Monthly Archives: July 2009

Stand up for child rights!

This is a guest post from Susan Varghese -DGM of Global Operations at Child Rights and You (CRY)

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Children are always the most vulnerable victims of any crisis, be it economic, political, social or environmental, as they do not live in isolation – they belong to families, communities and society at large.
The reality of India today is that millions of children continue to have their very survival threatened on a daily basis- by malnutrition, illiteracy, child labour, preventable diseases, abuse and exploitation illustrated by statistics like:
- One in every six girl children does not survive to see her 12th birthday due to discrimination and neglect
- 50% of children, aged 6-14 years are not in school
- 2 million Indian babies die before they celebrate their first birthday
- Statistics reveal that India has 16.57 million child labourers.

And it is because of this reality that Child Rights and You (CRY) exists today – to be the voice of children, especially Indian.
CRY – Child Rights and You, India’s leading child rights advocate believes that children are citizens in their own right, the future of their countries and the world, entitled to the full spectrum of human rights. We hence work towards restoring rights to underprivileged children, especially in India. Continue reading →

Education levels for the fastest growing jobs!

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Fastest growing jobs and occupations by the level of education

“Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century.” ~ Perelman

Education is the foundation for any profession or a career. The skills acquired and the learning experience during education often determine the level of success for any individual. A study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of US Depart of Labor, lists the fastest growing occupations by the level of education and on the job training: Continue reading →

The fastest growing jobs and occupations in USA!

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of US Department of Labor, has a very interesting and comprehensive study on the jobs and occupations projections. The report titled ‘Tomorrow’s Jobs’ is quite telling in terms of expected growth in employment over the period of 2006 to 2016.
The chart/graph here provides a snap-shot of the fastest growing occupations in USA – the change in the total employment by occupation groups projected over 2006 – 2016. chart 6_99
The top occupations that are expected to enjoy the highest percentage increase are:

Professional and related occupations: These occupations cover a wide range of skilled professions. Professional and related occupations are expected to increase by 16.7%. Among the top beneficiaries include:
-Computer and mathematical occupations,
-Health-care practitioners and technical occupations,
-Education, training, and library occupations

Services: Employment in service sector is projected to increase by 16.7%, tied with professional and related occupations for the fastest rate of growth. The services occupations that are expected to grow the fastest include:
-Food preparation,
-Serving related occupations
-Health-care support occupations
-Personal care and service service occupations

Management, business, and financial occupations: The employment is expected to increase by 10.4% by 2016 in this category. Among top growth projections are:
-Construction managers
-Accountants and auditors and business operation specialists
-Financial analysts and personal financial advisers Continue reading →

How to break a bad habit!

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Tips: Self help on how to break a habit or change an addictive routine

For those who are working on accent improvement, or struggling with Internet addiction, or trying to quit any other old habit that is affecting the quality of work and life…..:

A habit is a behavior that we regularly repeat, often without thinking much about it. Over time, our brain gets used to the routine, repeating it unconsciously. Smoking, playing video games, watching TV, net surfing – excessive use of any of these can become a habit or addiction. Once a habit is developed, it becomes a part of our daily life, it is hard to get away from it.
To break a habit or to minimize an addictive behavior is not easy. It is not something we can do overnight. While we can start the process of breaking a habit anytime we like, the harder part is to keep it that way for good - to break the routine permanently.
Here are the basic considerations to break a habit:
Willpower: The very first requirement is willpower, the desire to give-up something that is negatively affecting the quality of life or work. Without willpower and determination, one cannot break a habit permanently.
Be sincere- to yourself: Most of the problems get solved if we can put in a sincere effort to fix them. Be sincere and honest to yourself. After all, you are not trying to change other people’s perception about you; you are trying to change yourself, the behavior itself. Continue reading →

Stretch your goals…land somewhere!

Job search Tips: How to look for a Job effectively!

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Where to learn about and search for reliable job openings

“Never turn down a job because you think it’s too small; you don’t know where it can lead” ~ Julia Morgan

The jobs are scarce in today’s economy. The good jobs are even harder to find. There is too much noise, too many misleading advertisements on dream jobs that don’t exist. Based on various sources including a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics division of the U.S. Department of Labor, here are the key resources for job search:

Personal contacts: Many of the job openings are never advertised. Talk to your friends, family, neighbors and others; tell them that you are looking for a job. They may be able to help with the new leads and even recommendations. Find ways to network and advertise yourself among peers and the community.

