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CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY| 11 MAY 2016

GAURI CHHABRA

This is the time when most of 

the students who have

secured admission in presti-gious (or otherwise) universi-

ties in foreign countries arepacking their bags to depart

on their educational venture.

This, thus, is also the time when those who nurture the

dream of studying abroad alsostart gearing up and planning

for taking a shot at theirdream course and college

abroad. Entrance and qualify-

ing exams are the first stage inthis preparation and it is also

the stage that leave manyfoxed and overawed, some-

times enough to shelve their

 whole plan.

Entrance examlandscape to foreignuniversities has

often been criticised

for being tilted infavour of the privi-

leged. Due to thereliance of the univer-

sities on frequent

rounds of qualifyingexaminations for admis-

sions, marginalised sec-tions suffer a systemic

disadvantage.Not only this a large

number of students are

relatively less able to paythe cost of taking these

exams or for the additionaltuition fee which these

exams require, but their

chance of clearing theseexaminations are even

bleaker owing to their weakacademic foundation.

Today, the need for bring-

ing about equity and oppor-tunity has been realised and

several entrance examina-

tions to foreign universitieslike the SAT, GMAT, GRE,

and the TOEFL have under-gone a tectonic shift.

The endeavor has been to

bring about effectiveness andfairness in the examination

system. These are requiredfor admission to universities

and colleges in various coun-

tries across the globe; attimes, one may need to take a

combination of one or more of these and other tests specific

to a particular country and itseducation system.

Let us examine some of 

these:

PROMOTING EQUITY ANDOPPORTUNITY 

Scholastic AptitudeTest (SAT)

The Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT) test, required for entry

into some universities in theUSA if you have not complet-

ed an equivalent, is of two

types — the Reasoning Test tocheck the general writing

skills and grammar and theSubject Test to check a candi-

date's knowledge in the sub- ject chosen. The SAT is

owned, developed and con-

ducted by the College Board of the United States of America.

College Board, the conduct-ing authority of SAT has

changed the test patternrecently. Commenting on

this change College Board

President David Coleman atthe annual meeting of the

National Association for Col-lege Admissions Counseling

in Toronto, Canada, said,“SAT would be more closely

linked to high school curricu-

lum, less coachable, and testtakers would likely see

changes to the essay portionof the current test. One of the

most important elements

that have been changed for2016 is that the exam will be

scored on a total of 1600 while

the evidence-basedreading/writing and maths

sections will each be scoredon a 200 to 800 point scale.

It will have its essay portion

optional and will drop some of the obscure vocabulary it has

traditionally used. The essaysection, which was first made

mandatory in the SAT's 2005

revamp that also establishedits current 2400-point scale,

 will now be optional andscored separately.

The critical reading vocabu-lary will shift from words that

seem to be found only on the

SAT to include words more

relevant to everyday life.Instead of having to spendtime locating and reviewing

classic vocabulary lists, stu-

dents should be able to applymuch of what they already

know. Of course, they willneed to keep an ear out for any

potentially new lists or guid-

ance from the test-makers.The writing section will

change its primary empha-sis from building and sup-

porting an argument toaccurately analysing facts

and evidence, thus discour-

aging students from simplymaking up facts to argue

their point. An efficient wayto tackle this sort of hurdle

is to read more. Students

 who are consistently read-ing and subsequently

analysing the content willbe better equipped to han-

Master the new rules of entranceStay updated on the changes in different entrance tests to get admission to your dream course and university abroaddle such an assignment on

the new SAT.The maths section also will

narrow its emphasis on top-

ics that better predict col-lege performance, such as

proportional reasoning, lin-ear equations and linear

functions. Students should

take note of those conceptsnow and focus more on them

 when they come up inschool. They will not be

penalised for incorrectanswers and reading com-

prehension questions will

 weave in information fromother subjects, such as histo-

ry and science. Studentshave to reason their way

through this exam by tack-

ling problems in a linear and

sequential fashion; a stu-dent’s ability to processinformation quickly is the

key. The College Board also

 will partner with Khan Academy to offer free SAT

test preparation materials toevery student.

continued on p3

SELECT YOUR SCORES

The Graduate Record Examination(GRE) is another popularexamination among Indianstudents aspiring to study in theUSA or Canada.It is an admission requirement formany graduate courses, especiallyin engineering and the sciences, inthe USA. The GRE General Test

measures an aspirant’s verbal, quantitative,critical thinking and analytical writing skillswhich are covered in three sections —Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing.However, as per the GRE test pattern2016, the GRE Subject Test evaluates acandidate’s knowledge in specific fields.THESE ARE: biochemistry, cell andmolecular biology, biology, chemistry,literature in English, mathematics,

physics and psychology.GRE is available in the computer-based format in India. According to ETS,students can take the online GRErevised General Test once every 21days, up to five times within anycontinuous rolling 12-month period. If you feel you didn’t do your best on testday, that’s okay. You can retake thetest and then send only the scores youwant schools to see.

GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION (GRE)

STUDY ABROAD

I     S  T   O  C K 

8/17/2019 Jobs-Careers-JC 11 May 2016

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Sports and Company SecretariesOlympiadScience Olympiad Foundation (SOF),

 which organises Olympiads forschool students all over the world, has

launched two new Olympiad examsInternational Sports Knowledge

Olympiad (ISKO) and International

Company Secretaries Olympiad(ICSO). The ISKO will be organised in

association with Star Sports andICSO in association with The Insti-

tute of Company Secretaries of India.International Sports Knowledge

Olympiad (ISKO) will include Sports

& General Knowledge questions andstudents from classes I to X may

appear in the ISKO. Awards/scholar-ships worth about ~2.25 crore will be

provided to winners/ participants. In

addition, for the first time, selectstate topper students will be invited

to appear on a special programme onStar Sports channel. The ISKO is for

I to X class students.The International Company Secre-

taries Olympiad (ICSO) for studentsof classes XI & XII, is designed to

assist students realise their aptitude

and potential for Company Secre-tary’s profession. Students from all

streams — Science, Commerce &Humanities — may appear for the

ICSO. The international topper from

each class will be awarded a cashscholarship of ~1 lakh each. Over ~50

lakh will be awarded to winners of ICSO. Approximately 3.25 lakh stu-

dents had registered for the SOFOlympiad (2015-2016) in Delhi NCR .

SOF is already partnering The

British Council for the Internation-al English Olympiad.

Mahabir Singh, the founder &Executive Director, shared that for

the current year,students and

schools would be recognised andfelicitated with awards and scholar-

ships worth over ~14 crore. Regis-trations for the current year are

open and registration forms havebeen sent to schools.

2 THETRIBUNE Jobs&Careers | Q&A CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY2016

CAREER HOTLINEPERVIN MALHOTRA email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

Enrolment of 306 Indian students in US'university' terminatedThe enrolment of 306 Indian students in a

US university — created as part of the US

Homeland Security Investigation's (HSI)enforcement action — has been terminat-

ed on charges of visa fraud, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said

in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.He said the US authorities had arrested

from across the United States 22 brokers,

recruiters and employers — some of  whom are their own nationals — who

allegedly conspired with foreign nationalsto fraudulently obtain student and foreign

 workers' visas for the latter through a "pay

to stay" New Jersey college viz. Universityof Northern New Jersey (UNNJ).

"This 'college' was created and operat-ed as part of the US Homeland Security

Investigation's enforcement action in

this matter. As per the US government , during

the investigation, HSI special agentsidentified 1,076 foreign nationals who

previously entered the US on F-1 non-immigrant student visas to attend

other accredited schools and were

found to have knowingly participatedin visa fraud by enrolling at UNNJ for

the sole purpose of illegally obtainingand/or maintaining their F-1 non-immi-

grant status.

“The government is in touch with theUS government and has emphasised to

the US government that due processmust be followed and there should be

no harassment and injustice,” he said.— IANS

� � � � Ambli Road, Naraingarh (Ambala),Affiliated to CBSE requires thefollowing staff. TGT (English andS.Sc.), PRT (S.Sc.), Mother Teachers

for Pre-Primary Classes, ComputerTeacher (M.Sc.), Phy. Education(M.PEd.), Sports Teacher (C.PEd),Music & Dance Teacher, Accounts,Clerk & lady Bus Attendants, salaryno bar and transportation will beprovided from Ambala City.Interested candidates may send theirresume and Walk-in Interview on11.05.2016 (Wednesday) at 10.00 a.m.in the School premises. Ph. 81989-82114, 01734-286986, 284237,Email: shivalikips@gmail.com

NA6-10083

requires Assistant Professors onpurely temporary/adhoc basis for theSession 2016-17 in subjects of Computer Sc. (4), Commerce (3),Punjabi (3), Economics (2), English(2), Maths (1), Physics (1), Chemistry(2), Biology (1), Music (V) (1),History (1), Pol. Sc. (1), Fine Arts (1),Hindi (1), Asstt. Librarian (1) &Computer Lab Attendant (1).Qualification as per UGC/GNDUnorms. Apply within 15 days onprescribed form available with officeon payment of Rs 200/- or by Bank Draft in favour of Principal, MLUDAV College, Phagwara with a self addressed Rs 5/- stamped envelope.(Dr. Suman Tandon, Offg. Principal).01824-298800. Offg. Principal. D6-20

Marketing Executive for Governmentapproved Daily Hindi Newspaper inShimla. 99156-06900, 90416-37572.

NA6-9741

Ghanahatti Shimla required staff asper UGC/NCTE/HPU norms. B.Ed.Asstt. Professor-4, M.Ed. Professor-1,Associate Professor-1. Contact:0177-2775018. Mail:iieshimla11@gmail.com NA6-10407

� � � � Road, Ambala Cantt. RequiredLecturer in Hindi, Physics, Chemistry,Musics, Primary Teacher, ComputerTeacher and Sanskrit Teacher on Adhoc basis. Apply within ten days.

NA6-10084

for the position of Receptionist,Filling officer and Counselor forAustralian based immigrationcompany Bajwa Info overseascounsultancy Pvt. Ltd. 92 defencecolony market Jalandhar. Fresherwelcome, salary no bar forexperienced candidate. Email:info@bajwaoverseas.com M-7589175892. C6-12016

Industrial Engineering Companyrequires at Chandigarh: SalesEngineer, Service Engineer, ComputerOperator with preferably Accountsbackground. Industrial work experience of 1-2 years is must.chandigarh@prasadgroup.com

C6-11860

� �Sec. School, Vill. Naushehra Pannuan,Distt. Tarn-Taran (Chief KhalsaDiwan Charitable Society) (PEDBProject) requires staff for followingposts: (1) English - M.A. (English);B.Ed., (2) Science - M.Sc.(Chemistry, Physics/Zoology/Botany)B.Ed., (3) Primary - B.Com./B.Sc.,B.Ed., (4) Fine Arts - M.A. (FineArts) , (5) D.P.E. - B.P.Ed. Applyonline at www.chiefkhalsadiwan.com / career.php Contact No. of school:90232-95890, 98551-22255Members-Incharge. A6-11156

required for an MNC at Phase 8B,Mohali. Fresher/experienced.Excellent salary. Call @ 99886-61693. NA6-9679

Manufacturing Company require

candidate for Ambala. Sr. Accountant(M/F) exp. 8 yrs.-01, Office Executive(F)-01, Drawing EngineerMechanical (M/F)-01. Candidate sendt he ir C V o n ou r em ai lranamachinesindia@gmail.com82218-00694. NA6-9497

� BAMS male/female Doctors,Physiotherapist, Pharmacistfor Hospital in Nurmahal(Jalandhar). Send bio-datanaveen_sharma506@yahoo.comContact 98156-53506. C6-11772

� Park, Bhutal Kalan, Distt.Sangrur (Punjab). Email -akalsahaiacademy@gmail.com ,Contact : 92164-44044, 94171-06364.Urgently required - Coordinator,TGT’s (English, Math, Physics,Chemistry, Biology, S.St., Hindi,Physical Instructor, Music, NTT andArt & Craft teacher. PRT’s for allsubject, Grade as for CBSE norms.Couples will be preferred. Free foodand Residence facility available forout station Candidates. Walk-in-interview or post/email your resume.Principal. C6-11268

application/ CV for under mentionedposts by 20th May 2016. (1) Resident/ Non-resident Doctor - QualificationMBBS with experience. Duties -Clinical and Administrative. (2)Phychiatrist Nurse - Qualificationpreferably DPN or B.Sc./ GNM withexperience in psychiatric set up.Residence shall be provided. Pay/ 

perks will be decided at the time of interview. Prabh Aasra, VillagePadiala, Kurali, Tehsil Kharar,Mohali. 98151-03793,caredisabled@gmail.com C6-11322

� �MD, Medicine & MS Orthopadic Dr.experience atleast 3 yrs. ContactCharitable Hospital, Lohara (Moga).Phone 97795-06111. NA6-9748

placements of Doctors, leasing/sale of Hospitals. Mobile: 092169-99555,www.doctorsplacements.comNA6-9264

MEDICAL/SURGICAL

through Express Entry, LMIA, ITITrade, Business visa, Agriculture visa,Denmark Residency, Study visa forUSA, Singapore & Europe (with orwithout IELTS), Tourist visa. Genuineguidance and excellent visa results.More than 800 families settled by usin last 10 years. Contact personally atRahal Immigration Consultants, SCO117-118, Sector 17B, Chandigarh.+91 98557-05050, 0172-5061516.

NA6-9219

IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY 

available for all classes/subjects inPunjab/Haryana/Himachal. AchieverMrs. Luxmi 098144-55555, 098555-66445. www.hometutorsindia.com

NA6-9266

TUITION

� certified company manufacturing andmarketing a vide range of Medical &Surgical Disposable products,Surgical Gloves, Examination Gloves,Sanitary napkins, Condoms requiresCSA, Super Stockist, Distributors,experienced Sales Officersfor the states of Punjab, Haryana,HP, J&K. Please mail:attraditionglobe@gmail.com Call094170-10073, 098714-02220.

NA6-10891

 AGENT AND DISTRIBUTOR

Academy, Balbehra, Distt. Patiala forKindergarten (Nursery & KG),English, Maths, Science and SocialScience. Fluency in English is must.

Eligibility: Graduation/Post-Graduation in Science stream. B.Ed.is not compulsory. Transportationfacility available from Patiala. Salary:Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 15,000 P.M. Walk-inInterview & Test: Akal DhudialAcademy, Old Bishan Nagar, St. No.04, near Shiv Mandir, Distt. Patiala(98720-18459) and at Akal AcademyBalbehra, VPO Balbehra, Teshil &Distt. Patiala on 14.05.2016 (9 a.m. to12 p.m.). (98551-87955),hr.patiala@akalacademy.in NA6-10958

Academies located in Distt: Bathinda,Mansa, Muktsar, Fazilka,Ganganagar, Fatehabad and Sirsa forEnglish TGT/PRT, Science, S.St.,Maths, Hindi, PTI, Music and Art &Craft. Fluency in English is must.Eligibility: Graduation &Postgraduation, salary: 7,000 to18,000. Walk-in interview: RegionalZona Office, SCF: 57, Model Town,Phase-1, Bathinda. On 13.05.2016, 10a.m.-2 p.m. hrbti12@gmail.com ,97817-02019, 0164-5008057.

NA6-10957

Charitable Dental Dispensary (AkalDhudial Academy, Old Bishan Nagar,Street No. 4, Near Shiv Mandir).

Eligibility: Diploma in DMLT, X-Ray,Operation Theatre or Diploma inDental Technician. Salary: 7,000 to12,000. Walk-in interview & test:H.R. Department, Akal DhudialAcademy, Old Bishan Nagar, StreetNo. 4, Near Shiv Mandir, Patiala on14.05.2016, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.hr.patiala@akalacademy.in , 98720-18459, 94178-56245. NA6-10955

communication skills for part-timebasis job in Mohali, good salary, SCO8, Sec 68, Mohali. Contact: 98158-45044. NA6-10961

NTT Nursery Teachers, TGT, PGT(All Subjects), HR Manager. Contact:Guru Nanak Academy, Ratia. 93153-29274. gna.ratia@gmail.com

NA6-10974

Hoshiarpur, good command inEnglish preferably MA English withPGDCA. 95925-93700. NA6-10950

Chandigarh requires faculty in CE,ME, ECE, EE, CSE, Applied Science,Nursing, Management, Education,Commerce etc. Apply atcareers@aryans.edu.in A6-11972

� Main Sangrur Road, Patiala requiresTGT English and Science. Fluency inEnglish is must school 10 km fromPatiala. Transport facility available98143-26772, 99141-46772. NA6-9746

DISCL

AIMER “The Tribune Trust doesnot take responsibility

for the contentsof the advertisements

(D

isp

lay/ C

la

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f 

i

ed)carried in this

newspaper. The paperdoes not endorse thesame. Readers are

requested to verify the

contents on theirown before acting

there upon.”

�

 A.Space science is abroad umbrella termthat covers various scientific

fields that are concerned with the study of the Uni-

 verse (excluding the Earthand its atmosphere). While

these fields were all consid-

ered part of astronomy earli-er, the major sub-fields with-

in astronomy, such asastrophysics, have grown so

large that they’re now con-

sidered separate fields ontheir own. These fall in eight

broad standalone cate-gories: Astrophysics, Galac-

tic Science, Stellar Science,

non-Earth Planetary Sci-ence, Biology of Other Plan-

ets, Astronautics / SpaceTravel, Space Colonization

and Space Defense.However, space science is

different from space research

and space exploration.The former relates to sci-

entific studies carried outby using scientific equip-

ment in space. Frequently,the term includes studying

the upper atmosphere

using sounding rockets andhigh-altitude balloons.

 While space explorationinvolves a great deal of 

space research, it addition-

ally harnesses space tech-nology to broaden its spec-

trum by including earthscience and materials sci-

ence in its ambit.

Understandably there-fore, some of the varied aca-

demic programmes thatproduce space scientists are

astrophysics, aerospaceengineering and astrono-

my, remote sensing, GIS,

Satellite Meteorology andGlobal Climate, Atmospher-

ic Sciences, Satellite com-munication etc.

 A number of leading Insti-

tutes like the Inter Univer-sity Centre for Astronomy

& Astrophysics, Pune, TataInstitute of Fundamental

Research (TIFR), Mumbai,Physical Research Labora-

tory (PRL), Ahmedabad,

Indian Institute of Astro-physics, Bangalore and the

Nehru Planetarium, Delhietc. regularly invite stu-

dents for workshops at their

planetariums.This is a fantastic opportu-

nity to learn more about thefield and meet the experts.

Please contact them directlyfor further information.

Right course for space science

Q.I love science and since I’ve always nurtured the dreamof doing my engineering from IIT, I joined a coaching insti-tute when I was in Class XI. I could manage the pressure of 

school and coaching in the first year, but felt very pressured

trying to juggle the two in Class XII as I was also continuing

with my other passion — sports (basketball). As a result, I

dropped out of coaching. But I’ve surprisingly managed a good

score in JEE Mains. So, now I’m in a terrible dilemma. I know

that I won’t be able to ace the JEE Advance as I haven’t pre-

pared for it seriously. My question is should I drop a year and

prepare in dead earnest for 2017? I’m very confused.

— LAVJEET SINGH

 A.Every achievementdeserves to be cele-brated. Congrats for scoringa good rank in the Mains.

 And when it comes to engi-neering education in our

country, sure the IITs (some,not all) are certainly on top of 

the heap, but you’ll be

delighted to learn that in theIndia Rankings 2016 recent-

ly released by the NationalInstitutional Ranking

Framework under MHRD, 12

NITs feature in the list of thetop 50 institutions led by NIT,

Tiruchirapalli at rank 12. 10other NITs are interspersed

between ranks 51 - 92. VIT

(rank 13) and PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore

(rank 24) are two privateinstitutions that occupy top

slots amongst the IITs and

NITs. Besides these, we havea whole lot of other excellent

colleges like BITs, BIT, DTU,

NSIT, Thapar, IIITs, MITamongst several others — allof which are open to you. I

 would suggest you look at

them with an open mind. Atthe end of the day, remember

it’s all about you and notabout the brand of institute

that will determine your suc-cess and achievement in life.

Instead of dropping a year,

opt for the best one out of these and you may be pleas-

antly surprised. And shouldyou still wish to give the JEE

another shot next year, what

stops you! And lastly, regardless of 

 whether you’ve taken

coaching for the JEE Advance, do give it yourbestest shot. You still have

time. And who knows you

may end up lucky… Believeme, life is full of surprises…!

Should i drop a yearto prepare for IIT?

Q.Can you please tell me something about the job of C& Fagents? — YOGESHSARNA

 A.Cargo & Freight agentsorganise and trackincoming and outgoing car-go and freight shipments in

airline, train, or trucking ter-minals or on shipping docks.

They expedite the move-ment of shipments by deter-

mining the route that ship-

ments must take and bypreparing the necessary

shipping documents. C & F Agents take orders from cus-

tomers and arrange for the

pickup of freight or cargo forbeing delivered to the load-

ing platforms. They alsokeep records of the proper-

ties of the cargo, such as the

quantity, type, weight, anddimensions. They keep a tal-

ly of missing items, recordthe conditions of damaged

items, and document any

excess supplies.Besides arranging cargo

according to its destination,

C & F agents also determinethe shipping rates and othercharges that can sometimes

apply to the freight. For

imported or exportedfreight, they verify that the

proper customs paperwork

is in order. They have now 

begun to track shipmentselectronically using bar

codes, and answer customerqueries regarding the status

of their shipments.

Besides Couriers, most jobs lie in the air and truck

transportation industry. Although cargo traffic is

expected to grow faster thanin the past, employment of C

& F agents may be impacted

by technological advances.For example, the increasing

use of bar codes on cargo andfreight allows agents and

customers to track their

shipments quickly over theInternet, rather than manu-

ally tracking their location.Moreover, clients are now 

able to complete their cus-

toms and insurance paper- work online, reducing the

need for C & F agents.

Despite these advances intechnology, job openings will continue to arise, due to

increases in online pur-

chase, which results inmore shipments.

What is the workprofile of C&F agents?

    �

Winners of quiz 514: The first prize by draw of lots goes toKhushpreet Kaur; Roll No. 6; Class 10th; GHS Badwala; VPO Bad-wala; tehsil Bassi Pathana; district Fatehgarh Sahib; Punjab; PinCode - 140412

Second: Gurbinder Singh; Class VII; Sant Baba Budha Ji SeniorSecondary Public School; Majitha; district Amritsar; Pin Code -143601

Third: Jatin Batra; Class:12th (non-medical); Satyanand PublicSchool; Gohana district; Sonepat; Haryana; Pin Code - 131301

 Answers to quiz 514:Dipa Karmakar; 171; Gurugram and Nuh;90th; Vespa; April 24; Marathwada; Thirty; Afghanistan; Australia

Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, sec-ond and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at theschool address.

Note: Kindly mention the pin code of your place on theletter/postcard to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.

Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com

Name……………….………….........................................................

..................................................................................................

Class....………….......….……........................................................

School address.......................................................................

..................................................................................................

    �

�

1. Name the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. What is the single emergency number that will be operational

throughout India from January 1 to help people reach immediate

services of police, ambulance and fire department?

3. Who recently became the first Muslim Mayor of London?

4. Name the Republican and Democratic front-runners for the US

presidential elections.

5. Name the world's largest unmanned surface vessel, a self-driving 

132-foot ship able to travel up to 10,000 nautical miles on its own

to hunt for stealthy submarines and underwater alleys.

6. Which state of Canada was witness to raging wildfires recently?

7. What is the full form of FSSAI?

8. Which day is observed as World Hand Hygiene Day?

9. Name the top three countries violating the doping norms in the

world.

10.Which team recently won the Premier League title for the first

time in history in 132 years?

— Tarun Sharma

NATURE’S FURY 

FORTNIGHTLY  QUIZ  515

India SheffieldScholarships

The University of Sheffield is offer-

ing the India Sheffield Scholar-

ship to Indian students starting a

Taught Masters programme in

September 2016.

Eligibility: Applicants must hold

an offer of a study place and begin

postgraduate Taught Masters pro-

gramme in September 2016.

They must be a national or per-

manently domiciled of India.

They must be self-funded and

classified as overseas for fee

purposes.

The scholarships will be award-

ed automatically – no applica-

tion is required.

The scholarships will take the form

of a tuition fee reduction only.

The scholarships are for full-time

students only. Students studying 

via Distance Learning are not eli-

gible for the scholarships.

The scholarships will not beawarded where partial funding is

applicable from an external

body* and there is an agreement

already in place between the

external body and the University

of Sheffield to offer a tuition fee

discount to the student.

The Scholarship is for each year

of the Taught Masters pro-

gramme, however it is not avail-

able for each year of a New

Route PhD course. The scholar-

ship is only available for the first

year of study.

Details:

£2,000 if your tuition fees are

between £15,250 and £17,250

or

£2,500 if your tuition fees are

£17,251 and upwards

Unless

 You are a student of MSc in Global

Marketing Management, or any of our MSc Nanofolio courses jointly

run with the University of Leeds.

Under these circumstances your

Scholarship will be £1,250 only,

the £2,000 and £2,500 discounts

above will not apply.

How to apply: Online

Deadline: June 24. Scholarship

results will be announced on July

29, 2016.

MBA at Robert GordonUniversityRobert Gordon University is offer-

ing MBA scholarships for Busi-

ness, Management and Account-

ing students.

Eligibility: All applicants must

meet the normal admission crite-

ria for the MBA programme.

Candidates with an offer for the

MBA, MBA Information Manage-

ment, or MBA Oil and Gas Man-

agement degrees can apply for

an MBA scholarship.

English language Require-

ments: All international students,

for whom English is not their first

language, must provide evidence

of linguistic ability, by gaining 

either IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 570

(paper) or TOEFL 230 (computer)

prior to receiving an uncondition-

al offer of a place on the course.

Detail:The MBA scholarship takes

the form of a reduction in the normal

tuition fees by a specified amount.

Successful applicants will be

responsible for paying the balance

of their tuition fees, and for all their

other travel and living expenses.

Scholarships range from

£3,000 to £9,000.

How to apply: The form and the

written paper should be sent withall other essential documentation

to linda.mair-at-rgu.ac.uk. Appli-

cants should title the email “MBA

Scholarship Application”.

Deadline: September 1 for Sep-

tember intake.

Check out:

www.rgu.ac.uk/areas-of-study/sub-

 jects/business-management-and-

accounting/scholarships

For art and designstudentsAnglia Ruskin University, UK is offer-

ing Mark Wood Art and Design

Scholarship for students wanting to

go in for master’s degree programme

in MA film &TV Production; MA Fine

Art; MA Printmaking; MA Graphic

Design and Typography; MA Illustra-

tion and Book Arts; MA Photography;

MA Fashion Design; MA Computer

Games Development (Art)Eligibility: International students

can apply for this scholarship.

How to apply: Applicants can

download it online request by

emailing: giving-at-anglia.ac.uk.

Deadline: July 25, 2016

Check out:anglia-ruskin-university-

mark-wood-art-design-scholarship

Q.I am in Class XI (non-med). What kind of courses shouldone pursue if one wishes to specialise in space studies?— UNNATICHAUHAN

NEWSBOARD

SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUPCLASSIFIEDS

8/17/2019 Jobs-Careers-JC 11 May 2016

3/4

CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY| 11 MAY 2016   THETRIBUNE Jobs&Careers | Prospects 3

NISTHA TRIPATHI

Growing number of engi-

neers who apply to graduateschools abroad are facing a

massive challenge. Withengineering colleges sprout-

ing in every corner, the qual-

ity of education and infra-structure has taken a huge

beating. With barely quali-fied teachers, students lack

any avenues to learn and get

the kind of exposure that would make them competi-

tive against their counter-parts from China, Europe

and USA. So how do these

students learn when theircolleges are offering so little?

Most of the engineering col-leges are struggling to find

qualified faculty. While the

courses are being taught'blindly', students are passing

not by proving their knowl-edge but by last minute rote

learning, copying assign-ments and solving previous

year question papers. They

say a true engineer never

studies until the last two daysbefore the exam!

But this jugaad engineer-

ing falls flat at the first con-

tact with professional world. After all, you need to know 

and do things when youshow up at work. Similarly,

 when a student applies to

universities abroad, theyexpect you to be not only

conversant in the basic sub- jects but also exhibit mas-

tery over some of them. Andgetting into these top notch

universities is not about

cracking an entrance exam,but impressing with your

overall profile - projects,grades, experience, scores

etc. Poor Indian student

realises that his jugaad is notgoing to work here.

Enter the number of MOOCs (Massive Open

Online Courses). MOOCs are

online courses targetingopen access for student par-

ticipation via Internet. In a world where everything is

 just one click away, whyshould education be left

behind? Why do we need to

be in a physical classroom for

gathering knowledge? This was the sentiment when MIT

and Harvard created edX in2012 that hosts online uni-

 versity level paid and freecourses. Soon, sites like

Coursera, Udemy, Udacity

and Khan Academy estab-lished their mark in the

space by offering a large vari-ety of courses for academic,

professional and interest

based learning. Yasho Vardhan, an MIS

applicant was feeling that hisaverage GPA was putting

him at a disadvantage in his

applications. To furtherenhance his profile, he decid-

ed to take Introduction to'Python for Data Science' on

edX and 'R Programming' onCoursera. Since he was inter-

ested in Analytics which is

growing much in popularity

and competition, he felt thathe needed something more

than his academics and workexperience to differentiate

himself. Further, such cours-es were highly recommend-

ed by his seniors at Universi-

ty of Maryland, the place where he is heading to this

September. When Sheelabhadra Dey,

an Electronics Engineering

student at NIT Trichy, start-ed applying for MS in Com-

puter Science (CS) pro-grammes with an interest in

Machine Learning, he knew 

that CS is one of the mostcompetitive programmes.

 With a non-CS background,he needed to prove his met-

tle. So, he opted to complete

online courses that wouldhelp him develop the CS

skills that he could not in col-

lege. Now that he has admitsfrom multiple reputed CS

programs such as Texas A&M University, and Uni-

 versity of Florida, he thinks

his decision was a life saver. With quality courses and

online availability, anincreasing number of stu-

dents are resorting to takingsuch courses to augment

their knowledge of popular

subjects like Data Science,Basics of Computer Science

and so on. If you are express-ing an interest in Computer

Security in your study

abroad application and yourcollege did not offer enough

relevant electives, you cantake such of courses on a

MOOC provider. While

MOOC grades might not betaken too seriously by the

 Admission Committee, it still

shows enthusiasm on yourpart and gives additional

credibility to your applica-tion. A few skills that can be

advantageous during your

hunt for on-campus jobs andassistantships are web devel-

opment, perl scripting, excelmodeling etc. Another popu-

lar online course is MachineLearning by Andew Ng.

 Whether you get a certifi-

cate or not is not the key factorhere. The point is to gather

the real skills. Besides, devel-oping good projects these

classes can be a great way to

show you are a pro-activelearner. These can also help to

compensate for your low grades or can fill in for lack of 

a formal education in the area

you are applying for.— The writer is Founder Director of 

Scholar Strategy, a studying abroad

The MOOC pointCOURSE CRUISING

International School of Design (INSD) recently

announced the launch of a course in Game Art/ 

Design/Development at UG: Professional Diploma lev-el. The course will give young professionals an oppor-

tunity to understand the challenges and opportunitiesof the industry and learn from world class experts of 

the industry. Game Art/ Design/Development coursehas been slightly modified to train individuals in

games. This course will give students an introduction

to the industry, association with consoles and brief description on the production process, details on the

design process, role of art in games, and overview oncoding actual games.

Following this, students are given detailed knowl-

edge of different programming languages, enginesand development techniques. Also, a chance to attend

different seminars, visit leading gaming companiesand meet experts from the industry. By the end of the

course, candidate will be capable of creating games onany gaming platform. — TNS

New Gaming course

Certificate in Business Accounting The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants(CIMA) has launched an updated CIMA Certificate in

Business Accounting (Cert BA) in India. Assessmentsunder the updated syllabus will commence in January

2017. The update consolidates the five subjects of the

existing syllabus into four. The former standalone

Business Mathematics subject is now integratedacross other subjects, allowing for contextual practicalapplication of maths.

The full syllabus content has been reviewed and

refreshed, following thorough global industry andeducational research, to ensure it remains up-to-date

and relevant.Shane Balzan, Head of Syllabus Development with

CIMA Education, said, “The Certificate in Business

 Accounting is designed to elevate people and business-es to success by developing skills and unlocking talent.

It’s a standalone qualification designed to give anyone— not just those in a finance role — a solid grasp of the

fundamentals of business and finance. The Cert BA 

update was based on extensive research and consulta-tion with employers and educators worldwide, ensur-

ing that the syllabus continues to reflect the emergingissues faced by businesses and responds to their need

for competent, confident and skilled professionals.” While the updated Cert BA is a standalone qualifica-

tion, it also continues to serve as a prerequisite to the

Professional Qualification. The update now aligns theCert BA more strongly with the Professional Qualifica-

tion by embedding the CGMA Competency Frameworkand integrating the ‘three learning pillars’ structure.

R. L. TRIKHA

JEE Advanced is a presti-

gious engineering examina-tion, a cherished dream of all

aspiring students. It opensthe door for entry into the

IITs — the institutes foster-

ing excellence in education.

By building a strong and sol-id foundation of scientificand technical knowledge,

these institutes prepare

competent and motivatedengineers and scientists.

School board syllabus isabout learning of concepts

and formulas. A student who

has been regular and seriousin school studies, by diving

deep in concepts and by regu-lar practice of solving prob-

lems based on the concept,

can do well in JEE Main. How-ever, JEE Advanced, besides

going deep in concepts, needsskills of comprehension, rea-

soning and analytical abilityto solve problems.

Expected trends forthis yearThis year also two objectivepapers (P+C+M) of 3 Hours

each will be there. Paper-1

& Paper-2 will be a mix of questions of types MCQ -

1C, MCQ - MC, Numericalbased questions, Passage

based comprising of 2/3

Questions per passage &Matrix-Match type matched

separately or singly all four

questions matched with cor-rect answers in one of four

choices. There may not be

change in cut-offs percent-age & may remain same as

in last year for various cate-gories - General, OBC,

SC/ST, PD etc.

How to ensure a high rankStudents should avoidselective study. Number of 

questions being large in

objective type papers, allmajor concepts/topics are

likely to be covered with

intermingling of the con-cepts of various topics in

the same question in some

of questions.�Stay focused and strictly

follow well-planned timetable of revision.

�During practice sessions

of attempting mock testpapers, student should aim

at 100 per cent hit rate i.e.all attempted questions

should be correct.�Question carrying no neg-ative marking must be

attempted since there is

nothing to lose.�Speed and accuracy will

also allow to finish JEE

 Advance papers ahead of time, leaving some time for

attempting revision andsolving balance unattempt-

ed questions.�Prepare all chapters of physics, chemistry and-

mathematics in a chapter wise and topic wise time

table. Based on past experi-

ence stress may be given bystudents on the following

topics with likely major

share in question papers:Mathematics: Quadrat-

ic Equations & Expressions,

Complex Numbers, Probabil-ity, Vectors, Matrices in Alge-

bra; Circle, Parabola, Hyper-bola in Coordinate

Geometry; Functions, Limits,

Continuity and Differentia-bility, Application of Deriva-

tives, Definite Integral in Cal-culus.

Physics: Mechanics, Fluids,

Heat & Thermodynamics, Waves and Sound, Capacitors

& Electrostatics, Magnetics,Electromagnetic Induction,

Optics and Modern Physics.

Chemistry: Qualita-

tive Analysis, CoordinationChemistry & ChemicalBonding in Inorganic

Chemistry, Electrochem-

istry, Thermodynamics,Chemical Equilibrium in

Physical Chemistry andOrganic Chemistry Com-

plete as a topic.

Last 10-day strategy �Quick revision of theory /illustrations from flagged

notes devoting equal time

to all three subjects shouldbe done.�Formulas at a glancechapter-wise and subject-

 wise should be revised andmemorised. Only questions

 with tricks and innovative

 way of solving those prob-lems should be carefully

gone through from flaggednotes made for the occasion

 when practising questions

from fundamentals/initialprinciples although during

years of preparation.�No new questions should

be attempted in the last

three days.— The writer is Director, FIITJEE

Secure your ticket to IIT

How online courses are helping Indian students compensate for poor quality of education

Some top sites to access high quality free courses:

Stanford Free Courses: stanford.edu/see/faq.aspx

UC Berkeley Free Courses: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/

MIT Free Courses: http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Duke Free Courses: http://itunes.duke.edu/

Harvard Free Courses: http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative

UCLA Free Courses: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/search.aspx?c=free+courses

 Yale Free Courses: http://oyc.yale.edu/

Carnegie Mellon Free Courses: http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/

ITunesU Free Courses: http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/

 AIFD coursesThe Army institute of Fashion

Design (AIFD), Bangalore, offers

PG Diploma in Fashion & Apparel

Design and Fashion Retail Man-

agement. The admission is on the

basis of score in CAT for admis-

sion to the PG courses. It will be

held on July 23. PG Programmes

Duration : 2 years

Seats : (20 seats each)

Eligibility: Any graduate with a

minimum of 35% aggregate marks

recognized by Indian Universities

or Equivalent or UGC/ AICTE.

Should be a ward of one of the fol-

lowing:

�Serving Army personnel.

�Serving medical officers of IN

and IAF who have served in the

Army for more than 10 yrs and are

members of AOBF.

�Retired Army pers in receipt of 

regular pension, or former Army

pers who retired after min service

of 10 yrs.

�Former Army pers who died dur-

ing service / after retirement and

family pension is granted.

� Limited seats are also available

for civilians and wards of other

defence establishments.

How to apply: Candidates can

obtain the prospectus from the

Office of AIFD Bangalore,

Nagareshwara Nagenahalli,

Kothanur Post, Bangalore-560077 through requisition

alongwith a crossed demand

draft for ~550 in favour of ARMY 

INSTITUTE OF FASHION &

DESIGN, BANGALORE payable at

Bangalore. Money order/

Cheque/ Prospectus is also avail-

able on cash payment of 

Rs.500/- at Institute, Army Head-

quarters (AWES) and all the Army

Command Headquarters (AWES).

Application forms duly complet-

ed in all respects along with rele-

vant certificates documents

should reach the Principal.

Note: Students downloading the

forms from website will have to

attach a draft of ~500 along with

the application form towards can-

didateship for CAT.

Deadline: Last date for submis-

sion of application form

June 15, 2016Check out : www.aifdonline.in

Forensic science courseUK-based University of Lincoln’s

School of Chemistry is inviting 

applications for its MSc/MA

Forensic Science (Erasmus

Mundus) programme. The course

taught at the School of Chemistry,

is a unique postgraduate pro-

gramme that draws on the foren-

sic science expertise of three

leading institutions across

Europe, offering a truly interna-

tional perspective of the

field.Conducted in partnership-

with the University of Córdoba,

Spain, and the Institute of Health

Sciences Egas Moniz, Portugal,

the programmefocuses on the

latest specialist techniques used

by the professionals in the field of 

forensic science.

Duration:2 years(Full-time)

Eligibility: The applicant must

have anupper second class Bach-

elors (over or equal to 60%) in a

Science subject. The English lan-

guage requirement is an average

IELTS score of 6 with no element

below 5.5.

Commencing from: September

2016

Fee: £15,700

Deadline: It is advisable to applyby the end of May 2016.

Check out:

http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/c

ourse/frsscnms/

MSc Digital MarketingManagementUK-based Staffordshire Universi-

ty invites applications for its MSc

Digital Marketing Management

Programme. The programme,

taught at the university's busi-

ness school has been designed to

offer marketing graduates the

opportunity to keep abreast of 

changes in the digital marketing 

management environment. It

enables the students to deal with

the real world issues in an intel-

lectual and challenging manner

in this dynamic area of market-

ing. The course provides students

with both technical and criticalevaluation skills, and the ability

to apply contemporary tech-

niques for decision making in

complex situations relevant to

digital marketing management.

The flexible nature of the pro-

gramme gives students the

opportunity to explore specific

aspects of the digital marketing 

debate ranging from new and

emerging themes relating to

branding, content curation and

analytics.

Duration:1 year (Full-time)

Eligibility:Students are required

to have a second class honors'

degree or equivalent in business

with evidence of successful

attainment of marketing modules

and a satisfactory English lan-

guage skills qualification.

Commencing from: September

2016

Fee: £12,000

Deadline: June 15, 2016

Check out:

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/

SSTK-10823.jsp

PGDPC courseThe Delhi School of Communica-

tion (DSC) invites applications

for its XXIInd Post Graduate Pro-

gramme in Communication

(PGDPC). This integrated pro-

gram me awards PGDPC (Post

Graduate Diploma Programme

in Communication along with

the MA JMC (Masters in Journal-

ism and Mass Communication).

The DSC programme covers all

the relevant subjects such as

advertising, entertainment mar-

keting, public relations, digital

marketing and branding. Indus-

try exposure via internship is an

integral part of the programme.Students are entitled to pursue

an internship (full day work

experience) for up to 4 months

and apprenticeship (half day

work experience) between 3 to

6 months.

Eligibility:Graduates or students

in the final year of graduation (all

streams) are eligible to apply.

How to apply: Application forms

may be downloaded and submit-

ted online at www.dsc.edu.in.

Selection criteria: For admis-

sion to DSC, students have to

clear either the MAT/CAT examina-

tion or DSC’S internal Admission

Test. The DSC admission test is of 

1 ½ hrs duration, based upon

basic reasoning, logic and cre-

ative writing skills, in addition to

Basic knowledge of Advertising 

and Media. Thereafter, a candi-

date need to take a ½ hr Psycho-logical Test, designed to assess a

candidate’s creative writing skills

and emotional quotient. This year,

both the Internal Exam and Psy-

chological Test are available

online. Personal Interview is the

third and final step towards

obtaining admission to PGDPC.

Deadline: May 30, 2016

Check out: www.dsc.edu.in.

COURSE CHAT

TESTING TIMES: JEE ADVANCED

Matter of marks

Cut-off details of last year(MM 360)

General Category 

Minimum: 35% inaggregate i.e. 126 marks

�10% in each subject i.e. 12(each subject)

OBC (Non Creamy Layer)

Minimum: 31.5% inaggregate i.e. 113.4 Marks

�9% in each subject i.e.10.8 marks

SC/ST

Minimum: 17.5% inaggregate i.e. 63 Marks

�5% in each subject i.e.6 marks

continued from p1

 which should come as arelief to anyone who has felt

as if the GMAT gave them

enough to remember on itsown.

If you can remember yourbirthday, you’ll be able to

 view your GMAT scorereports whenever you like.

Test of English as aForeign Language (TOEFL)Going the MOOC way 

The non-profit online learn-

ing destination founded byHarvard and Massachu-

setts Institute of Technolo-gy, has launched a new 

Massive Open OnlineCourse (MOOC) on Test of 

English as a Foreign Lan-

guage (TOEFL).The course titled TOEFL

Test Preparation: The

Insider’s Guide  will bebeginning from June 13,

2016. It’s a six-week coursedesigned by the experts

 who created the TOEFLtest. Each week will focus

on different aspects of the

test. There will be a generalintroduction in week one,

followed by a week for each

of the four skills tested —reading, listening, speaking

and writing with a weeklycommitment of no more

than two hours per week. Although the course is

free, you can sign up for a

paid certificate that will

highlight the knowledgeand skills they gained upon

completing the MOOC.

Summing upCompetitive entranceexams are a standardised

and reliable mode of evalu-ating the millions of appli-

cants who aspire to studyabroad every year. These

give equal opportunity to

every student for the col-

leges they have applied for. With these changes an

attempt has been made toaugment their effective-

ness in accordance with the

changing needs in educa-tion sector. So take your

time, prepare well and getready to go places.

— The writer is a punjab-based career

consultant

Master the new rules of entrance

8/17/2019 Jobs-Careers-JC 11 May 2016

4/4

4 THETRIBUNE Jobs&Careers | Worklife CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY2016

SWATI RAI

 Yes, appraisal season is uponyou and there’s good news!

 You’ve been promoted!Preparing for it for months

or even if it came as shocker,

congratulations, are surely inorder.

 A career milestone such asthis deserves a celebration.

But wait! Before you rest on

your laurels, take stock of thesituation, prepare for the

new role and rise up to thechallenge. Promotions inher-

ently entail change, new 

responsibilities, and differ-ent career challenges. So

much so that most compa-nies have an orientation pro-

gramme for enabling a

smooth transition of a newlypromoted employee.

There is a tectonic shift inthe nature of soft skills as

 well as professional compe-tencies as one climbs the pro-

fessional ladder. The expecta-

tion of the company from the

employee is that she will set-tle down fast and propel com-pany’s growth even further.

 Ajay Mallapurkar, Vertical

Head, TISS School of Voca-tional Education and MD

Earnest HR, shares his takeon in-house promotions,

“Many professionals are pro-

moted just because theyhave spent a long time in an

organisation and not

because they have the skillsand are competent to lead.

This is a sure recipe for fail-ure. Professionals must do

an honest self appraisal of their skills, knowledge and

competencies (take the help

of your colleagues, supervi-

sor if needed) and worktowards filling the gaps.”

Promotions surely should-

n’t shoot up your egoistic

distance from your fellow colleagues, it pays to be level

headed, and ensuring thatyou never stop learning and

enhancing your skills, to lead

from the front.Sharing his views on the in-

house effort invested by the

company in preparing thenewly promoted employees

for their future role, VivekKumar, Chief Human

Resources Officer, Indus Tow-ers says, “It is mandatory for

the incumbent to undergo a

structured programme expos-

ing him to the new role interms of expectations, inter-nal customer linkages,

processes and team dynam-

ics. This is monitored by theHR team, which ensures that

it mandatorily takes placebefore the employees take up

their new role.”

Such structured interven-tions not only help in sharp-

ening the learning curve but

also help in ensuringincreased success rate of 

individual in the new role.“At Indus, we have imple-

mented a Talent Review Process and Career Pathing

initiative, which help

employees to plan their

future movements andgrowth,” He adds.

Taking up a new role

should not put aside the

existing team’s dynamics. Itis imperative that a new boss,

manager or executive firstobserves the situation,

immerses oneself in the sys-

tem thoroughly and thengoes about making and sug-

gesting changes. Command-

ing respect and demanding itare two side of the same coin,

therefore one should objec-tively study the situation and

functioning of the team. Sid-

darth Bharwani, Vice- Presi-dent, Jetking Infotrain Limit-

ed, opines that it is notmandatory for companies to

have a formal orientationprogrammes to prepare them

for the role of a promoted

post as he feels that profes-sionals get exposure on-the-

 job through stretch assign-ments, job shadowing and

orientation by their team

leads. He argues, “Organisa-tions generally practice on-

the-job concept for orientingprofessionals in the new 

roles. Considering a new hire

 who generally undergoes amuch desired orientation

programme, compared to apromotion from within. The

existing employee must have

been identified for the new role based on demonstrated

skill and competencies

required to perform in thenew role.”

On the contrary Vikalp

Jambhulkar, Senior Market-

ing Manager, Taskbob India,feels that systematised orien-

tation programmes for thenewly promoted employees

are a must as, “Being pro-

moted, while it is excitingand exhilarating, can be

equally overwhelming and

frightening. You need to beaware of what your new role

entails and how you can bestdo the job at hand. It helps to

manage a lot of anxiety and

in fact leaves you feelingempowered and competent.”

Even if there is no for-malised training programme

for the new promotions, it is

a given that acquaintingyourself with the require-

ments of the new role, expec-tation of the boss and that of 

the colleagues under you isof prime importance.

The most important aspect

is that of understanding thatbecause of the increase in

the role and responsibilities,there will certainly be a

great demand on your time,

therefore, making striking abalance between work and

life binding. An awareness of the new role and responsibil-

ities that come with the chair

are imperative to lay a solidfoundation for some great

 work for self and organisa-

tional growth. Seekinganswers to grey areas of operations and functional

tasks, keeping abreast with

the changing organisationalexpectations, and tackling

uncertainty is a sure shot way to justify your being the

chosen one.

Are you prepared for promotion?OFFICE MANTRA 

 We get bombarded withmultiple ideas during our

 work; each idea looks great

on the surface and gener-ates excitement amongst

the stakeholders. Scarcecorporate resources require

that we look at the feasibili-

ty quotient of the notion,

before jumping the gun. Your manager expects youto do the analysis before

you table the proposal. Let

us look at using ‘Force fieldanalysis’ to separate the

 wheat from the chaff.Force field analysis is a sim-

ple but powerful technique

for building an understand-ing of the forces that may

drive and resist a proposedidea/change if it is imple-

mented. This technique wasdeveloped by social psychol-

ogist Kurt Lewin to analyse

 what he termed driving andrestraining forces influenc-

ing situations.Driving forces push for

and initiate change in a par-

ticular direction. Restrain-ing forces act to restrain or

decrease the driving forces.For any idea to be suc-

cessfuly implemented,

the driving forces mustexceed the restraining

forces. Equilibrium or bal-ance is achieved when the

sum of the driving forcesonce again equals the sum

of the restraining forces.

When to useIn addition to its intendedpurpose of analysing driv-

ing and restraining forces

in a proposed change situ-ation, force field analysis

can also be used to:■List pros and cons.■ List actions and reac-tions.■List strengths and weak-

nesses.■

Compare ideal situationsand reality.■ Compare perceptions of 

opposing parties in negoti-

ating situations.■List “ what we know ” and

“ what we don’t know. ”

ProcedureThe typical sequence of steps involved in force

field analysis is as follows:

STEP 1

Describe the issue, prob-

lem, plan, or proposed

change. Draft a brief,objective statement of the

problem or challenge theteam is facing and put

that description in themiddle of the worksheet.

STEP 2

Start by defining and list-

ing all the forces that areenabling the change on one

side of the sheet in a col-

umn and all restraining

forces impeding thechange in another columnon the worksheet, below 

the problem description

defined in step 1. Assign ascore to each force, depend-

ing upon on its intensity,starting from 1 for feeble to

5 for a dominant force.

STEP 3

Review the completed worksheet to decide

 whether the change is viable. If the total of rating

scores for driving forces is

larger than the total forrestraining forces, change is

not only feasible but alsoneeded to move toward

equilibrium and balance.

For an idea to go towardssuccessful implementation,

the team could potentiallystrengthen the listed posi-

tive forces, weaken or mini-

mize a listed negative forceor add a potentially new 

positive force to the list.One way to begin the

force field analysis is tohave team members indi-

 vidually create statements

describing driving andrestraining forces.

In this way, all percep-tions of the situation can

emerge before the discus-

sion starts.Individual comments can

be posted to a shared data-base, put into a shared file,

or added to a private section

of the team’s intranet Webpage. The team can then

schedule a face-to-face

meeting or synchronouscomputer meeting (withaccess to shared applica-

tions such as interactive

 whiteboards or Skype) toprocess the individually

created statements andform a standard description

of the driving and restrain-

ing forces. Adding an audiolink (through audio confer-

encing) may also be useful.From this newly construct-

ed team statement, mem-

bers can brainstorm actionsto reduce restraining forces

and increase driving forcestoward an ideal change.

