consider becoming a sales rep for manufacturers or suppliers alike. They often ask for experience using drones. Of course, you could also work for defense contractors to build the “war” drones of the future. 

Maintaining and customization:

The massive growth in demand for drones, especially leisure ones, will inevitably lead to demand for spare parts and maintenance. Obviously many users are likely going to want to do as much maintenance and repair as they can. But everyone’s skill base ends somewhere, plus they will need spare parts. As with any new technology, the lust to customize will inevitably lead to career opportunities designed customizable pieces for existing models.

Training:

Careers in education crop up a lot. Obviously, you’ll need experience in operating drones in the first place, not to mention teaching, but this could be a very rewarding route. If you have other skills that can be “wrapped” around the operation, all the better. Drone operators of the future will need tuition from someone. Why not get ahead of the curve and position yourself to deliver this vital service.

Summing up:

The drone industry encompasses many other industries. Savvy entrepreneurs are likely to be able to exploit niches in the market and expand the diversity of career opportunities. You may be able to think up a novel use for drones and carve your own career out of the ether. At the end of the day, it is …Your call.

Best Performing REITs In First Quarter In Singapore 2018

When it comes to REIT’s ( Real Estate Investment Trusts), there is a myopia.
Distant things appear small and hazy, a closer view, a bigger view makes things better.
To come out of this myopia, we need to understand what good performance and bad performance with respect to REIT’s.

The Litmus test of REIT’s:

What does it mean when we say that REIT’s are performing well? For this we need to understand how REIT’s work.

REIT’s look like their cousin – stocks simply for the reason that they are traded on the stock exchange.

However, the kinship ends here.

The ‘T’ in REIT is significant. It is the game changer that differentiates REIT’s from stocks. It stands for Trust. Since Trusts are not taxed the way corporations are, they distribute substantially all of their profits to the unit holders  as dividends. So, good performance of an REIT is its 100 % payout ratio from pre tax earnings which dividends from the equivalent of pretax earnings. However, this may sometimes be misleading. 

The Payout ratio may not always be the barometer of an REIT’s success or good performance. Since REIT’s do not retain earnings, there is no hibernation food or a stockpile for rainy days. This may make them totally at the mercy of how  the Trust is performing operationally and there are no reserve funds that can level out the lean years. In simple words, if REIT Y and Corporation Z  stand at the same level of business risk, Y’s dividend will be  be a dwindling one, because it has no surplus fund butter that can be used to spread out the dividend in the rainy years.

Therefore the parameter of an REIT performing well is not the dividend payout ratio but also the funds from operations (FFO) instead. This is defined as net income less the sale of any property in a given year and depreciation. Simply take the dividend per share and divide by the FFO per share. The higher the yield the better.

Once you have an idea of how myopic your view can be if you just look at the payout ratio, here is time to look at the companies that joined the listing bandwagon in the first quarter of 2018 and also the ones who dropped the shelf and became privatised.

The writing on the wall was made very clear by  a report by PwC in 2017 that hinted at a hollowing effect of delistings.

Possible delistings will include companies across all sectors which may choose to be closer to the market they serve and to build product and brand recognition there, as well as those which believe that they are not garnering sufficient value and interest from investors on the SGX. The robust mergers and acquisitions environment and availability of funds will also result in companies being bought over and privatised,” says Max Loh, EY Asean and Singapore managing partner.

Europe Calling

Europe Calling

It’s a tough call deciding where to spend a semester abroad. Although our minds may wander to thoughts of spending a college term in romantic Europe, when it boils down to it, not every European city is best-suited to college students.

Roughly the same geographic size as the United States, Europe is a sprawling continent home to 50 diverse countries. No matter what your major, budget, or study abroad goal is, you’re sure to find a program that suits you in diverse, little Europe. And yet, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Amsterdam:

A popular holiday and bachelor party destination, Amsterdam has much more to offer than freely available marijuana and the titillations of the red light district. This is also a city brimming with culture, where you can take in works by famous Dutch artists and absorb the harrowing life story of Anne Frank, or just enjoy a peaceful drink at one of the city’s many canal-side cafes.

Amsterdam is home to two internationally-ranked universities: the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA).

Build or Develop?

These days there is a lot of confusion in the minds of the students whether to go in for Engineering especially Civil or Design or a degree in Architecture. To make an informed decision, let us try to understand the differences between the two.

Who is an engineer? An engineer is a person who designs and builds things for the benefit of society. Engineers use math and science to design and build structures, equipment and processes.

Who is an architect? An architect is a person who develops the creative designs for buildings or structures. So, the jobs of an engineer and architect, although similar, vary in some details.

Architecture and Engineering:

Both are professional titles acquired through specific schooling and an examination process.Architects and engineers must work together closely to design and construct buildings. Although their duties overlap to an extent, they’re separate professions with their own unique skills and responsibilities.

Architects usually stick to designing only buildings, whereas engineers might design and build buildings, machines, roads, bridges, or any of a wide variety of other things. Engineers can also specialize in a number of different areas, such as civil, electrical, mechanical, structural, industrial, sound, and chemical engineering.

Entrance Exams

Lately, the Centre has approved the proposal of conducting a common entrance test for engineering and architecture from the session 2018-19. The IIT’s will continue to hold JEE mains and advanced.
JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main is a national level examination managed by Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE). It is organized for screening candidates for the UG engineering and architecture programmes. These courses are offered by NIT, CFITs and other institutions. It is also the eligibility test for JEE Advanced exam for admission to IITs & ISM.
To become an architect a candidate needs to do Bachelors in Architecture (B. Arch). Till now,a single window exam, NATA is being used for admissions to first year of 5 year BArch Degree Course at recognized Institutions all over the country. NATA scores are used for admissions to different Government, Govt. Aided & unaided schools /colleges of Architecture, to provide common measure for comparing the qualifications of applicants, for admission in addition to their scholastic performance in 10+2 or equivalent examination.
According to the Council of Architecture admission guidelines, a candidate applying to any school / college of architecture in India should have achieved 40% score in NATA, i.e. at least 80/200, for consideration of admission into first year BArch. On the other hand, for a 4 year Bachelor’s degree in Engineering you have to clear entrance exams like IIT JEE, and other university level entrance examinations.

Role and Responsibilities:

While both architects and engineers might be involved in the design and construction of a building, they tend to focus on different aspects of the job. For example, an architect will usually focus on the aesthetics of the building, including its appearance and function. An engineer, on the other hand, will oversee the implementation of the architect’s plans, determining what is physically possible, what materials will be used, and how issues of practicality and safety will be resolved.Therefore, with regards to the building industry, an architect is the generalist and an engineer is the specialist. Generally, the architect is the conceptual designer of the project, involved through all stages of a project. Engineers come and go and focus on a specific aspect of a building such as the mechanical systems or the structure. Architects and engineers together make up “the design team,” and they work together to make the design complete. Architectural elements may be moved for the structure to make more sense and vice versa. The architect is usually the overseer, communicating with all the disciplines involved. He would be most likely the first to notice that the proposed ductwork conflicts with a structural beam, for example. Architects deal with the whole building and include the design produced by each of the engineers within his overall design solution plus a few specialties that are not part of an engineer’s discipline, like roofing or non-mechanical ventilation.
As far as their responsibilities are concerned, architects design a structure by considering the customer’s needs and requirements. Engineers design the structure according to the architect’s design, including electrical drawings, structural layout and plumbing. To develop and present their designs, both architects and engineers use technical drawings called blueprints. A blueprint is the detailed drawing presented by an architect or engineer that outlines their design. Blueprints can be hand-drawn or drawn on a computer using a computer aided drawing program, such as AutoCAD® or SolidWorks®.
In designing any structure, an architect has to plan out his/her ideas by making a scaled drawing. Before an engineer can approve an architect’s design, they have to analyze the design and select materials that can safely uphold the structure. An engineer takes the blueprint presented by an architect and determines whether or not it is possible to build, and what are the best materials to use. Different materials have different advantages, such as greater strength or greater flexibility. There are a lot of decisions that go into every minor detail of designing and building structures. In order to design safe structures that will last for many decades, engineers must stay current on the properties of materials, know about design flaws and research new engineering technology.
Architects are responsible for all those areas in between the areas of engineers. The architect knows where to draw the line between his expertise and his knowledge supplemented by an engineering professional.
However, if the project is large enough, you might have two sets of architect teams: the design architect and the executive architect, also known as the Architect of Record. The executive architect has a more technical focus.
The technical aspects of architecture include compliance with building codes and figuring out all the building stuff related to the final product. For example, a plumbing engineer’s drawing will have a line on a drawing representing a plumbing line. An architect’s drawing might include a detail that shows that plumbing line as an actual pipe with a thickness with the bricks and cement block of the wall it is penetrating as well as whatever seal will be keeping the rain out.
On the other hand, Engineers deal with specialized fields: Structures, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and other subspecialties like acoustics and lighting.