School career planning and placement offices: Placement officers in schools and colleges can be very helpful in finding jobs. They have lots of resources at their hands to help in this area including possible lists of open jobs, career counseling, aptitude testing and job search advice. Some of them also have career resource libraries and may host workshops on job search strategy, resume writing and effective interviewing.

Employers: One of the effective way to find reliable job openings is to go straight to the source. Contact the company or business directly. If an employer is on your wish-list, find out if they are hiring. Contact their HR department. Send them your resume and follow up; show sincere interest in working for them.

Classified ads: There are lots of commercials and advertisement about job openings. The main sources of classified ads include:

National and local newspapers
Professional journal
Trade magazines
Library and other local bulletin boards

Continue reading →

Need more ugly stories!

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Finding ways to expose corruption and power abuse in India

Indian politics is often considered synonym for corruption and misuse of power. Most of the politicians in India consider themselves to be beyond and above any law of the land.
A recent incident involving a congress MP Jagannatham slapping a bank manager in broad daylight was luckily captured on a video camera. The recorded footage has been repeatedly played all over the internet and is heavily reported by the media. The publicity of all this made the congress high command to look into the incident seriously, forcing the MP to tender an unconditional apology. The police is also investigating the case.
If there is anything positive in this ugly story, is the story itself – the power of the internet and media coverage to expose the behavior of a politician. Unfortunately, there are many more daily incidents like this all over India that go unreported. The reason for so many untold ugly stories is quite simple. There is no camera to capture them, or no brave witness to narrate them. The daily corruption and power abuse is in full swing mainly because of the lack of exposure of the wrongdoers, and the fear of retaliation against those who dare to report them.
While there are some brave souls who have made it their mission to clean up India’s future by exposing these incidents, an average person is hesitant to do much about it. For the fear of retaliation, an average family man or woman does not want to take the risk of whistleblowing under normal circumstances.
The life goes on, with corruption and power-abuse hidden in the plain sight. Nobody wants to touch it, no one wants to talk about it.
Oscar Wilde said, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”
So, the best alternate could be to use a mask, meaning report this unethical behaviors anonymously. It is a today’s need of India to find a mask for an average person, so he or she can tell the truth about corruption and power abuse without any fear. Continue reading →

NRI Tips: NRI Bank Account and FAQ

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“A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.” ~ Robert Frost

My previous article on how to open an NRI Bank account has most of the information that you need to get started, and to open an NRI account. This is a follow-up and complement to the information in that article. To maintain the continuity of the topic, there is some overlap between the two articles.
Home-work: Make sure to think it through ahead of time. Do you really need an NRI account ? While opening an NRI account provides many conveniences, it also increases the paper-work. It is one more account to track with possible complications to tax situations in multiple countries. So, evaluate your needs; open an account only if your business or personal situation demands it. Keep it simple!
Frequently asked Questions (FAQ): Most of the NRIs have many basic questions to start with, including:
1. What are different types of NRI accounts available?
2. Who can open an NRI account?
3. When can we open a joint Account and what are the nomination options?
4. What are the different loans permitted? Continue reading →

30 Tips on the art of small talk!

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Communications Tips (NRI and ESL Tips): Small Talk – how to carry-on a conversation effectively.

“Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.” ~ Oscar Wilde

I have written before on the importance of small talk . Small talk is a conversation, chit-chat or an informal discussion without any specific topic or subject. Small talk generally is not a problem if we are among our family and friends; there is always something to talk about. However, once we step into a wider social circle, it may become challenging at times to keep the conversation going or even start a conversation. Here are some of the tips on how to avoid uncomfortable situations, and carry on a small talk in all types of social settings:

1. Be a good listener: Pay attention and listen to what others are talking about. Good listening provides additional understanding about the people we are communicating with.

2. Introduce yourself if needed: Introduce yourself first, especially if you are in a new to the gathering, party or event.

3. Take queue from other’s conversation: This helps with the continuity of the discussion.

4. Ask questions…small ones: Questions or clarifications are important to understand the others involved in the conversation. The questions could be about the discussion going on, or general questions to ‘get-to-know’ the company. Continue reading →

The imprortance of small talk

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NRIs and ESL Tips: Importance of small talk in a conversation

Don’t tell your friends about your indigestions: “How are you!” is a greeting, not a question.
~Arthur Guiterman, A Poet’s Proverbs

Many of us, especially those with English as a second language (ESL), often struggle with social communications and the language barrier. However, this article is written for anyone who may need some extra help with improving their communication skills.
Small talk is a conversation just for the sake of conversation. It does not have to have any specific topic or agenda. The small talk is considered a very important part of our overall communication or daily interactions with others.