— Career Tips from www.career-

sweetener.com.

CAREER SWEETENER

Is your ideaworth pursuing?

Force field Analysis

73 pc employees expect promotionin next 12 months

More employees in India

are satisfied with their working conditions com-

pared to their peers in Asia-Pacific and a significant

majority of workforce in thecountry expects a promo-

tion in the next 12 months,

says a study. After analysing responses

from 688 employees frommid-senior level, across

organisations and sectors,

in the four key metros, thestudy said that 62 per cent

of employees in India aresatisfied with their working

conditions compared to 54per cent in Asia-Pacific.

Further, 73 per cent Indi-

ans expect a promotion inthe next 12 months, the

Michael Page India's JobConfidence Index for the

first quarter of 2016 added.

"They (employees) seem tobe pinning their hopes on

their annual performanceappraisal and will only look

at changing roles if the new 

role offers better opportuni-ties in terms of skill devel-

opment or a hike in remu-neration," Michael Page

India Senior ManagingDirector Sebastien Ham-

partzoumian said.

The study, which is a cur-rent and historical snapshot

of active job seekers andtheir experiences looking

for work in India, finds that

there has been an overall dipin confidence levels com-

pared to the last quarter. A citywise comparison

shows that Bengaluru holds

the top spot with 75 per centrespondents satisfied with

their general working con-ditions, followed by Mum-

bai (62 per cent), Delhi (62per cent) and Chennai (58

per cent). "This is primarily

due to Bengaluru's image asIndia's own Silicon Valley.

 Adoption of global practicessuch as BYOD (Bring Your

Own Device), flexible workhours and mature employee

benefits programmes gives

Bengaluru a definite edgeover the other metro cities,"

Sebastien added. The reportfurther noted that the top

three reasons for looking for

a job in India include, new skill development cited by

42 per cent of respondents,salary (40 per cent) and bet-

ter working conditions (39per cent). — PTI

There are two people of the

same team due for a promo-tion. Both of them have

tremendous skill sets and it’s

a difficult decision, but themanager decides to go with

the one, who seems to havegood ideas about marketing

the product. While the manag-

er feels he has made the rightselection, what if that choice

 was actually based on some-thing else, without him even

being aware of it? As onerousas it may be to admit, it’s pos-

sible to have an unconscious

bias regarding race, gender,age and more. The truth is

that our image of a person canbe influenced as much by our

innate feelings as by our judi-

cious thought processes. While it is easier to handle

conscious bias, it is theimplicit (unconscious) bias

that is a challenge for HR

practitioners and manage-ment to deal with. Both kind

of biases are human traits

 which impact relationships,inter-personal communica-

tion and behavioural pattern.

Impact on HR practicesImplicit bias plays a key role

in an organisation when itcomes to hiring, promo-

tion, performance man-

agement and in generalmanaging human

resources. Unconsciousbias refers to a bias that

develops naturally and is

part of human psychedepending upon one’s

growing environs, personalexperience and one’s train-

ing/education, so to say.Unconscious which is

deep-seated in an indi-

 vidual prompts the brain in

making fast perceptions andassessments of people and

situations. The decisions

could be either positive ornegative, but they are borne

from an individual’s hiddenbias.

Can it be ruled out?Having said that the question

then is — is it possible to havea HR blueprint which elimi-

nates both conscious andunconscious bias. The answer

is a Big No for the latter. That

is because HR professionalsare unaware of their preju-

dices but may be taking deci-sions which seem prejudicial

in nature. It is not just afflict-

ing HR professionals but man-agements too. Such trends

affect institutions slowly. Thisis why an increasing number

of firms are looking towards

unconscious bias training tostep-up awareness among its

employees for a subconscious

prejudice about people, theirideas, their behavioural pat-

terns etc. The assumptionbeing that once a person is

aware of his/her biases, he/she

can train themselves to thinkdifferently about certain

attributes and change theiractions accordingly.

Communication is the key  As the architects of an organi-

sational culture, HR profes-sionals and top management

should draw line between what is accepted and what is

not, when the written and ver-

bal norms are violated by an

employee. Organisationsneed to encourage

transparency and accounta-

bility when dealing with allemployees, for which they

need to lead by example.

Communication within anorganisation with regard to

the code of conduct, includingimplicit, should be crystal

clear and where possible be

 written.It should be robust and in

keeping with modern timesand ensure that any bias,

seemingly or otherwise,should be eliminated.They

should adopt bias testing and

strategies for alleviating theimpact of biases, so that a con-

scious proactive approach canbe taken to deal with any issue.

Discussions around work

ethics and value should becomea part of induction and perform-

ance management in an organi-sation. Leaders should encour-

age managers to tackle

awkward issues diligently there-by increasing honesty and open-

ness in the working environ-

ment. Adopting a preciseapproach to scrutinise organisa-tional culture will help manage-

ment determine what struc-

tures, systems and processespromote diversity and inclu-

sion and which don’t.It is improbable to

expect our implicit biases

to disappear as they areinnate in nature. However,

continuous training pro-grammes are essential to

create awareness on

behavioural patterns. If anorganisation wants to

employ and retain the besttalent, it needs to engage

the employee constantlyand create a culture of inclu-

siveness.

Be wary of implicit bias

 Attrition level has eased andis at benign levels for top IT

companies, following whichgross hiring in this space for

the fiscal could see a reduc-

tion, says a report. Accordingto a research report by Kotak

Institutional Equities, attri-tion of top IT companies in

March quarter has declinedsequentially as well as on

yearly basis with the excep-

tion of HCL Technologies.“Gross hiring in fiscal 2016-

17 could reduce on lowerattrition and benefits of pro-

ductivity initiatives,” the

report added.For HCL Technologies, the

quarterly annualised attri-tion increased 320 bps YoY to

31 per cent, while it was flat

on a quarter-on-quarter basis.“Attrition level at Infosys and

 Wipro is at 2-3-year low. TCS’attrition has also eased after

an uptick in the first half of financial year 2015-16,”

Kotak Institutional Equities

said in a research note.The current attrition level is

close to benign level (13-15per cent) — just about ade-

quate for managing the

employee pyramid withoutany execution issues, it

added. Easing attrition levelsare expected to ease wage

hike pressures with some lageffect. Moreover, lower churn

and stable project teams isalso expected to facilitate

project- level automation and

innovation initiatives.Total hiring of top IT could

be lower in FY17 led by bet-ter employee retention,

focus on utilisation improve-

ment, and productivityimprovement driven by

automation initiatives. According to the report,

TCS and Infosys have indi-

cated reduction in total hir-ing numbers and shift in

favor of campus/freshers; lat-erals hiring will be calibrated.

 Additionally, most compa-nies have hinted at higher

local hiring onsite. TCS indi-

cated that its visa applicationsin April 2016 were a third of 

that in April 2015, it added.Total hiring by top Indian IT

companies in the March quar-

ter was steady and in line withseasonal trends. Top IT com-

panies have hired 67,450employees in fiscal 2015-16 up

10.3 per cent YoY, the reportsaid. —PTI

Hiring in top IT cos may fall on lower attrition

HRSPEAK 

HIRING SCENE

CUBICLE TRENDS

Ms. Kiran Aidhi,

Senior Director HR,

VirtusaPolaris

CAREERCATURESANDEEP JOSHI

Sir, It’s time for a selfie with the selection board.