Institute scape:

Architecture:

  • School of Planning And Architecture, Delhi
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
  • Sir J. J. College of Architecture, Mumbai
  • Birla Institute Of Technology, Mesra
  • Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh
  • Jamia Milia Islamia University

Engineering:

Summing up:

To sum up, architects deal with ‘Why’ whereas engineers deal with ‘How’. Architects deal with why the building is the shape, size and cost it is. Engineers deal which how to achieve the shape and QS’s how to achieve that cost for the size.

Because of the difference in role and scope between an architect and engineer, the engineer of a project will be working on many other projects simultaneously, while the architect is dedicated to a few or just the one.

Therefore, before you zero in on one of these options, get information and the roadmap of both the pathways so that you tread on the career path that is meant for you.

news-3

Nuances Of News & Media

To be or not to be? 

Caught in a dilemma between Journalism and Mass Media? Often used interchangeably, these two options have subtle nuances between them. Let’s start with understanding the similarities and differences between journalism and mass media  to make your choice easier.

Meaning:

Both Journalism and mass media are different means of dissemination of information. Well, in a longitudinal spectrum, one comes before the other. It is said that journalism is the first draft of history. If mass media is the activity of dispersing news, journalism is concerned with collection and dissemination of news through the print media as well as the electronic media. This involves various areas of works like reporting, writing, editing, photographing, broadcasting or cable casting news items.  Journalism includes investigating, analysing and reporting local as well as world events, trends, current affairs, and so on. 

Journalism is more about informing people about something meaningful. It is more predictable in its approach in which the emphasis is on information and facts. But on the other hand, as the name suggests, mass media is all about disseminating information to the masses at local, national or international levels with or without a necessary intent. Journalism gravitates towards news reporting for newspapers, magazines or television, while mass media involves journalism too. There’s a difference between the two as mass media  is not a part of journalism but journalism is a part of mass media. There are the whole lot of things in mass media like radio jockeying, anchoring, content writing, disc jockey, video jockey, photography, cinematography, direction, scripting, advertising, corporate communications and so on. 

Simply put, mass communication is about relaying information to the general public in mass at one specific time, whereas journalism is about conveying information on different topics to the literate public on different occasions.

COURSE CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY

A Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC) program allows you to learn the skills needed for careers in reporting, news analysis and public relations. While earning this degree you will study subjects such as expository writing, newspaper writing, communications law, reporting skills, journalistic research techniques and news analysis. Some schools incorporate internship programs into the degree curricula, as well as a secondary major or area of emphasis outside of journalism. This course involves a subset of mass media in the sense that it calls for a professional familiarity with the various technologies involved in mass media like computer applications, respective software and hardware applied in print, radio, television, internet and other forms of media. 

 

A Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) gives you an insight into mass media, different types of communication, digital and print media. This course has been planned to offer you a concrete ground in communication skills. 

Course Content

Normally, it is a three year course spread across 6 semesters. In the first semester, you will study about introduction to communication, media and journalism, Indian social system followed by the theory of communication, applications of computer in media, state politic and constitution and writing for media. In third semester the course content will include the media laws and ethics, media management, folk media and cyber media. Fourth semester will be about the development and communication, design and graphics, fundamentals of economics an Indian economy and national and international affairs. In the fifth semester, you will study about the introduction of public relations and advertising, tribal communication, communication research. In the last semester the focus will be on radio and television journalism and value education.

Bachelors of Mass media is also a 3 year course spread across 6 consecutive semesters. In the first semester you will study about effective communication skills, fundamentals of mass communication, introduction to computers, introduction to sociology and economics. In the second semester you will study about political concepts and Indian political systems, principles of marketing, principle of management and introduction of literature in English. In third semester the course content will be only be focusing on the introduction of advertising, journalism, public relations, media studies, culture studies and creative writing. In the fourth semester you will study mass media research, organisational behaviour, understanding cinema, radio and television, advance computers, print production and photography and advertising. In the fifth semester, you will study about advertising in contemporary society, copywriting, brand building, reporting, media planning, niche and magazine journalism, and consumer behaviour. In the last semester you will be studying the advertising and marketing research, legal environment and advertising ethics, contemporary issues, journalism, press laws and ethics, broadcast journalism and internet issue in the global media. 

To summarise, Journalism mainly involves the components of political science, economics, communication theory, history of journalism and research methodology. It aims to acquaint students with the social facts, theoretical frameworks and role of the media as a mediating agency.Journalism is a more focussed study dealing with collection of information, sifting through it and researching. BJMC course helps you to acquire theoretical and practical information on various areas related to journalism and mass communication. Bachelors in Mass Media is a broader field focussed on socio political and legal environment and its impact on media and includes a fusion of photography, filmmaking, journalism, advertising, public relations, content writing, etc.

 

Institute Scape :

  • Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi offering an Hons program in Journalism.
  • Delhi College of Arts and  Commerce, University of Delhi offering Hons program in Journalism.
  • Madras Christian College, offering BA Journalism
  • International Institute of Media and Communication, Kolkata
  • School of Communication, Manipal university,offering  Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication),
  • Amity School of Communications, offering Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication.
  • Ramnarain Ruia College, University of Mumbai,  offering Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, offering Bachelor in Mass Media and Mass Communication
  • KC College of Arts, Science and Commerce, University of Mumbai, offering Bachelor of Mass Media
  • Department of Media Studies, Christ University, Bangalore  offering BA in Journalism, Psychology, English and BA in Communication & Media, English, Psychology. 

Getting in:

For both the courses, the students who have completed their 10+2 studies from any of the recognized institutes are eligible to apply to the course. The qualification must be obtained with a minimum of 50% marks and English as one of the subjects. The candidate has to obtain the qualification in any of the streams of Science, Commerce or Arts. The eligibility requirements may slightly vary with the university that offers the course.

Job Roles

There are different roles that have to be handled by a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate according to the job profile. Some of them are like interviewing public in case of any incident, collecting the data and information from all the locations of the world, developing public relations and interactions, investigating the facts and information gathered by the sources and reporting and editing contents as per requirements. If you have a flair in photography, you can opt for photojournalism. 

With BMM, you have a variety of career options to choose from like advertising, journalists, anchors, radio jockey and the like. BMM graduates can start their career as scriptwriters and anchors in television channels, editing and reporting etc., either for major media houses or in their own right.It is essentially about the many media of communication used by the masses, such as newspapers, magazines, cinema films, radio, television, etc. With the audience increasingly viewing content through smart phones, digital media has opened its doors to fresh graduates.Digital media not only offers great exposure but also facilitates learning and experience. Prominent media houses like YRF (digital), Viacom18 hire graduates for assisting in, production of web-series, videos, shows, etc. You can also become a social media manager who has the dexterity to handle media accounts of companies or individuals.

The Road Ahead:

Which field has more scope?

Well, the future of one depends upon the other. Journalism is a form of expression or brain work that includes making news judgments, gathering evidence, constructing narratives and making sense of things. It is a method of capturing and representing the world of events and ideas as they occur. It is dependent on media but is nevertheless a distinctive form of expression on which modern democratic societies depend.

To sum up, if you are a person with a linear approach to things and events,you should be going in for Journalism whereas your creative bent of mind would always gravitate towards a  degree in mass media.

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.