Thursday, May 30, 2013
Law As A Career + FASCINATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRESHERS
Laugh Your Way to Good Health
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/laugh-your-way-to-good-health/article17913.html
Top 10 Ways to Stay Energized
http://lifehacker.com/5054947/top-10-ways-to-stay-energized
1. Master the power nap.
2. Switch from venti to smaller caffeine doses.
3. Put your senses to work.
4. Eat the right nutrition mix.
5. Crank out some morning exercises.
6. Get outside—even if it's cloudy.
7. Schedule around your energy peaks.
8. Deal with job burnout.
9. Listen to brain-stretching music.
10. Make your own energy products.
The Fountain of Youth at Your Fingertips
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/fashion/25skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The Top 7 Bad-Ass Babes of Cinema
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-7-bad-ass-babes/68927
bikini
http://celebsandhollywood.blogspot.com/search/label/Bikini
Anil Ambani
Leaders communicate -- Anil Ambani is India's highest paid CEO. Reliance ADAG has a market capitalisation of Rs 325,000 crore ($81 billion), net assets in excess of Rs 115,000 crore ($29 billion), and net worth to the tune of Rs 55,000 crore ($14 billion)
Mughda
----
Peter Drucker's mantras for success
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2008/sep/24sli1.htm
The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.
Doing the right thing is more important than doing the thing right.
# Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.
# The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.
Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship... the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.
Performing organisations enjoy what they're doing.
Ten asanas for good sex
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/msid-3482105.cms?in_showcase
===
Healthy Diet Can Help You Prevent Hair Loss
http://all-hair-loss-treatments.com/healthy-diet-prevent-hair-loss/
--------------------
Blog for Scholarship Money or Tutor Online
Some Students Are Using Little-Known Web Resources to Finance Their Futures
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PersonalFinance/story?id=5648319&page=1
College is stressful enough without having to worry about the faltering student loan market and the credit crisis.
When you add on the "smaller" expenses such as $100 textbooks, and gas money, the cost of attending school can seem overwhelming.
Some Internet-savvy students, however, are using three relatively unknown Web sites to make money online. The best part? There are no long essays or forms required, and no need to worry about getting scammed.
'This Award Could Not Have Come at a Better Time'
Kim Klein is the kind of student whom schools refer to as "non-traditional." She was a stay-at-home mom to her three kids for 13 years before deciding to go to law school at Loyola University in Illinois.
"It was something I had always wanted to do," said Klein, a 42-year-old breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at the end of her second year of graduate school.
Despite the difficulty of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she continued studying law, and her blog, which was originally meant as a place to reflect on law school, turned into a way to keep loved ones informed about her health.
In the fall, while surfing the Net, Klein came across a blogging competition for the best student blog on CollegeScholarships.org. She applied, but then said she went about her day and put it out of her mind. Not long afterward she was excited to find out that she had been chosen as one of 20 finalists. A public vote on CollegeScholarships.org would determine the winner.
Once word got out that Klein was one of the finalists, more than 9,000 votes poured in, many from people Klein had never met.
"My situation was so unique and so different," Klein said, explaining that family and friends often feel helpless when one is diagnosed with cancer. "People jumped on the bandwagon. So many people said to me they felt like it was something they could do to help."
After winning the contest in October, she celebrated her $10,000 victory in true blogger fashion by posting a thank you note to all of her supporters. "This award could not have come at a better time for me and my family, and we are all deeply grateful," she wrote in her Oct. 29 post. "I plan to use the money to pay some of the principle and interest on my student loans.
"The scholarship was a drop in [the] bucket of law school debt, but every drop helps," she said. "I used a lot of it to pay the interest on my student loans and also used some of it for book and supplies and there's a little left to make loan payments. It definitely helps with keeping up with the expenses I'm incurring."
As it happens, her 17-year-old daughter will graduate from high school soon, and her college tuition bills will begin arriving at the same time that Klein's school loan bills become due.
Today, Klein is cancer free and continues to attend school part time. She plans to finish her degree in May 2009.
'We Want to Keep It Real'
Husband and wife team Aaron and Giovanna Villanueva, both 28, are the publishers of GoCollege.com and CollegeScholarships.org. The college scholarships on their Web site are funded by ads generated from their other Web sites. Their scholarship competitions, which also fund awards for women and students of color, aren't well-publicized -- recent applicants found out about them largely via word-of-mouth. In addition to the larger scholarships, GoCollege.com gives out $250 a month to one lucky person who tells them how to best improve their site.
"We spread organically across the Web, we don't heavily advertise," Aaron said. "Unlike most Web sites, we aren't aggressive in our ad placement."
Another way in which they are unusual: GoCollege.com and CollegeScholarships.org don't collect any information from their users. In January 2009, the Villanuevas will launch a free scholarship search site that also does not require that users submit personal information. The two have vowed to never bombard students with offers from advertisers, such as student loan companies.
"We're Internet junkies -- we see a lot of junk on the Web," Giovanna said. "It's hard for a student to distinguish what is authentic information or what is something that's useful versus a marketing message. We want to keep it real."
-----------
Law As A Career
A few years back if you happened to enquire from some talented students about the career/profession they plan to pursue after their schooling (10+2), the reply of most of them was on the expected lines. Their foremost preferences were Engineering or Medicine. Some of them, however, would show their inclination towards Management after graduation. Few would ever think about pursuing a programme in law. In those days the study of law was an option for those who were not interested in serious studies or for those who just wanted to pass some years of their life or for those who wanted to join their parents already established in the field of law. Since there was no restriction of age for joining the law course, even persons in the age group of 50 years plus could be seen studying law. Law was a least attractive career amongst the talented students at that time. But in the changed economic and social scenario, a good number of talented students are clear in their minds to join law after their schooling (10+2) or graduation. With the advent of multinational companies in India, and the country embracing a free market economy and corporate culture, the talented students are attracted towards the study of law.
Besides, being financially lucrative and respectable option, law is also an adventurous and thrilling profession. A degree in law not only provides decent opportunities for livelihood but it is also a tool to fight against injustice in the society. In past, a law graduate had the option either to join judiciary or become a practicing lawyer but options open to him today are wide and varied. The prestige attached to the profession is an added attraction.
Earlier the image of a lawyer was that of a man in black robes arguing the case of his clients before the courts. Today a lawyer has become an indispensable part of the modern life. He plays a decisive role in every sphere of society. He tenders legal advice to his clients in their individual needs and helps in resolving their disputes with opposites-parties. He understands laws and ensures that the people live within four corners of law. He pleads for legal rights of his clients before the courts.
A lawyer must possess excellent drafting, presentation and communication skills. He must have good intellectual ability, should be hardworking, self-confidence and should possess physical and mental stamina. He must have quick grasping power. He must be a man of impeccable integrity because he holds secret briefs of his clients.
PROSPECTS FOR LAW GRADUATES
There are many career opportunities available to law graduates in India. Some of fields open to them are as follows :
1. Corporate World
2. NGOs
3. Govt. & PSUs
4. Banking Sector
5. Teaching/Academics in Law Colleges
6. Defence Forces
7. Judiciary
8. Law Firms
9. LPOs
10. Litigation
11. Freelance Journalism
LAW COURSES
Courses offered in Law Schools are :
1. Three-Years Bachelor of Laws programme (LL.B.)
2. Five-Years Integrated undergraduate programme. (B.A., LL.B)
3. Two-Years Master of Laws programme (LL.M.)
However, the students completing the above programmes and interested in higher degrees can join the following programmes:
LL.D (Doctor of Laws)
Ph.D (Doctor of Philosophy)
M.Phil (Master of Philosophy)
In the law schools besides the above-mentioned programmes, some short-term specialized law programmes are also offered to students to familiarize themselves with the new developments taking place in the field of law. Some of the specialized law programmes are :
1. Diploma in Patents Law
2. Diploma in Media Law
3. Diploma in Cyber Laws
4. Diploma in Human Rights Laws
5. Diploma in Environmental Laws
6. Diploma in Medical Laws and Ethics
7. Diploma in Labour Laws and Labour Welfare
8. Diploma in Securities Law
9. Diploma in Taxation Laws
10. Diploma in Intellectual Property Laws
11. Diploma in Banking Laws
12. Diploma in Criminology and Penology
Legal education in India has never been as good as it is today. For a very long time three-year LL.B course was in vogue in Indian universities. A bold and creative decision was taken on the part of the Bar Council of India by allowing an integrated five-year programme in the year 1987 when National Law School of India University was established in Bangalore by the NLSUI Act 1986 of the Karnatka legislature. The other universities continued to pursue the pattern of three year LL.B course. The outstanding success of the National Law School experiment invited attention from policy planners. The All India Law Ministers Conference at Bhubaneswar in 1992 endorsed a proposal of a Committee of Parliament for setting up model law schools on the type of Bangalore law school in every State. Thereafter, States of different legislatures enacted Acts to establish national law schools in their respective States - the State of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal (1997), the State of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad (1998), the State of Rajasthan in Jodhpur (1999), the State of West Bengal in Kolkata (1999), the State of Chattisgarh in Raipur (2003), the State of Gujarat in Gandhi Nagar (2003), the State of Kerala in Kochi (2005), the State of Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow (2005), the State of Punjab in Patiala (2006), the State of Bihar in Patna (2006) and the National Capital of Delhi in Delhi (2008). A number of universities and their constituent colleges followed suit by starting five year integrated LL.B. courses in addition to the existing three-year LL.B. courses.
Prior to 2008, all the national law schools were conducting their own entrance tests for admission but from the year 2008, admissions to all the national law schools are being made strictly on the basis of merit of Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). The maiden CLAT was conducted by the NLSUI on 11th May, 2008 since it was decided earlier by all the schools to conduct the test in rotation on the basis of seniority- senior most law school starting first. This year CLAT 2009 is being conducted by NALSAR University of Law. The eligibility for undergraduate five year integrated programmes is 10+2 with 50% marks and eligibility for two year LL.M. programme is LL.B. with 55% marks. The age limit for undergraduate five year integrated programme is 20 years as on 1st July, 2009. All the national law schools are fully residential. Prestige of gaining admission in national law schools is comparable to IITs, IIMs and CPMTs. The following eleven national law schools (National Law School of Delhi has kept itself out) will be part of the CLAT.
1. NATIONAL LAW SCHOOL OF INDIA UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore-560242
2. NALSAR UNIVERSITY OF LAW, HYDERABAD 3-4-7 761, Barkatpura, Hyderabad - 500027
3. NATIONAL LAW INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY, BHOPAL Kerwa Dam Road, Bhopal-462044
4. THE WEST BENGAL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF JURIDICAL SCIENCES, Kolkata "NUJS Bhavan", 12, LB-Block,
Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700098.
5. NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR NH-65, Nagaur Road, Mandor, Jodhpur-342304
6. HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, RAIPUR HNLU Bhawan, Civil Lines, Raipur-492001
7. GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, AHMEDABADs
E- 3820284, GIDC, Electronics Estate, Sector-26 Gandhinagar-382028
8. DR. RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY
Sec-D1, LDA Colony, Kanpur Road Scheme, Near Power House, Lucknow - 226012.
9. RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LAW, PUNJAB, Mohindra Kothi, The Mall, Patiala - 147001
10. CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies Campus, Gandhi Maidan, Patna - 800 001.
11. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES, Kaloor, Kochi - 682017.
PATTERN OF TEST PAPERS
The pattern of the test paper for the undergraduate programme will be as follows;
1. English including comprehen-sion - 40 marks
2. General Knowledge/Current Affairs - 50 marks
3. Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability) - 20 marks
4. Legal Aptitude - 45 marks
5. Logical Reasoning - 45 marks
Almost all the National law schools are running five-year integrated undergraduate programme B.A., LL.B (Hons) and two year post graduate course (LL.M). After completing their under graduate or post graduate programme, the students can pursue courses in specialized fields of their choice.
LAW EDUCATION OTHER THAN UNDER CLAT
Besides the above-mentioned law schools covered under the CLA T, there are a number of other reputed law schools/colleges/universities which are running three year LL.B. programmes or/and five year integrated LL.B and two year LL.M programmes. They are conducting their own entrance tests for admission or taking admissions on the basis of scores
obtained in 10+2 or graduation.
(The author is a lawyer based in Lucknow)
Author:
K.L. Adlakha
FASCINATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRESHERS
[FASCINATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRESHERS] Value Education
Education should lead pupils towards the inculcation of values that shape their lives. Education is much more than literacy, information, or knowledge, it should be a means for a successful life. Securing a job for survival is an objective of education, but that should not be the ultimate objective. It should create confidence to face the new challenges of technology, economics, or any other subject for that matter.
Vedas and Upanishads
The relevance of the history of education is the fact that education is not only an engine of change, but a barometer of the prosperity of a country.
The Vedas, the repository of knowledge edge, dates back to the beginning of Indian civilization. The word Veda is form the root ‘vid’- to know. Rigveda came into being between 1500 BC and 500 BC. Three other Vedas, Yajurveda, Samveda, and Atharvaveda followed, thereafter, Upanishads clearly set forth the primer Vedic doctrines, in the Gurukul system. The disciples lived in the asharms of the Gurus (great teachers) for long period, and mastered various facets of knowledge and skills. Women’s education was given importance in the Vedic period, as evidenced by the stories of the Vedic scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi.
THE PRESENT CHANGING EMPLOYMENT MARKET
The Insurance Sector
Insurance today encompasses a variety of services from life and health to travel and house insurance. Freshers and graduates wanting to become insurance agents should take a qualifying exam. The agents task is to sell insurance policies other task is to sell insurance policies on behalf of the company and act as a consultant to customer. Other openings in these areas is that of a development officer who deals with marketing and getting new clients, a professional underwriter who assesses risks involved in the business, an administrative officer who deals with the registration of claims and policies and checks details for the insurance company and a surveyors, to become which one he/she must complete a degree or a short term programme in actuarial science.
The Call Center Sector
A company’s first interface with customer is the call center. Call center executives are often fresh graduates and sometimes undergraduates who have knowledge of computer and are trained to respond to Customer queries promptly, politely, using state of art telephony and computing technology to give correct information. Those willing to work in day and night shifts, with good interpersonal skills, language proficiency, good vocabulary and accent, a polite manner and sales skill can think of beginning their careers in this industry, which offers attractive pay and package.
The Non Governmental Organization Sector
A graduation in social work, psychology or any other related field, coupled with a genuine interest in helping people, patience, the ability to be empathetic and to be able to provide hope and relief, makes one eligible for entry level jobs in NGO’s and social welfare organizations. You will know if your heart goes out to the needy, physically or mentally challenged people, juvenile delinquents or the poor!
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Sector
One of the most sought after industries today is the BPO sector. To it’s credit is the fact that it has created immense work opport-unities of youngsters as well as experienced professional. The concept of BPO has come in vogue because companies world over have realized that even minuscule operation need storage for smooth functioning. BPO’s in India have helped them achieve this increase in productivity are reduced costs. A fresher usually joins the sphere as a process associate or analyst and works on processing applications related to areas of finance, banking others, maintaining a high level of accuracy.
BPO Sector: The sector is likely to employ 23 lakh people by 2010. Owing to soaring property prices, rising wages and high attrition rates, companies tend to move to Tier II cities of India.
KPO : Knowledge Process Outsourcing is emerging as lucrative job destination for the youth. KPO may touch $10-12 million by 2010, creation 2.5 lakh jobs spanning different backgrounds as science, engineering, law, accounting, pharmaceuticals, not to speak of technological stream. Legal field is sure to boom, netting around 80,000 jobs by 2010.
The Human Resource Sector
The hugely growing HR and recruitment companies are today themselves hunting for good resources to services them. Placement agencies often require the services of graduates or postgraduates utilize them in their head - hunting or recruitment campaigns for job openings in organizations. The job profiles of these youngsters vary from analyzing client requirements in the context of job openings. Doing the preliminary short listing of profiles of candidates, checking the availability and interests of candidate their resumes to the client.
The IT Enabled Services (ITES) Sector
The huge demand for manpower by companies abroad wanting to provide information and support services to their customer using technology has led to ITES becoming a booming sector in India with it’s large English speaking workforce is servicing such companies in the sphere of interaction transaction, customer interaction service, technical support, business process outsourcing besides others. The field is a more stable one for youngsters and even offers entrepreneurial opportunities to the technically qualified.
There are many more opportunities in Services Sector
Finance professionals are in great demand. Maximum demand comes from sectors like banking, trading and real estate. The financial sector is estimated to hire lakh people this year.
Another new economy sector is the retail sector. Bharti Enterprises on a tie-up with Wal-Mart forecasts a Billion Dollar market by 2010. Two million jobs will be created by 2010. A healthy off-shoot will be the spurt in advertising industry throwing up a vista of opportunities. Client servicing, creative department, media department, production, television, photo-graphy, market research, exhibition, event management and direct marketing constitute the job profile. The sector lacks training facilities. Indian Retail School (IRS) in New Delhi and various other Institutions are providing training in Retail Management in many states of India.
Hospitality : With business travel on the up, hotel industry would require a workforce of around 95,000 by 2010. Graduate from Home Science, Commerce, Physics and Engineering can look forward to suitable openings at different levels of work.
Entertainment Industry is churning out handsome jobs potential for RJs, DJs and sound engineers. Close to 3 lakh professionals will be employed by the year 2010. 30% per year growth hasbeen recorded by the animation industry.
Aviation Sector is growing at a whopping 25% a year, creating new job opportunities. Alteon Training, a subsidiary of Boeing Company forecasts that number of pilots required in India will increase from 3000 to 15,000 in coming years. Cabin crew, airline managers and ground staff constitute the rest.
Top 10 Emerging Career Options for the youth of India
1. Software Engineering
2. Call Center
3. Animation/Graphics
4. Hotel Management
5. Advertising
6. Tourism Management
7. Radio Jockeying
8. TV Presentation/Journalism
9. Investment banking
10. Fashion Photography
There are more of emerging in various sectors such as -
a) Retail in one of the emerging sectors, say employers.
(b) According to Placement agencies, hotel, management is one of the top emerging sectors.
(c) For course counselors, investment banking is one of the emerging sectors.
Why are these Emerging Career Options?
Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Higher pay Qualification International Dream Snob
Job value
Call Centre Higher pay Qualification International Snob Peer
value pressure
Animation Graphic Higher pay International Dream Job Qualification Snob
exposure value
Hotel Management Higher pay International Qualification Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Advertising Higher pay International Qualification Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Tourism Management Higher pay International Qualification Dream Snob
exposure Job value
Radio Jockeying Higher pay International Dream Job Snob Qualifica-
exposure value tion
TV Presentation/ Higher pay Dream Job International Snob Qualifica-
Journalism exposure value tion
Investment Banking Higher pay Qualification International Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Fashion Photography Higher pay Dream Job International Snob Qualifica-
exposure value tion
Cities and Jobs
Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai Delhi Chennai
Call Centre Bangalore Mumbai Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
Retailing Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
Hotel Management Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad
Investment Banking Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Chennai Kolkata
Tourism Management Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata
Advertising Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Hyderabad Chennai
Animation Graphic Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
In-flight Hospitality Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata
Expected Salary
Figures in Rs. 5,001- Rs. 10,001- Rs. 20,001- Rs. 25,000+
10,000 20,000 25,000
Software Engineering 5 41 16 34
Call Centre 29 48 8 1
Animation Graphic 16 43 19 11
Designing
Hotel Management 0 62 14 6
Advertising 14 53 12 9
Tourism Management 11 63 8 5
What Employers look for while Recruiting
Required skills Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Education Aptitude Soft skills Experience Training
Call Centre Soft skills Aptitude Training Education Experience
Retailing Soft skills Aptitude Training Education Experience
Hotel Management Education Soft skills Training Aptitude Experience
Investment Banking Education Training Experience Soft skills Aptitude
Tourism Management Education Soft skills Aptitude Training Experience
Advertising Soft skil Education Training Aptitude Experience
Animation Graphic Training Aptitude Education Experience Soft skills
In-flight Hospitality Training Soft skills Aptitude Education Experience
Event Management Experience Soft skills Aptitude Training Education
Mode of Recruitment
Ranking
1 2 3
Software Engineering Campus Placement Advertisement
recruitment consultants
Call Centre Advertisement Placement Campus
&nbs
Author:
Prof. (Dr). P.K. Dutta
source: employment news
http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/laugh-your-way-to-good-health/article17913.html
Top 10 Ways to Stay Energized
http://lifehacker.com/5054947/top-10-ways-to-stay-energized
1. Master the power nap.
2. Switch from venti to smaller caffeine doses.
3. Put your senses to work.
4. Eat the right nutrition mix.
5. Crank out some morning exercises.
6. Get outside—even if it's cloudy.
7. Schedule around your energy peaks.
8. Deal with job burnout.
9. Listen to brain-stretching music.
10. Make your own energy products.
The Fountain of Youth at Your Fingertips
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/fashion/25skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
The Top 7 Bad-Ass Babes of Cinema
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-7-bad-ass-babes/68927
bikini
http://celebsandhollywood.blogspot.com/search/label/Bikini
Anil Ambani
Leaders communicate -- Anil Ambani is India's highest paid CEO. Reliance ADAG has a market capitalisation of Rs 325,000 crore ($81 billion), net assets in excess of Rs 115,000 crore ($29 billion), and net worth to the tune of Rs 55,000 crore ($14 billion)
Mughda
----
Peter Drucker's mantras for success
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2008/sep/24sli1.htm
The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.
Doing the right thing is more important than doing the thing right.
# Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.
# The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.
Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship... the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.
Performing organisations enjoy what they're doing.
Ten asanas for good sex
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowpics/msid-3482105.cms?in_showcase
===
Healthy Diet Can Help You Prevent Hair Loss
http://all-hair-loss-treatments.com/healthy-diet-prevent-hair-loss/
--------------------
Blog for Scholarship Money or Tutor Online
Some Students Are Using Little-Known Web Resources to Finance Their Futures
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PersonalFinance/story?id=5648319&page=1
College is stressful enough without having to worry about the faltering student loan market and the credit crisis.
When you add on the "smaller" expenses such as $100 textbooks, and gas money, the cost of attending school can seem overwhelming.
Some Internet-savvy students, however, are using three relatively unknown Web sites to make money online. The best part? There are no long essays or forms required, and no need to worry about getting scammed.
'This Award Could Not Have Come at a Better Time'
Kim Klein is the kind of student whom schools refer to as "non-traditional." She was a stay-at-home mom to her three kids for 13 years before deciding to go to law school at Loyola University in Illinois.
"It was something I had always wanted to do," said Klein, a 42-year-old breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at the end of her second year of graduate school.
Despite the difficulty of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she continued studying law, and her blog, which was originally meant as a place to reflect on law school, turned into a way to keep loved ones informed about her health.
In the fall, while surfing the Net, Klein came across a blogging competition for the best student blog on CollegeScholarships.org. She applied, but then said she went about her day and put it out of her mind. Not long afterward she was excited to find out that she had been chosen as one of 20 finalists. A public vote on CollegeScholarships.org would determine the winner.
Once word got out that Klein was one of the finalists, more than 9,000 votes poured in, many from people Klein had never met.
"My situation was so unique and so different," Klein said, explaining that family and friends often feel helpless when one is diagnosed with cancer. "People jumped on the bandwagon. So many people said to me they felt like it was something they could do to help."
After winning the contest in October, she celebrated her $10,000 victory in true blogger fashion by posting a thank you note to all of her supporters. "This award could not have come at a better time for me and my family, and we are all deeply grateful," she wrote in her Oct. 29 post. "I plan to use the money to pay some of the principle and interest on my student loans.
"The scholarship was a drop in [the] bucket of law school debt, but every drop helps," she said. "I used a lot of it to pay the interest on my student loans and also used some of it for book and supplies and there's a little left to make loan payments. It definitely helps with keeping up with the expenses I'm incurring."
As it happens, her 17-year-old daughter will graduate from high school soon, and her college tuition bills will begin arriving at the same time that Klein's school loan bills become due.
Today, Klein is cancer free and continues to attend school part time. She plans to finish her degree in May 2009.
'We Want to Keep It Real'
Husband and wife team Aaron and Giovanna Villanueva, both 28, are the publishers of GoCollege.com and CollegeScholarships.org. The college scholarships on their Web site are funded by ads generated from their other Web sites. Their scholarship competitions, which also fund awards for women and students of color, aren't well-publicized -- recent applicants found out about them largely via word-of-mouth. In addition to the larger scholarships, GoCollege.com gives out $250 a month to one lucky person who tells them how to best improve their site.
"We spread organically across the Web, we don't heavily advertise," Aaron said. "Unlike most Web sites, we aren't aggressive in our ad placement."
Another way in which they are unusual: GoCollege.com and CollegeScholarships.org don't collect any information from their users. In January 2009, the Villanuevas will launch a free scholarship search site that also does not require that users submit personal information. The two have vowed to never bombard students with offers from advertisers, such as student loan companies.
"We're Internet junkies -- we see a lot of junk on the Web," Giovanna said. "It's hard for a student to distinguish what is authentic information or what is something that's useful versus a marketing message. We want to keep it real."
-----------
Law As A Career
A few years back if you happened to enquire from some talented students about the career/profession they plan to pursue after their schooling (10+2), the reply of most of them was on the expected lines. Their foremost preferences were Engineering or Medicine. Some of them, however, would show their inclination towards Management after graduation. Few would ever think about pursuing a programme in law. In those days the study of law was an option for those who were not interested in serious studies or for those who just wanted to pass some years of their life or for those who wanted to join their parents already established in the field of law. Since there was no restriction of age for joining the law course, even persons in the age group of 50 years plus could be seen studying law. Law was a least attractive career amongst the talented students at that time. But in the changed economic and social scenario, a good number of talented students are clear in their minds to join law after their schooling (10+2) or graduation. With the advent of multinational companies in India, and the country embracing a free market economy and corporate culture, the talented students are attracted towards the study of law.
Besides, being financially lucrative and respectable option, law is also an adventurous and thrilling profession. A degree in law not only provides decent opportunities for livelihood but it is also a tool to fight against injustice in the society. In past, a law graduate had the option either to join judiciary or become a practicing lawyer but options open to him today are wide and varied. The prestige attached to the profession is an added attraction.
Earlier the image of a lawyer was that of a man in black robes arguing the case of his clients before the courts. Today a lawyer has become an indispensable part of the modern life. He plays a decisive role in every sphere of society. He tenders legal advice to his clients in their individual needs and helps in resolving their disputes with opposites-parties. He understands laws and ensures that the people live within four corners of law. He pleads for legal rights of his clients before the courts.
A lawyer must possess excellent drafting, presentation and communication skills. He must have good intellectual ability, should be hardworking, self-confidence and should possess physical and mental stamina. He must have quick grasping power. He must be a man of impeccable integrity because he holds secret briefs of his clients.
PROSPECTS FOR LAW GRADUATES
There are many career opportunities available to law graduates in India. Some of fields open to them are as follows :
1. Corporate World
2. NGOs
3. Govt. & PSUs
4. Banking Sector
5. Teaching/Academics in Law Colleges
6. Defence Forces
7. Judiciary
8. Law Firms
9. LPOs
10. Litigation
11. Freelance Journalism
LAW COURSES
Courses offered in Law Schools are :
1. Three-Years Bachelor of Laws programme (LL.B.)
2. Five-Years Integrated undergraduate programme. (B.A., LL.B)
3. Two-Years Master of Laws programme (LL.M.)
However, the students completing the above programmes and interested in higher degrees can join the following programmes:
LL.D (Doctor of Laws)
Ph.D (Doctor of Philosophy)
M.Phil (Master of Philosophy)
In the law schools besides the above-mentioned programmes, some short-term specialized law programmes are also offered to students to familiarize themselves with the new developments taking place in the field of law. Some of the specialized law programmes are :
1. Diploma in Patents Law
2. Diploma in Media Law
3. Diploma in Cyber Laws
4. Diploma in Human Rights Laws
5. Diploma in Environmental Laws
6. Diploma in Medical Laws and Ethics
7. Diploma in Labour Laws and Labour Welfare
8. Diploma in Securities Law
9. Diploma in Taxation Laws
10. Diploma in Intellectual Property Laws
11. Diploma in Banking Laws
12. Diploma in Criminology and Penology
Legal education in India has never been as good as it is today. For a very long time three-year LL.B course was in vogue in Indian universities. A bold and creative decision was taken on the part of the Bar Council of India by allowing an integrated five-year programme in the year 1987 when National Law School of India University was established in Bangalore by the NLSUI Act 1986 of the Karnatka legislature. The other universities continued to pursue the pattern of three year LL.B course. The outstanding success of the National Law School experiment invited attention from policy planners. The All India Law Ministers Conference at Bhubaneswar in 1992 endorsed a proposal of a Committee of Parliament for setting up model law schools on the type of Bangalore law school in every State. Thereafter, States of different legislatures enacted Acts to establish national law schools in their respective States - the State of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal (1997), the State of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad (1998), the State of Rajasthan in Jodhpur (1999), the State of West Bengal in Kolkata (1999), the State of Chattisgarh in Raipur (2003), the State of Gujarat in Gandhi Nagar (2003), the State of Kerala in Kochi (2005), the State of Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow (2005), the State of Punjab in Patiala (2006), the State of Bihar in Patna (2006) and the National Capital of Delhi in Delhi (2008). A number of universities and their constituent colleges followed suit by starting five year integrated LL.B. courses in addition to the existing three-year LL.B. courses.
Prior to 2008, all the national law schools were conducting their own entrance tests for admission but from the year 2008, admissions to all the national law schools are being made strictly on the basis of merit of Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). The maiden CLAT was conducted by the NLSUI on 11th May, 2008 since it was decided earlier by all the schools to conduct the test in rotation on the basis of seniority- senior most law school starting first. This year CLAT 2009 is being conducted by NALSAR University of Law. The eligibility for undergraduate five year integrated programmes is 10+2 with 50% marks and eligibility for two year LL.M. programme is LL.B. with 55% marks. The age limit for undergraduate five year integrated programme is 20 years as on 1st July, 2009. All the national law schools are fully residential. Prestige of gaining admission in national law schools is comparable to IITs, IIMs and CPMTs. The following eleven national law schools (National Law School of Delhi has kept itself out) will be part of the CLAT.
1. NATIONAL LAW SCHOOL OF INDIA UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore-560242
2. NALSAR UNIVERSITY OF LAW, HYDERABAD 3-4-7 761, Barkatpura, Hyderabad - 500027
3. NATIONAL LAW INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY, BHOPAL Kerwa Dam Road, Bhopal-462044
4. THE WEST BENGAL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF JURIDICAL SCIENCES, Kolkata "NUJS Bhavan", 12, LB-Block,
Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700098.
5. NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR NH-65, Nagaur Road, Mandor, Jodhpur-342304
6. HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, RAIPUR HNLU Bhawan, Civil Lines, Raipur-492001
7. GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, AHMEDABADs
E- 3820284, GIDC, Electronics Estate, Sector-26 Gandhinagar-382028
8. DR. RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY
Sec-D1, LDA Colony, Kanpur Road Scheme, Near Power House, Lucknow - 226012.
9. RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LAW, PUNJAB, Mohindra Kothi, The Mall, Patiala - 147001
10. CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies Campus, Gandhi Maidan, Patna - 800 001.
11. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES, Kaloor, Kochi - 682017.
PATTERN OF TEST PAPERS
The pattern of the test paper for the undergraduate programme will be as follows;
1. English including comprehen-sion - 40 marks
2. General Knowledge/Current Affairs - 50 marks
3. Elementary Mathematics (Numerical Ability) - 20 marks
4. Legal Aptitude - 45 marks
5. Logical Reasoning - 45 marks
Almost all the National law schools are running five-year integrated undergraduate programme B.A., LL.B (Hons) and two year post graduate course (LL.M). After completing their under graduate or post graduate programme, the students can pursue courses in specialized fields of their choice.
LAW EDUCATION OTHER THAN UNDER CLAT
Besides the above-mentioned law schools covered under the CLA T, there are a number of other reputed law schools/colleges/universities which are running three year LL.B. programmes or/and five year integrated LL.B and two year LL.M programmes. They are conducting their own entrance tests for admission or taking admissions on the basis of scores
obtained in 10+2 or graduation.
(The author is a lawyer based in Lucknow)
Author:
K.L. Adlakha
FASCINATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRESHERS
[FASCINATING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR FRESHERS] Value Education
Education should lead pupils towards the inculcation of values that shape their lives. Education is much more than literacy, information, or knowledge, it should be a means for a successful life. Securing a job for survival is an objective of education, but that should not be the ultimate objective. It should create confidence to face the new challenges of technology, economics, or any other subject for that matter.
Vedas and Upanishads
The relevance of the history of education is the fact that education is not only an engine of change, but a barometer of the prosperity of a country.
The Vedas, the repository of knowledge edge, dates back to the beginning of Indian civilization. The word Veda is form the root ‘vid’- to know. Rigveda came into being between 1500 BC and 500 BC. Three other Vedas, Yajurveda, Samveda, and Atharvaveda followed, thereafter, Upanishads clearly set forth the primer Vedic doctrines, in the Gurukul system. The disciples lived in the asharms of the Gurus (great teachers) for long period, and mastered various facets of knowledge and skills. Women’s education was given importance in the Vedic period, as evidenced by the stories of the Vedic scholars like Gargi and Maitreyi.
THE PRESENT CHANGING EMPLOYMENT MARKET
The Insurance Sector
Insurance today encompasses a variety of services from life and health to travel and house insurance. Freshers and graduates wanting to become insurance agents should take a qualifying exam. The agents task is to sell insurance policies other task is to sell insurance policies on behalf of the company and act as a consultant to customer. Other openings in these areas is that of a development officer who deals with marketing and getting new clients, a professional underwriter who assesses risks involved in the business, an administrative officer who deals with the registration of claims and policies and checks details for the insurance company and a surveyors, to become which one he/she must complete a degree or a short term programme in actuarial science.
The Call Center Sector
A company’s first interface with customer is the call center. Call center executives are often fresh graduates and sometimes undergraduates who have knowledge of computer and are trained to respond to Customer queries promptly, politely, using state of art telephony and computing technology to give correct information. Those willing to work in day and night shifts, with good interpersonal skills, language proficiency, good vocabulary and accent, a polite manner and sales skill can think of beginning their careers in this industry, which offers attractive pay and package.
The Non Governmental Organization Sector
A graduation in social work, psychology or any other related field, coupled with a genuine interest in helping people, patience, the ability to be empathetic and to be able to provide hope and relief, makes one eligible for entry level jobs in NGO’s and social welfare organizations. You will know if your heart goes out to the needy, physically or mentally challenged people, juvenile delinquents or the poor!
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Sector
One of the most sought after industries today is the BPO sector. To it’s credit is the fact that it has created immense work opport-unities of youngsters as well as experienced professional. The concept of BPO has come in vogue because companies world over have realized that even minuscule operation need storage for smooth functioning. BPO’s in India have helped them achieve this increase in productivity are reduced costs. A fresher usually joins the sphere as a process associate or analyst and works on processing applications related to areas of finance, banking others, maintaining a high level of accuracy.
BPO Sector: The sector is likely to employ 23 lakh people by 2010. Owing to soaring property prices, rising wages and high attrition rates, companies tend to move to Tier II cities of India.
KPO : Knowledge Process Outsourcing is emerging as lucrative job destination for the youth. KPO may touch $10-12 million by 2010, creation 2.5 lakh jobs spanning different backgrounds as science, engineering, law, accounting, pharmaceuticals, not to speak of technological stream. Legal field is sure to boom, netting around 80,000 jobs by 2010.
The Human Resource Sector
The hugely growing HR and recruitment companies are today themselves hunting for good resources to services them. Placement agencies often require the services of graduates or postgraduates utilize them in their head - hunting or recruitment campaigns for job openings in organizations. The job profiles of these youngsters vary from analyzing client requirements in the context of job openings. Doing the preliminary short listing of profiles of candidates, checking the availability and interests of candidate their resumes to the client.
The IT Enabled Services (ITES) Sector
The huge demand for manpower by companies abroad wanting to provide information and support services to their customer using technology has led to ITES becoming a booming sector in India with it’s large English speaking workforce is servicing such companies in the sphere of interaction transaction, customer interaction service, technical support, business process outsourcing besides others. The field is a more stable one for youngsters and even offers entrepreneurial opportunities to the technically qualified.
There are many more opportunities in Services Sector
Finance professionals are in great demand. Maximum demand comes from sectors like banking, trading and real estate. The financial sector is estimated to hire lakh people this year.
Another new economy sector is the retail sector. Bharti Enterprises on a tie-up with Wal-Mart forecasts a Billion Dollar market by 2010. Two million jobs will be created by 2010. A healthy off-shoot will be the spurt in advertising industry throwing up a vista of opportunities. Client servicing, creative department, media department, production, television, photo-graphy, market research, exhibition, event management and direct marketing constitute the job profile. The sector lacks training facilities. Indian Retail School (IRS) in New Delhi and various other Institutions are providing training in Retail Management in many states of India.
Hospitality : With business travel on the up, hotel industry would require a workforce of around 95,000 by 2010. Graduate from Home Science, Commerce, Physics and Engineering can look forward to suitable openings at different levels of work.
Entertainment Industry is churning out handsome jobs potential for RJs, DJs and sound engineers. Close to 3 lakh professionals will be employed by the year 2010. 30% per year growth hasbeen recorded by the animation industry.
Aviation Sector is growing at a whopping 25% a year, creating new job opportunities. Alteon Training, a subsidiary of Boeing Company forecasts that number of pilots required in India will increase from 3000 to 15,000 in coming years. Cabin crew, airline managers and ground staff constitute the rest.
Top 10 Emerging Career Options for the youth of India
1. Software Engineering
2. Call Center
3. Animation/Graphics
4. Hotel Management
5. Advertising
6. Tourism Management
7. Radio Jockeying
8. TV Presentation/Journalism
9. Investment banking
10. Fashion Photography
There are more of emerging in various sectors such as -
a) Retail in one of the emerging sectors, say employers.
(b) According to Placement agencies, hotel, management is one of the top emerging sectors.
(c) For course counselors, investment banking is one of the emerging sectors.
Why are these Emerging Career Options?
Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Higher pay Qualification International Dream Snob
Job value
Call Centre Higher pay Qualification International Snob Peer
value pressure
Animation Graphic Higher pay International Dream Job Qualification Snob
exposure value
Hotel Management Higher pay International Qualification Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Advertising Higher pay International Qualification Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Tourism Management Higher pay International Qualification Dream Snob
exposure Job value
Radio Jockeying Higher pay International Dream Job Snob Qualifica-
exposure value tion
TV Presentation/ Higher pay Dream Job International Snob Qualifica-
Journalism exposure value tion
Investment Banking Higher pay Qualification International Snob Dream
exposure value Job
Fashion Photography Higher pay Dream Job International Snob Qualifica-
exposure value tion
Cities and Jobs
Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai Delhi Chennai
Call Centre Bangalore Mumbai Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
Retailing Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
Hotel Management Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad
Investment Banking Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Chennai Kolkata
Tourism Management Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata
Advertising Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Hyderabad Chennai
Animation Graphic Mumbai Bangalore Delhi Hyderabad Chennai
In-flight Hospitality Mumbai Delhi Bangalore Chennai Kolkata
Expected Salary
Figures in Rs. 5,001- Rs. 10,001- Rs. 20,001- Rs. 25,000+
10,000 20,000 25,000
Software Engineering 5 41 16 34
Call Centre 29 48 8 1
Animation Graphic 16 43 19 11
Designing
Hotel Management 0 62 14 6
Advertising 14 53 12 9
Tourism Management 11 63 8 5
What Employers look for while Recruiting
Required skills Ranking
1 2 3 4 5
Software Engineering Education Aptitude Soft skills Experience Training
Call Centre Soft skills Aptitude Training Education Experience
Retailing Soft skills Aptitude Training Education Experience
Hotel Management Education Soft skills Training Aptitude Experience
Investment Banking Education Training Experience Soft skills Aptitude
Tourism Management Education Soft skills Aptitude Training Experience
Advertising Soft skil Education Training Aptitude Experience
Animation Graphic Training Aptitude Education Experience Soft skills
In-flight Hospitality Training Soft skills Aptitude Education Experience
Event Management Experience Soft skills Aptitude Training Education
Mode of Recruitment
Ranking
1 2 3
Software Engineering Campus Placement Advertisement
recruitment consultants
Call Centre Advertisement Placement Campus
&nbs
Author:
Prof. (Dr). P.K. Dutta
source: employment news
10 things to avoid at your job interview
Lionel-Messi
10 things to avoid at your job interview
If you have received an interview call, it means your CV has done what it was supposed to. The next step for you is to convert the job interview into a job. Your CV can't do much here. It is you who has to convince the interviewer that you are the best choice.
However good your CV is, if you can't present yourself properly during the interview, it can't get you the job. There are many small mistakes that candidates commit, costing them the opportunity and the job. This article is an attempt to put forward the small mistakes that can prove to be the death of the interview.
*
If you really want the job for which you are being interviewed, make sure you do not commit these mistakes and instead leave a good impression on the interviewer.
~ Arriving late and ignoring explicit instructions
This is the first mistake that can give a negative impression. As you go for an interview, the interviewer spares some time to meet you. Your arriving late will probably disturb their work schedule.
Try to reach on time and if you are getting late for any reason, make sure that you inform the interviewer. Also, make sure that you follow all the instructions provided to you to appear for the interview. Ignoring the explicit instructions shows your "I don't care" attitude.
Anjali went to appear for an interview. She reached the employer's office on time but ignored the instructions to enter from gate no 2 rather than the first gate. This made her waste a lot of time searching for the interview hall.
Eventually, she turned up late for the interview. As interviewers got to know this, the first impression they got about Anjali was that she does not care for instructions. She lost the interview before it could begin.
~ Don't be a job beggar
Approach the interview as a problem solver and not as a job beggar. It is not the beggars who are hired; it is the people who have a capability to solve the employer's problems, who are hired. The employer has a problem to which you have a solution, so it is a give and take relationship. Employers respect people who respect themselves.
~ Going without preparation
Prepare yourself for the obvious questions. Not being able to reply to the general questions properly gives a bad impression. Make it a point to research the company and its business before you go for an interview.
Not having the basic knowledge about the company shows that you are not interested in the job. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can commit as an interviewee. Akash replied to a notification requiring Corporate Communication Managers and with his impressive CV, he managed to secure an interview call.
*
As the interview proceeded, the interviewer asked him if he was aware of the company's business, to which he replied in the negative. The interviewer immediately told him, he could have taken a look at the company's website and collected some information before coming. An embarrassing situation that could easily have been avoided.
~ Not analysing the job profile and requirements
This is another big mistake that many candidates commit. If you do not take the time to understand the job profile and requirements properly, you cannot expect the questions the interviewer might have. Moreover, you will not be able to dispel the interviewer of the doubts s/he may have regarding your candidature on that profile.
~ Badmouthing your previous company
During an interview, do not criticize your last employer. The prospective employer will try to relate himself to your last employer and your badmouthing can give them the impression that you are a misfit. Most employers try to judge your attitude through this question. Speaking negatively about your place of work might give them the feeling that you are not an easy person to get along with.
~ Telling lies about your candidature
Remember that you have a right to remain silent over the things that you don't want to disclose. It is not necessary that you provide them the details of every inch of your career but make sure that you do not tell lies about your candidature. These lies may get you hired but they can be a big reason for you being fired as well.
~ Sounding money-minded
Employers do not like people who switch jobs for couple of thousand rupees. Although money is a major attraction, do not talk about the salary and benefits before you are offered the job. let the interviewer begin the discussion on the salary.
~ Not asking questions to the interviewer
Almost all interviewers give the candidate a chance to ask questions. This is something you can always expect. Prepare yourself to ask some intelligent questions about the company, business, your chances to grow in the organisation etc. By not asking questions you might give the impression of being uninterested or indifferent.
*
~ Failing to send a thank you note
Do not fail to send a thank you note to the interviewers within 24 hours of your interview. This will keep you fresh in their minds and give them another chance to let you know if they have any concerns regarding your candidature.
~ Over-aggression
You have all the right to speak for yourself during the interview and sell your skills but do not go overboard by interrupting the interview or arguing with him/her. This might give the interviewer the impression of over-confidence instead of confidence.
These are some of the more unusual things that might skip your attention as you appear for an interview. In addition to these pointers, there are other general things you should avoid such as not grooming yourself properly, chewing gum or smoking just before or during the interview, answering your cell phone during the interview etc.
So, take a fresh look at your approach and practice the things listed above to ensure that you leave a good impression on the interviewer and give them a reason to hire you.
********************************************
Writers booked by business
The World Trade Fair in Delhi and a session with Kiran Nagarkar, the leading Marathi writer whose novel Cuckold, written in English, I regard as the best by an Indian, gave me much food for thought. I also have in mind Sheela Reddy’s article in Outlook mentioning the huge advance royalties now being paid to new writers by some of India’s leading publishing houses like Penguin, Viking, Harper Collins, Rupa and Roli Books. They run up to Rs 50 lakh before a word of projected novel has been written.
They are higher than advance royalties offered to authors in America or England or in any other European country. And they are offered only for works in English, not for written in our national language Hindi or regional languages. It is clear that English reigns supreme in India. In the Book Fair over two-thirds of the stalls were taken by English; Hindi and Urdu were a poor second and third; other languages were barely noticeable.
The world of writers and publishers has changed beyond recognition. The pioneers of Indians writing in English — Mulk Raj Anand, R.K. Narayan and Raja Rao either had patrons who helped them find publishers or organisations which sponsored their works. They made some noise in literary circles but not much money. The institution of literary agents was little known. The only one I heard of was Curtis Brown. It was said that if it took up your work, they would find you a good publisher and take their cut on royalties due to you. I for one never went through a literary agent-nor had problems finding a good publisher. I was happy with the 8-10 per cent they gave me on sales of my books. Today a literary agent has become a powerful factor in publishing: the best of writers use them because it is they who get publishing houses to cough up huge sums as advance royalties. The whole business resembles a whore-house. Publishers can be compared to brothel keepers, literary agents to bharooahs (pimps) who find eligible girls and fix rates of payment; writers can be likened to women in the profession. New comers are virgins (naya maal) who draw the biggest fees for being deflowered.
Publishing houses package their goods with saleable titles, beautifully drawn jackets with a line or two by a celebrity author vouching for the excellence of its contents. It has become a racket. You can see the same kind of set up in Kolkata’s Sonagachi, Mumbai’s Kamatipura and Hyderabad’s Mahboob ki Mehendi.
Rusy Karanjia
He died on Friday, the February 1, aged 95. As a matter of fact he had ceased to be the Russy I knew well almost a decade ago.
When I met him last time it was at a large reception in a hotel, his daughter Rita warned me “Uncle, he won’t recognise you.”
There he was as dapperly dressed as ever and shook me by the hand. From the glazed look in his eyes I could tell he did not know who I was. I was used to it as my wife suffered from the same ailment: Alzheimer’s disease which manifests itself by lapse of memory. During my nine years in Bombay I met Russy almost every fortnight. At times we lunched together; a few times he asked me over for drinks at his home. He had made his tabloid Blitz a weekly habit. So had Dosu Karaka and Babu Rao Patel.
Russy and Dosu had an ongoing slanging match: Rusy championing the Left, Dosu the Right; Babu Rao Patel championed Hindutva with weekly jibes at Muslims.
He lived in a suburb with his two wives and Gurkha guards for security. I regarded all three as yellow journals and enjoyed going through them. None of the obituaries I’ve read so far mentions the fact that Russy was once reprimanded in Parliament.
Russy lived in princely style. So did his friends Rajni patel, President of the Pradesh Congress Committee and Ramesh Sanghvi, PRO of the Shahenshah of Iran when he visited Bombay.
Their hearts bled for the poor and the destitute. They made people like me feel like blood-sucking capitalists. Russy had no political scruples nor concern for people he lampooned in his journal.
Having upheld Socialists and Communists most of his years, he had no compunction supporting BJP and Hindutva when it seemed to be the winning side. I was trashed more than once in Blitz (and regularly in Mother India). Russy made up by saying he knew nothing about the piece against me, as he was abroad, and inviting me to lunch.
Russy kept his cool when he was attacked by critics. The only time I saw him rattled was when his long-time friend Olga Tellis, full of oomph in her younger days, became friendly with the dashing George Fernandes, then Minister of the Central Cabinet.
None of the three journals had circulation they claimed to attract advertisers. All the three ceased publication: Blitz died in Russy’s life-time well before he was taken ill. However, whatever their negative aspects, all three left their mark on the history of India journalism, Russy Karanjia more than the other two.
Sarcastic Smiles
I smile when Prakash Karat says “Excuse me I am extremely blunt: My party is neither with Congress nor with BJP. We want to forge a third front:”
I smile when L.K.Advani says, “Being a humble man I don’t boast,
I have an unfulfilled desire
I simply covet PM’s post.”
I smile when Mayawati says
“My birthday bash enacted a wonderful scene. The topmost Babus of Uttar Pradesh
Adored me like a Phantom Queen.
I smile when our maid-servant says, “Sir, the day is not very far.
When to render domestic help
I shall come to your house in a NANO car.
*****
Print media -survival of the fittest
Though media baron Ruport Murdoch believes that digital is the future, Malayala Manorama executive editor Jacob Mathew believes that newspapers will put up a strong show and co-exist in the digital age.
India Today Group CEO and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie also graced the occasion to speak on the Future of Print Media in a morning session at the Ficci Frames today. Mathew begins by narrating an experience he encountered recently with his editor friend. "I had always considered him a sober man but this time he had a wild look in his eyes, when I asked why? He said he was chasing skirts. As he had freshly entered his fifties, I thought it was a case of male-menopause. He brushes aside my instant diagnosis and explained that he was editing fashion pages and he was constantly working and thinking about skirts, frills and pleats.
"He entered journalism with the idea of making a difference to society, but, there he was condemned to writing about frilly, silly nothings. I disrupted his ranting and pointed out that he was actually facing crisis of content. There are serious stories and entertainment stories to be told, but they go reported in a fizzle form of fashion. "It is all a matter of choice. Instead of digging for in-depth stories, editors like him are content with presenting ravishing visuals, of mass cloying words. This goes true not just for soft stories; fashion or glamour but also of hard stories; politics, economics, business, sports and human relationship," he says.
Citing that even stories of pathos and cruelty are put under the glittering glares of glamour. Content remains the greatest challenge in the newspaper industry today.
Circulation being key, he says that it has saturated in many developed countries and advertising growth rate there is negligible. In contrast, India presents attractive windows of opportunities because of increasing literacy and purchasing power.
"Indian newspaper industry has a turnover of Rs 12,000 crore in 2005. It is expected to touch Rs 13,500 crore. Indian's figure is just five per cent of Asia pacific region, even the Koreans are double our size. Paradoxically our size is our strength. We have a tremendous potential to grow as we are small right now."
On the potential that newspapers have, he says, "India reaches only 35 per cent of our adult population even though adult literacy is about 65 per cent. To build this gap between readership and literacy, and due to the competition the publications kept its prices low and depended entirely on advertisers to subsidise the reader.
"This model probably was viable in India because it simultaneously developed the vibrant advertisement industry. The industry aggregate for the years 2002 to 2004 indicates that 60 per cent of our revenues come from advertising sales. While the circulation revenue accounts for 38 per cent, other incomes account for about 2 per cent. This percentage varies between the English and the vernacular publications.
"Circulation revenue covers about 70 per cent of our variable costs. The first 25 per cent of the advertising revenue goes towards covering the variable cost and the balance 75 per cent is available for fixed cost and profits. Obviously advertising drives the print media.
"When the ad revenue grows at a healthy pace, publishers invest in increasing their circulations. With bigger circulations, they are able to command higher ad rates. This business model demands that the momentum be provided by growing ad revenues. Though some say that with lower cover prices, one chases artificial numbers of circulation to justify high ad rates.
Asking if this model is sustainable and fair, he continues, "This is being debated as some believe that there is ample scope for further cover price increase. The expanding economy has brought into the market a host of new advertisers and this has made it possible for us to increase the ad rates as well."
Looking ahead, Mathew says, "The prospects to 2006 look fairly good. With the economy of the country continuing to grow at 7.5 per cent, we may reasonably expect at least 15 to 20 per cent growth in ad revenues. This will drive the circulation at an eight per cent growth in the turnover and then can be expected to grow by 12 to 14 per cent.
"The main challenges come from Internet. Websites like Shaadi.dot come, Naukri.dot com have made major inroads for jobs and matrimonial. Real estates and second hand vehicles are two other classified ad category waited to be snapped by us webpreneurs. Baazi.dot com, now taken away by eBay has already proved its potential of internet shopping. Sensing this pattern, several newspaper publishers have forayed into the electronic media. Some have succeeded and some have bit the dust.
"Eventually, major newspaper groups will emerge as multiple media enterprises combining the strengths of electronic and print media."
Mathew sums up, "We know the strengths of our medium, yet our challenge is to aggressively convey to our local markets nationally and internationally and in particular to opinion makers whose decision impacts our collective future."
Quoting US comedian Jerry Seinfeld's accidental observation on newspaper as being bang on the dot, "It is amazing that the amount of news that happens everyday always just exactly fits in the newspaper."
Concurring with Jacob, the India Today Group CEO and editor-in-chief Purie had some interesting anecdotes as well as high points of the space and the future trends.
Purie recalls an incident that took place thirty years ago at a printing conference in Venice, the questions asked were pertaining to the future of print and will print vanish. There were printers who raised their concerns on whether the business would last or not last, as computers had started creating its presence.
Narrating the incident, Purie adds, "One of the speakers Robert Maxell, the owner of The Mirror Group in his opening statement said, "I know print will survive because you can't take the computer into the toilet." But now, of course, one can take the computer to the toilet.
He says, "But still print survived, it actually prospered and thrived. The eternal question keeps coming up every few decades when new technologies comes, will print survive?"
He points out an instance where Bill Gates offered his opinion on the Indian print media recently. Bill Gates, who is considered the biggest enemy of print and quoting him as saying, "I m sure, it will be more than fifty years, that somebody is still printing a newspaper and taking it to someone, somewhere."
He continues that Gates is fifty and in all probability, newspapers will out last him. He adds that surprisingly Gates in the interview stated, "Newspaper readership is still growing in India." Purie remarked, "This is something when a man like him has obviously noticed and has not declared the demise of newspaper or print media."
Throwing some light on various figures, he says, "Last fifteen years, the ad revenue share in print of the total ad pie has shrunk from 70 per cent to a humbling 46 per cent due to the advent of cable and television. Internet and radio has compounded its misery. People thought that print has completely lost out. Any kind of change of this kind would have destroyed any other industry in my opinion."
"The readership grew by 28 per cent with newspapers leading the pack; Hindi newspapers grew by 68 per cent, Telegu newspaper 63 per cent, English newspapers grew by 36 per cent. Quietly, but clearly the new growth has been in the Indian language print media."
Citing a recent study conducted by an industry journal, he says that it estimated that the highest growing print media companies included Jagran Prakashan that grew at 26 per cent; Bennett, Coleman & Co at 17 per cent; Bhaskar publishing group at 16 and my own company Living Media at 12 per cent.
Referring to growth in advertisement with respect to last year, he highlights that the ad business grew by 15 per cent to about Rs 12000 crores setting a new trend; the print share has increased 48 per cent from being 46 per cent while the television share remained at 42 per cent. Although television has grown but one can see that there is a slight change in the trend.
"The print media has in fact staged a comeback to define all forecasts and international trends. The ad revenue growth can be attributed to the significant increase in ad spend by educational institutes, retail, real estates, consumer durables, automobiles. The revenue growth in television has been powered by FMCG sector," says Purie.
Speaking about growing consumerism, he says, this trends will throw up new opportunities for special interest publications. The mass circulated dailies and magazines will also benefit by adding special interest both genre wise and geographically.
He cities the example of the India Today Group wherein, "We grew the topline circulation by 30 per cent from the previous year by using innovative marketing strategies including news focus offerings. The innovations included usage of digital media such as SMS and Internet besides, strong subscription campaigns.
"At present, India Today has an add -on free magazine every week, from city magazines to lifestyle to education. All this has come on the back of the cover price increase from Rs 15 to Rs 20, a whopping increase of 33 per cent. And in just one year India Today English and Hindi editions over too The Times of India and Nav Bharat Times' national readership by over 5 million."
Speaking on the future trends, he says, the print media will see an area of super fragmentation. It will virtually expand in every genre. While players will work towards super niche positioning, consumers will have to pay more for their newspaper and magazines. The trend may also see that the publishers will have to reduce their dependence on advertisement revenue to drive their successful models.
But, with caution he also says, "While, it may not be the accurate predictions for India. It validates opinion that fragmentation may not affect mature medium like print to the extent it affects relatively newer medium like television."
Pointing another trend -the access to capital, he says, "The print media will be powered by many media companies tapping the financial markets, by ways of IPOs, inflow of capital by private equity and by going public enabling expansion and reducing any barriers that in the past were big constrains for any news entrants. The trend has already started and will become bigger for the businesses.
At present, the government has permitted 26 per cent foreign direct investment in news and current affairs publications, which has led to Financial Times picking up stake in Business Standard, BBC and Times of India in a joint venture company WWM.
But, Purie believes regulations are still too restricted and should be opened up and even the policy for facsimile editions and foreign publications coming here is really very confusing and unnecessary.Picking up on another trend is digital opportunities. He says, "The 300 pound gorilla, which I think publishers don't know what to do with it. Internet does not have to be a competitor like radio and television. It can be partner to the print media. It can only supplement the distribution of content and leverage the print brand.
Narrating yet another recent incident at Dow Jones where The New York Times publishers Sulzberger was asked, "aren't you worried about the decline in readership and ad revenue being threatened by the Internet".
Sulzberger explains, "In the newspaper business there are basic costs-- paper, distribution and people. If Internet comes, I will get ride of the first two as I do away with the problem of paper and distribution. I still have the brand, the content and the ability to sell the advertsiment. I'm not worried."
No wonder every newspaper may have an online presence, the challenges for the publishers is to monetise this and to appreciate unique qualities of the Internet interactivity and immediacy.
He agree with the point made by the global media barron Rupert Murdoch who opines that today newspaper is just a paper, tommorrow it can be a destination.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visual Journalism
Newspapers are vying with each other to jump into the bandwagon of visual journalism. The attempt is not only to make the product visually more attractive, but also to reduce the cognitive load of the reader.One of the reasons cited for this trend is the change in readership habits. People, especially of the younger generation, spend very little time these days reading newspapers. According to surveys conducted in India and abroad, they expend a lot of time watching television and surfing the Internet. A national readership survey (2002) found that an urban reader in India, on an average, spends 32 minutes on newspapers against 100 minutes watching television. These findings need to be looked at closely. There is little doubt there are many things in modern life that compete for a person's time. So, the time he spends on newspaper has come down. However, the 100 minutes on television is not in direct competition with newspaper or news. Many other activities, like time spend on going to the theaters, would have taken a cut.InfographicsMany newspapers in India and abroad have found a solution to the dwindling 'reader interest' on their product. (In India, their circulations have never been dwindling). They include simplification of the language, offering of soft stories and presentation of stories with highlights, infographics and even pinups. This could turn out to be a vicious circle with the reader looking for lesser and lesser cognitive load on him. The readers, especially the younger ones, may become lazier as information is offered to him in tablet form. Making the reader lazier would be suicidal for the medium in the long run.MTV generationHowever, there is little reason to think that today's reader is lazier than the aristocrats of the past. Nor is there evidence that the MTV generation cares less for good content. The readership surveys do not look at reader satisfaction. We have seen readers throwing away newspapers saying that there was hardly matter for ten minutes reading in them. This did not mean that there was nothing in the 10 or 12 pages each of those newspapers. Apparently, the reader is not finding material that interests him, or what he thinks he should spent more time on. So, the problem is more with the content rather than design. (Design sometimes creates the impression of plenty or the lack of it). Light material would get thrown away more easily than gripping and serious stories. This is not to say that one should not try to make the pages more attractive. Initial buying decisions and sustained liking for a newspaper may be decided by lay out and ease of reading (from the typographical point of view). Printing and other production technologies including colour printing have made it possible to make visually appealing pages quicker than before. There is no reason why one should not take advantage of them.Web vs. PrintHowever, there is a tendency to adapt design elements from the Web. This needs to be chosen carefully. Compared to computer and television screen, the luminosity of the printed page is very low, especially on newsprint. So, clutter of infographics and images could darken up the page more easily on print than on the screen, especially if the tonal values are high. They can also cause visual overload. (Visual overload happens very often on the Web. This may be one of the reasons, other than slow loading of images, that prompts readers to look for text in preference to images on Web pages.) Images, advertisements and infographics could suppress text.On the Web, news stories appear in different pages. So, design requirements vary. For example, a photo or graphic with every story, which is desirable on the Web, would not be desirable on the print unless the format is of magazine. Text is more readable on the print than on the Web. (Readability is lower for the Web as the resolution of the computer screen is low*.) So, print can always accommodate more text without the reader being turned away. News sites would have to depend on infographics more than the printed publications to tell the story, because the screen size is small. Many readers are even reluctant to scroll down. (If we accept the argument that the readers are inherently lazy, the print has an advantage here. However, it is notable that interactivity is described as the great advantage of the new medium.)Of Visual Journalism:Visually attractive does not mean that the product would be intellectually attractive. The pages should look inviting. At the same time, the content should be stimulating. If the objective of the newspaper is only to sell, sex and crime on the front page could achieve the objective. Still, there is the question as to how many pin ups one would want to see in the morning (See the related link). However, as everyone knows, stature of a newspaper and lack of higher objectives are mutually exclusive.It is said about the Web that content is the king. This is all the more true for newspapers where the written content is the King.
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BUILDING A CAREER IN FREELANCE WRITING
BUILDING A CAREER IN FREELANCE WRITING
-Dr. Satyanarayana Pattnaik, Satyabrata Mishra
A FREELANCER IS AN INDEPENDENT WRITER WHO EARNS LIVING BY CONTRACTING FOR WORK PROJECTS, WORKING FOR NO FIXED EMPLOYER, AND MAY WORK FOR A NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AS A FREELANCE WRITER, YOU NEED TO ASSESS YOUR SKILLS TO ENABLE YOU TO CHOOSE WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT. YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE SPECIAL QUALIFICATION TO BE A FREELANCE WRITER.
EDUCATION FOR FREELANCING
A GOOD OPTION IS TO TAKE A DISTANCE-LEARNING COURSE AND YOU WILL FIND SEVERAL IN THIS CATEGORY. THESE GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AT HOME AT YOUR OWN PACE. NOTABLE AMONG THEM ARE THOSE OFFERED BY INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY AND MANY OTHER INDIAN AND FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES OFFERING DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN CREATIVE WRITING AND JOURNALISM. MANY AREAS OF WRITING ARE COVERED UNDER THE COURSE AND IT IS ADVISABLE THAT YOU ENROLL IN ONE OF THESE COURSES TO SHARPEN YOUR TALENTS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT GO WITH STUDYING THEM.
FREELANCE WRITING FOR NEWS-PAPERS
NEWSPAPERS REQUIRE NEWS CONTENT EVERY DAY OR EVERY WEEK. ALMOST ALL NEWSPAPERS ACCEPT FREELANCE CONTRIBUTIONS, AND USE FREELANCE WRITERS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER, IS BUILT AROUND CONTACTS.
REMEMBER THAT NEWSPAPERS WORK TO TIGHT DEADLINES, AND HAVE AN ONGOING REQUIREMENT FOR EDITORIAL POSITION. REMEMBER, TOO, THAT THEIR FAVOURITE FREELANCERS AREN'T THE ONES WHO WRITE THE MOST TECHNICALLY PERFECT COPY, BUT THE ONES WHO FILE ON TIME, ON TOPIC, AND WITHIN THE WORD LIMIT. NEWSPAPERS PLACE A HIGHER IMPORTANCE ON ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY THAN THEY DO ON STYLE AND FLAIR.
ORGANIZING YOURSELF
AS YOU CARRY ON WITH YOUR WRITING, YOU NEED TO ORGANIZE YOURSELF TO SUCCESSFULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY COME ALONG AND TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT FAIL TO BEAT DEADLINES. PREPARE AND FOLLOW A WORK PLAN TO ENABLE YOU SUCCEED IN RESEARCHING AND WRITING ARTICLES. DEAL WITH ONE ASSIGNMENT FIRST BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NEXT. DEDICATE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO WRITING SINCE THIS IS THE CORE FUNCTION OF YOUR CAREER. IF YOU WRITE LESS, THEN THE LESS YOU WILL EARN AND THE LESS MOTIVATED YOU WILL BE TO CONTINUE WITH WRITING.
YOU ALSO NEED TO SPEND MUCH TIME QUERYING ON MULTIPLE ARTICLE IDEAS. THIS IS IMPORTANT SINCE YOU WILL BE LOOKING FOR FUTURE SALES. THOUGH SPECIALIZING ON ONE GENRE IS GOOD, YOU SHOULD OCCASIONALLY LOOK FOR OTHER BRANCHES OF WRITING AND MARKETS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES OF MAKING SALES AND EARNINGS.
YOU CAN BUILD A CAREER OUT OF WRITING AND EARN YOURSELF EXTRA INCOME PART-TIME OR REGULAR INCOME FULL-TIME FROM FREELANCE WRITING. HOWEVER YOU NEED TO STUDY THE ART OF WRITING, ORGANIZE YOURSELF AND CONSTANTLY SEARCH FOR MARKETS TO STAY AFLOAT.
MARKETING YOUR WORK
THERE ARE SEVERAL APPROACHES TO SELLING YOUR ARTICLE. EACH HAS ITS OWN ADVANTAGES AND YOU CAN GET VALUE FOR WHAT YOU WORK FOR EVEN IF AFTER A LONG-TIME.
CHECK PUBLICATION DIRECTORIES, ON THE INTERNET FOR ADDRESSES OF EDITORS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCEPTING FREELANCE WRITERS' WORK, AND THEN WRITE TO THEM ADDRESSING THEM BY THEIR NAMES AND TITLES. IF YOU HAVE A GOOD RESUME ATTACH IT OR MENTION BRIEFLY RELEVANT CONTENTS WHICH MAKES YOU STAND OUT AS THE MOST SUITABLE TO WRITE THE ARTICLE.
EDITORS PREFER EXPERIENCED WRITERS TO NOVICES AND IF YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES THEN SAY SO. OTHERWISE, IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER AVOID SAYING SO BUT INCLUDE A FEW SAMPLES TAILORED TO THE PUBLICATIONS READERS TASTE.
IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO SEND YOUR ARTICLE TO MORE THAN ONE PUBLICATION YOU NEED TO GIVE A DIFFERENT SPIN AND CHANGE THE WORDING TO SUIT DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS. TAKE WORK ACCORDING TO YOUR ABILITY AND CAPACITY. THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO MARKETING YOUR WORK IS TO WRITE ARTICLES FOR MASS AUDIENCES IMAGINING THEIR NEEDS AND TASTES AND SUBMITTING TO VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS. YOU TARGET SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS IN ONE CATEGORY WHICH YOU FEEL WILL BE MOST SUITABLE TO ACCEPT THE THEME OF YOUR ARTICLE. YOU MAY ALSO COPY YOUR ARTICLE FROM YOUR DISK OR COMPUTER AND PASTE ON VIRTUAL PUBLISHING COMMUNITIES WEBSITES OR E-MAIL YOUR ARTICLE TO VARIOUS EDITORS. THIS IS A QUICK AND CHEAP WAY OF MAKING MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS OF YOUR ARTICLES.
DEALING WITH REJECTIONS
ALL IN ALL WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT REJECTIONS ARE A FACT OF LIFE AND WE WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM, BUT YOU WILL BE A LOT WISER, IF YOU STUDY THE REASONS FOR YOUR REJECTIONS TO ENABLE YOU IMPROVE YOUR FUTURE QUERIES AND SUBMISSIONS THUS INCREASING YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING ACCEPTANCES. WHILE SOME EDITORS MAY GIVE YOU SUGGESTIONS THEY WISH YOU TO CONSIDER BEFORE ACCEPTING YOUR ARTICLE AND SOME OTHERS ARE RETURN YOUR WRITE-UP WITH POLITE REJECTION.
READ WHAT THEY WRITE TO YOU AND LEARN FROM THEIR REASONS. CHOOSE POPULAR THEMES FOR ARTICLES AND ADD MORE VALUE IN THEM SUCH AS STATISTICS, PHOTOGRAPHS, EXPERT COMMENTS AND AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE ISSUES. WITH TIME AND PATIENCE YOU WILL ULTIMATELY SUCCEED.
(employment news)Meet popular blogger-turned-novelist Amit Varma
Meet popular blogger-turned-novelist Amit Varma
Amit Varma wears several caps.
As a journalist, he's written for prestigious publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. In 2003, he served as website Cricinfo's managing editor in India; and in 2007, he wrote a weekly column for Mint, called 'Thinking It Through', which won him the Bastiat Prize for Journalism.
He's also a noted blogger. In December 2004, he started India Uncut, which quickly became one of India's most popular blogs. On India Uncut, his pithy, witty commentary on major and minor issues of the day has made him an authoritative voice in Indian cyber-space, and has won him several nominations and awards.
But, according to Varma, his true desire has always been to be a novelist. "There's never been anything else I wanted to be," he says. So, in 2008, he took time off from writing columns and doing freelance journalism so that he could devote his 'mental bandwith' to writing novels.
The result? My Friend Sancho, his debut novel, which was published in India in May 2009.
The novel tells the story of 23-year-old Mumbai-based reporter Abir Ganguly. While working the crime beat one evening, Abir believes he's covering yet another routine story in routine fashion. However, what transpires is far from ordinary. It turns his entire world -- both professional and personal -- on its head!
In this e-mail interview with rediff.com, Varma discusses the many different facets of his career, and also answers questions about My Friend Sancho and his plans for the future. (Hint: More novels!)
Did you ever imagine yourself doing anything but writing? If so, what was it?
No. I've wanted to be a writer since I could read. In particular, I wanted to be a novelist. I took my time getting down to it, but there's never been anything else I wanted to be.
Were you a voracious reader as a youngster? What sort of books did you read?
My dad had thousands of books at home, and in that environment, I naturally became a voracious reader. I started reading serious literature pretty early, and my favourite writer at age 10 was Dostoevsky. I also read all of Shakespeare at that age, though one of his plays that I loved most was Titus Andronicus, so my taste at the age is questionable. I lightened up as the years went by, and read more crime fiction than anything else these days.
How did you get into journalism?
I got into journalism accidentally. I used to freelance for a few magazines in the late '90s, when I was in television.
In 2001, I got a chance to work with Wisden (Cricketers' Almanack). I rose to be their managing editor in India, a position I held when we bought Cricinfo in 2003. I moved to a consulting position at the end of 2004, and then left even that at the end of 2006 when I decided I needed to quit my job and focus on writing a book.
But I got sidetracked into writing columns and op-eds. Through 2007, I wrote a weekly column for (business daily) Mint, and freelanced occasionally for the Wall Street Journal, etc. Then I quit all journalism in 2008 and finally got down to writing a novel.
As a career, what are some of the clear positives about journalism? Negatives?
Positives: It helps you write crisp copy to deadline.
Negatives: Journalism in India tends to be superficial, and writers hardly get any time to work on their stories. As a result, you're always skimming the surface of things, and never have the scope to go too deep. Literature gives you that scope.
When were you first online? When did you first begin to write your blog? Did you take to the new medium like a fish to water?
Being managing editor of Cricinfo, I knew the medium pretty well before I started blogging.
Were you offered a book deal because of your blog? Were you contacting publishing houses or were they contacting you?
The book deal had nothing to do with my blog. I had offers from four publishers, and two of them didn't even know I had a blog. The book made its way into the world on its own merits, and that's how I'd like readers to evaluate it.
Have you written fiction before? If so, anything romantic? Poems, short stories, half-finished novels? How did this particular story come to you?
As I said, I've wanted to be a fiction writer all my life. But this was my first proper attempt at a novel -- I guess I wasn't ready to write one before this, either in terms of craft or maturity. Writing fiction -- especially novel-length fiction -- is completely different from writing a blog.
How have dedicated fans of your blog received the book?
All the feedback I've received indicates that they liked it. And I've received an equal amount of positive feedback from readers who have never read India Uncut as well. I guess that means that the book is striking a chord on its own merits. It's already a bestseller by India standards, by the way, and we've hit the 15,000 copies mark.
The My Friend Sancho book cover contest, how did it come about?
I wanted to look beyond the usual pool of book designers in India, so I thought we'll do a contest for the cover. As I'd hoped, we got many awesome designs from designers who had never designed a book cover before, and chose the one you see in the stores. My publishers were overjoyed at the response, and are still in touch with some of the designers they discovered through this contest.
The book is quite humorous. But, on the other hand, the subject matter is quite serious. Did you find this a difficult dynamic to balance? Did you consciously introduce some of the irreverence and randomness of your blogs? Do you think some of us subconsciously treat matters of great gravity in a similarly sarcastic way?
The book is a first-person narrative, so the voice of the book is the voice of the character, Abir Ganguly. He's a 23-year-old smart-alecky reporter fond of glib wisecracks, so that's the tone of the book. But he changes a bit, and matures a bit, as he goes through the events in the book, and that reflects in his voice as well.
Was it difficult to create and give colour to the female lead, Muneeza, being a male and from a different religious and socio-economic background?
The book is told from Abir's perspective, and all we see of Muneeza is what he sees of her. So it wasn't difficult at all. In any case, Bombay is a great melting pot, and I've known plenty of people from Muneeza's background.
The book being told in first person, it's tempting to detect autobiographical bits in the character of Abir Ganguly. How much of that crept in, the journalism aspect and also living in Mumbai [Images]? Have you ever worked the crime beat, or written a story similar to the one Abir works on in the book?
The book is not autobiographical at all. I've never worked the crime beat, or done time in a newsroom. One piece of good advice young writers are often given is to write about what they know, and as I know Mumbai, having lived here for 14 years, I've set the story in Mumbai.
That said, the character of Abir Ganguly has no more in common with me than with any Mumbai journo -- though his sense of humour is a lot like mine on India Uncut.
Is a relationship like this -- Abir and Muneeza -- possible or plausible, without being ostracised by both families?
I've seen relationships like this work out. In fact, they're not unusual at all in Mumbai. Anything is possible when two young people are in love.
What does the future hold in store for you? How long do you intend to keep blogging? Do you hope to write another novel soon?
I'm at work on my second novel. Then I'll do my third. And then my fourth. My blogging doesn't take up too much time, so I'll continue doing it, but I don't intend to ever be a journalist again.
source: rediff
Amit Varma wears several caps.
As a journalist, he's written for prestigious publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. In 2003, he served as website Cricinfo's managing editor in India; and in 2007, he wrote a weekly column for Mint, called 'Thinking It Through', which won him the Bastiat Prize for Journalism.
He's also a noted blogger. In December 2004, he started India Uncut, which quickly became one of India's most popular blogs. On India Uncut, his pithy, witty commentary on major and minor issues of the day has made him an authoritative voice in Indian cyber-space, and has won him several nominations and awards.
But, according to Varma, his true desire has always been to be a novelist. "There's never been anything else I wanted to be," he says. So, in 2008, he took time off from writing columns and doing freelance journalism so that he could devote his 'mental bandwith' to writing novels.
The result? My Friend Sancho, his debut novel, which was published in India in May 2009.
The novel tells the story of 23-year-old Mumbai-based reporter Abir Ganguly. While working the crime beat one evening, Abir believes he's covering yet another routine story in routine fashion. However, what transpires is far from ordinary. It turns his entire world -- both professional and personal -- on its head!
In this e-mail interview with rediff.com, Varma discusses the many different facets of his career, and also answers questions about My Friend Sancho and his plans for the future. (Hint: More novels!)
Did you ever imagine yourself doing anything but writing? If so, what was it?
No. I've wanted to be a writer since I could read. In particular, I wanted to be a novelist. I took my time getting down to it, but there's never been anything else I wanted to be.
Were you a voracious reader as a youngster? What sort of books did you read?
My dad had thousands of books at home, and in that environment, I naturally became a voracious reader. I started reading serious literature pretty early, and my favourite writer at age 10 was Dostoevsky. I also read all of Shakespeare at that age, though one of his plays that I loved most was Titus Andronicus, so my taste at the age is questionable. I lightened up as the years went by, and read more crime fiction than anything else these days.
How did you get into journalism?
I got into journalism accidentally. I used to freelance for a few magazines in the late '90s, when I was in television.
In 2001, I got a chance to work with Wisden (Cricketers' Almanack). I rose to be their managing editor in India, a position I held when we bought Cricinfo in 2003. I moved to a consulting position at the end of 2004, and then left even that at the end of 2006 when I decided I needed to quit my job and focus on writing a book.
But I got sidetracked into writing columns and op-eds. Through 2007, I wrote a weekly column for (business daily) Mint, and freelanced occasionally for the Wall Street Journal, etc. Then I quit all journalism in 2008 and finally got down to writing a novel.
As a career, what are some of the clear positives about journalism? Negatives?
Positives: It helps you write crisp copy to deadline.
Negatives: Journalism in India tends to be superficial, and writers hardly get any time to work on their stories. As a result, you're always skimming the surface of things, and never have the scope to go too deep. Literature gives you that scope.
When were you first online? When did you first begin to write your blog? Did you take to the new medium like a fish to water?
Being managing editor of Cricinfo, I knew the medium pretty well before I started blogging.
Were you offered a book deal because of your blog? Were you contacting publishing houses or were they contacting you?
The book deal had nothing to do with my blog. I had offers from four publishers, and two of them didn't even know I had a blog. The book made its way into the world on its own merits, and that's how I'd like readers to evaluate it.
Have you written fiction before? If so, anything romantic? Poems, short stories, half-finished novels? How did this particular story come to you?
As I said, I've wanted to be a fiction writer all my life. But this was my first proper attempt at a novel -- I guess I wasn't ready to write one before this, either in terms of craft or maturity. Writing fiction -- especially novel-length fiction -- is completely different from writing a blog.
How have dedicated fans of your blog received the book?
All the feedback I've received indicates that they liked it. And I've received an equal amount of positive feedback from readers who have never read India Uncut as well. I guess that means that the book is striking a chord on its own merits. It's already a bestseller by India standards, by the way, and we've hit the 15,000 copies mark.
The My Friend Sancho book cover contest, how did it come about?
I wanted to look beyond the usual pool of book designers in India, so I thought we'll do a contest for the cover. As I'd hoped, we got many awesome designs from designers who had never designed a book cover before, and chose the one you see in the stores. My publishers were overjoyed at the response, and are still in touch with some of the designers they discovered through this contest.
The book is quite humorous. But, on the other hand, the subject matter is quite serious. Did you find this a difficult dynamic to balance? Did you consciously introduce some of the irreverence and randomness of your blogs? Do you think some of us subconsciously treat matters of great gravity in a similarly sarcastic way?
The book is a first-person narrative, so the voice of the book is the voice of the character, Abir Ganguly. He's a 23-year-old smart-alecky reporter fond of glib wisecracks, so that's the tone of the book. But he changes a bit, and matures a bit, as he goes through the events in the book, and that reflects in his voice as well.
Was it difficult to create and give colour to the female lead, Muneeza, being a male and from a different religious and socio-economic background?
The book is told from Abir's perspective, and all we see of Muneeza is what he sees of her. So it wasn't difficult at all. In any case, Bombay is a great melting pot, and I've known plenty of people from Muneeza's background.
The book being told in first person, it's tempting to detect autobiographical bits in the character of Abir Ganguly. How much of that crept in, the journalism aspect and also living in Mumbai [Images]? Have you ever worked the crime beat, or written a story similar to the one Abir works on in the book?
The book is not autobiographical at all. I've never worked the crime beat, or done time in a newsroom. One piece of good advice young writers are often given is to write about what they know, and as I know Mumbai, having lived here for 14 years, I've set the story in Mumbai.
That said, the character of Abir Ganguly has no more in common with me than with any Mumbai journo -- though his sense of humour is a lot like mine on India Uncut.
Is a relationship like this -- Abir and Muneeza -- possible or plausible, without being ostracised by both families?
I've seen relationships like this work out. In fact, they're not unusual at all in Mumbai. Anything is possible when two young people are in love.
What does the future hold in store for you? How long do you intend to keep blogging? Do you hope to write another novel soon?
I'm at work on my second novel. Then I'll do my third. And then my fourth. My blogging doesn't take up too much time, so I'll continue doing it, but I don't intend to ever be a journalist again.
source: rediff
Thursday, May 23, 2013
CAREER IN PRINT MEDIA
CAREER IN PRINT MEDIA
By Dr. Pradeep Nair
If you dream of making a qualitative change in the people's life, bringing into light the dark side of the society, have the patience to get along with politicians, bureaucrats, criminals and a myriad of persons desperate to get some ready to rush to work at odd hours, do night shifts; Journalism is one of the best careers to pursue.
Journalism as such is more than a career, it's a mission. A mission that generates your creativity helps you socialize, earn name along with your livelihood, bring to the forefront problems facing the society and help implement the possible solutions. These inherent advantages of journalism attract a lot of young graduates.
Scope and Areas of Work in Print Media
Print Media is the oldest form of media. But even today it is growing from strength to strength. Around 4000 small, medium and large newspapers and magazines across the county are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers every year. This indicates that it is a growing sector where employment opportunities are increasing with each passing day.
Most of the young aspirants who want to enter the print media prefer reporting, but newspapers and magazines also seek young talent as photographers, artists, editors, computer experts, librarians, and cartoonists. Students who have writing ability, graphics or photo skills, curiosity and determination and who are well prepared by education and training have less difficulty in finding a good opening in the print media. The well known areas to work are:
Editing – Editing means to plan the contents of the publication and to supervise its preparation. Newspapers have Editors who should have sound knowledge of newspaper laws. They need to put forward innovative ideas and establish the style of the publication. Editors must be able to coordinate the efforts of a team. They must possess a sound knowledge of their market, and take the initiative in looking for new authors and new subjects. In very large newspapers, there are associate or assistant editors who are responsible for particular topics, such as sports, international news, local news, supplements, special pullouts, etc. Administrative duties of editors include hiring writers, planning budgets and negotiating contracts with freelance writers.
Newspapers also have a large number of sub-editors whose job is to give a final shape to the story submitted by a reporter. Sub-editors acts almost like a gate keeper – editing, reformatting, objectively presenting each report, keeping in mind the general policy of the newspaper. They must be able to identify potential doubts, complications and mistakes in the text, inconsistencies or lack of adherence to the style of newspaper.
Reporting – Reporting in Newspapers and Magazines means to file stories about local, state, national and international events; to present different view points on current issues and to monitor the actions of public officials and others who exercise power. Newspapers frequently station reporters known as correspondents in large cities and in other countries to prepare stories on major news events occurring in these locations.
Freelancing – One can also work as a freelance journalist for newspapers and magazines. Freelancers are not the regular employees of the organization. They are paid according to each piece or article they write.
Writing Columns – A newspaper appoints specialists for regular columns. Columnists, being assigned a column, have to keep contributing to the column on a regular basis.
Writing Comments – Well known people, who are authorities in their respective fields, are invited to write on topical issues in magazines or newspapers.
Drawing Cartoons – A comical or satirical sketch on political, cultural events is the job of a cartoonist. While established cartoonists work for some big groups, others are generally free lancers.
Working as an Artist - Illustrators and cartographers who specialize in maps and charts to illustrate data work in this medium.
Photojournalism – Photojournalism is an art to tell a story with pictures. People having an interest in photography with an ability to link it with a news story can work for newspapers and magazines as a photojournalist.
Nature of the Job
A journalist can work in various capacities in print media. The print has several sub categories like newspaper, magazines and news agencies, and also internet based news portals like Tehelka.com, Indiatimes.com, Rediff.com, etc.
In a newspaper house, fresh journalism graduates usually join as trainees at the news desk or the editing desk. After a couple of years, they get transferred to reporting. However, exceptions to this rule are common and some people join straightaway as trainee reporter also.
The hierarchy for reporters in most of the newspaper houses is roughly as follows - trainee, staff reporter correspondent, principal reporter/ senior reporter/ correspondent, chief reporter and special representative/ correspondent.
Working for a news agency is slightly different because of the tougher deadlines - not at the end of the day but right now. The ABC of news agency reporting seeks accuracy, brevity and clarity. The format of writing is very straight forward and to the point and does not allow any scope for speculation or analysis within the news story. Agencies like Press Trust of India (PTI) and United News of India (UNI) are 24 hours open and their offices are not closed even on Republic or Independence Day or on big festivals, which are holidays for the newspapers.
Reporting for magazines involves less leg work than newspapers. But it requires closer co-operation with the sources of news. Here, the distinction between reporting, editing and desk work many a time gets blurred and the reporter does all the work.
Where to Study and the Eligibility
To pursue a career in the print media one may attain a bachelor's degree or a post-graduate degree or diploma in journalism or mass communication. Courses in journalism are offered in English, Hindi and regional languages. Specialized courses in selected fields like page composition, layout designing and photo journalism are also offered. Apart from the professional degrees, other skills required are a good command over the language, good general knowledge and the ability to collect information and report events quickly.
Now a day’s most of the Indian universities offer both under-graduate and post-graduate programs in journalism. Graduates of any stream are eligible to opt for a post-graduate degree or diploma program in journalism.
Some of the well known institutes offering journalism courses are Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, AJK – Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan units at Mumbai, Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal, Times of India School of Journalism, Mumbai, Pioneer Media School, New Delhi, The Manorama School of Communication, Kottayam, St. Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai, Simbiosis International University, Pune etc.
Beside this, there are certain traits which a budding journalism graduate needs to know while opting journalism as a career. A good journalist should have – a keen interest in people related issues, an inquisitive nature, ability to meet deadlines and outstanding communication skills. Basically if you are not interested in what people have to say, their emotions and their achievements, you simply cannot function as a journalist.
Remuneration
The minimum salary as per government directive has to be Rs. 5500 to Rs. 9000 for reporters and senior reporters, Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,500 for the chief reporters and sub-editors, and Rs. 7500 to 12000 for editors. Private sector even offers higher remuneration including lucrative various fringe benefits. However salaries offered depend on the publication house one is working with. Field journalists are given travel and stay expenses as well as allowances are additional with all pay packets. Freelancers are paid for each piece of work they submit. Self-employed also have good earning depending upon the nature and extension of their business.
Further, the bigger publishing houses pay far higher salaries than the prescribed grades of the Government of India. Entry level salaries range between Rs. 8000 to 12000, experienced Journalists get from Rs. 20000 to 25000 and Senior Journalists earn over a Lac per month. Editors of several publications draw salaries in Lacs as they are given globally competitive salaries.
Excelling your Skills
Journalism is one of the most important vocations. Journalists not only report news but are also responsible for searching out for new stories that might impact the larger society. Journalists are also responsible for shaping opinions and perceptions about key issues that are prevailing in a society. From the local to the national level, journalists play a key role in shaping public opinions and perceptions. Journalists therefore perform a special function and one that no other vocation does.
Journalism as a vocation has also been one of the fields that have seen a radical change over the years. Both print and the visual medium have grown exponentially over the years and there is always a demand for skilled professionals. Increasing competitiveness has also led journalism becoming a very high stress job where deadlines must be met at all cost.
There is also an intense competition for more readers and viewers in both the print and the visual media. Both print and media journalists have to battle the daily stresses of work and life in order to produce relevant results. The job is stressful and may involve very high workloads in order to meet tight deadlines. It is not a profession for the weak willed or the timeservers. The vocation requires passion and complete dedication from an individual if he wants to excel.
Good writing skills itself is not enough to excel in journalism. In addition to it, one requires an attention to details, because it is in these details that a story finds both clarity and meaning. Journalism also requires boundless energy and the relentlessness to pursue a good lead.
Journalism can be an ideal career for those who love to read books and write. The vocation offers them an opportunity to extend their natural talents and utilize them to the best of their abilities. There are also various streams within journalism that a journalist can specialize in. These specializations include sports, investigative, science and film journalism.
For people who are looking forward to a journalism career, there are so many things that they can do to move an inch higher to their dream. For young people who were already to determine in themselves that a journalism career is really the profession that they would want to pursue, they can start gaining all they need to be qualified for the job.
Young ones should be arming themselves with the necessary skills in becoming a journalist such as writing. To do this, they should practice writing articles more often and monitor their improvement. To be more knowledgeable about the craft, they should also enroll in various writing workshops where the resource person are the ones who have been in the industry long enough to share their first-hand experiences. Aside from meeting famous writers and journalists, attending writing workshops can also help you improve your craft and will introduce you more into the technicalities of writing such as styles, structures and the like.
To widen your vocabulary, it is also a must that you read the newspaper regularly. Aside from current events and news, reading feature articles in magazines and even novels can help you be familiar with certain writing styles that can help you in creating your own in the future.
When you get to college, it is best to take up a journalism degree giving importance to the practical assignments. Generally in a good institute, you will be trained in all aspects of the field. Aside from training your writing skills, the school will open you up to other possibilities of the field such as the business side and other fields that may help you decide which field you are really suited to. Here, you will also have the opportunity to meet the "masters" in the field and you will also be able to use the school publication as the training ground for your future journalism career.
Getting the First Career Break
Graduates can go in for an internship with a newspaper for supervised training. The latest trend in this regard is that big groups of newspapers advertise the posts of trainees in any of the above categories. After conducting the entrance examination, suitable graduate trainees, with a flair for writing, are selected and employed.
Almost all newspapers hire journalism graduates fresh out of college, though most of the larger papers (and many of the medium-sized ones) ask for prior experience. Therefore, the smaller the newspaper, the better your chances of landing that first job. It is advantageous to apply to newspapers that you know something about, newspapers where you have had an internship, and papers that are located in areas that are familiar to you.
Print Media organizations where aspirants can find jobs are:
Newspaper groups
News agencies and news bureaus like the Press Trust of India, Reuters, United News of India and Associated Press
Magazines and journals in English and vernacular languages
Indian Information Service (Group A) of the government, Directorates of publicity
In-house publications of large corporate houses
Websites
It is best to create your own opportunity by learning how to market one's self, coming up with a strong portfolio, and to know when the best time to break into the field is. Here two things are quite important. The first one is to sell one's self. This is a very important aspect because employers and editors would not believe you if you just say that you are good. During an interview for a position, try to mention some of your good qualities that can be assets to the publication such as resourcefulness, creativity, and productivity. The second one is the willingness to start small. If you are a fresh journalism graduate, don't expect that you will get the position you want right away. Since the journalism field is competitive, it is best if you will have mindset of starting small. Those who are enjoying their journalism career nowadays are the ones who underwent through the ladder of success.
About the Author
Dr. Pradeep Nair is presently working as a Research Scientist and Course Coordinator of PG Program in Development Communication with Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) of Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. E-mail Id: pradeep.mcrc@jmi.ac.in
source: employment news
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