Small talk is a big deal: The small talk is important for so many reasons:

- it is essential for a smooth and effective communication with anybody we talk to.

- it creates a good first impression.

- it leads to a lively and friendly conversation.

- if you are a good ‘small talker’ you will come across as an open and more friendly person

- it is an essential tool for effective interaction in any social settings.

- it leaves a lasting impression on the other party.

- it gives you more confidence as a speaker.

Parts of conversation:

In terms of overall conversation, small talk is very important throughout any communications. Following are the key functions of a small talk in any speech or discussion: Continue reading →

10 most uncommon business ideas for overseas!

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NRI Tips: Most uncommon or non-traditional business ideas to consider abroad

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

There are some popular business ideas for overseas, including the one discussed in 10 most common businesses to start abroad. Now, here are some not-so-common ones. This should get you thinking, to make your own choice – from these suggestions or perhaps even better ones of your own based on your knowledge, skill and circumstances! sxc1088992_glass_bangles

1. Indian fashion accessories: Consider an online or local store to sell Indian fashion accessories including glass bangles, simple Indian jewelries and other beauty items. This can start at a small scale and expand as the business grows

2. Pet care and grooming: A place to take care of pets including grooming, styling and domesticating. If you love pets, may want to look into this one. Continue reading →

Hitler and India – A history divided!

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“The world needs heroes and it’s better they be harmless men like me than villains like Hitler.” ~ Albert Einstein

Hitler, the evil dictator was responsible for the death of millions of innocent people, just because they did not fit his distorted and evil vision of so called ‘pure race’. Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf (in English: My Struggle), is selling like hot cakes in India as reported by London Telegraph. The book commonly branded as ‘Nazi Bible’ is banned in many countries. However, students in India are using it as a self-guide for business studies.

1947: 100's of miles long caravans of uprooted Indians leaving behind everything and moving to the new country based on their religion; Photo: wanabehuman.blogspot

1947:100s of miles long caravans of Indians leaving behind everything & moving to the new country based on their religion; Photo:wanabehuman.blogspot

There are all kinds of global opinion for and against this subject – should we be using this book as a guide for business studies?
The simple answer is: it depends. It depends where you live in the world; how much you know about Hitler; and how you feel about it. Hitler is not a commonly discussed figure in India or Indian society. Growing up, we did not know much about him. Hitler and Stalin were often mentioned in the same sentence. In the the schools’ history books, Hitler is mentioned mainly as a apart of the World War II studies. It is quite possible that many Indians, who don’t know as much about Hitler, are just in awe of his atrocities; they might be reading the book just out of curiosity. And lately, many more may be reading because of the media coverage and the story being reported all over the globe. Many may read Hitler’s biography because they just want to know more about him and what made him the monster and evil that he is known to be. Continue reading →

Long live Freedom, long live the Earth!

A self-help guide to lose your accent!

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NRI Tips: A complete guide on accent reduction and English language accent improvement!

Talking is like playing on the harp; there is as much in laying the hands on the strings to stop their vibration as in twanging them to bring out their music. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is the final segment of a series of articles written on how to lose your accent. This article includes a brief summary of earlier posts, tips based on personal experiments with different approaches and some additional tools on accent softening.

Before we start, it is very important to remember that:

-Our success or failure depends on our commitment. However, it is easier to make a commitment toward a goal, if we know that ‘help’ is around the corner - ’help’ such as this information.

-Nobody can help us better than ourselves.

With that in mind, the information below is a self-help or a guide on accent softening, accent reduction and how to lose your accent ultimately:

Accent is normal: We all have accent, it is the way we speak; it is the way we used to talk in our neighborhood growing up. It only becomes an accent when we leave our neighborhood and go far away where they speak differently. Even within the same country, the same language is spoken with different slang, and in different style. Have you ever seen a white person in India trying to speak Hindi? Now, that is an accent; it is more than an accent – most of the time it is a slaughterhouse ! So don’t feel too bad if someone tell you that you have a ‘thick’ accent. This is normal. You can read more about accent basics in this linked post.

How to lose or soften your accent: The main process and methods are detailed in the post titled ‘How to lose your accent’. It has received some very good reviews all around. Out of all the segments mentioned here, if you have time for only one article, this is the article you should go to. The process of accent softening – as outlined in the linked article – involves following key steps:

a. Break the habit of old speaking ways

b. Be a good listener Continue reading →

The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad