My first job experience..........

First of all, I would like to thank Mrs. Ashudeep Chadha (MD and Chief Administrative Officer, Managing Partner [Asia Pacific], the Accounts Department and the HR Department who gave me a chance to to work for this company.

Well, I am not very expressive  with people and sometimes I find it easier to pen down my thoughts, ideas and emotions on a piece of paper. I never had the confidence to write,but I have always admired writers. This blog is a kind of a humble attempt to share my experiences in this company.

Being a commerce graduate, I needed to gain some practical knowledge to execute theoritical concepts which I have learnt.

Though people say "What is practicallity if not the application of theory and what is theory if not the written down version of practicality given by people working in that particular field."

But in reality, it is very different. Theoritical knowledge is one story and practical knowledge is another..

I joined here in 2010 in the Accounts Department in the capacity of an Accountant Trainee. After joining the company I got to know about the work culture, corporate ethics, the processes involved for doing the accounting tasks etc. The Accounts Department including Sir Manoj Kakkar(Head of Accounts) and others like Sir Santosh Shukla,  and Sir Praveen Jain are very co-operative and helps me to hone my skills much better. Needless to mention the HR department and all other working staff of the company are also very co-operative and is ready to help in any way they can or I should say, it is like a family while we may have come from different places and speaking different tongues, our hearts beat as one". Well, this is my first job and I am getting various opportunities to expose my talents. It gave me a chance to understand myself better, made me responsible, more civilized, helped me develop my soft skills and a better human being.

In the month of January'11, there was the celebration of the Annual Day which was very delightful and the celebration of the International womens' Day in the month of March'11 which was full of fun and the visit to Medanta, the Medicity for a seminar regarding womens' health was very very informative not only for me but for others as well. The words of Mam Ashudeep Chadha  inspired me a lot to work much more harder, smarter and made me realize that if we have the will to do something, nothing can daunt us from doing that. We have to try hard to erase the word impossible from our dictionary. We have to be the change we wish to see in others.

So, I hope we will get this kind of opportunities in the future too which can make ones' learning experience/process a sheer pleasure. And once again, I would like to thank everyone for believing in me and I shall seldom try my level best for the progress and better future of the company.

“If your birthday is between………”

Dec 23^rd – Jan 1^st = RED

Jan 2^nd – Jan 11^th = Orange

Jan 12^th – Jan 24^th = Yellow

Jan 25^th – Feb 3^rd = Pink

Feb 4^th – Feb 8^th = Blue

Feb 9^th – Feb 18^th = Green

Feb 19^th – Feb 28^th = Brown

Mar 1^st – Mar 10^th = Aqua

Mar 11^th – Mar 20^th = Lime

Mar 21^st = Black

Mar 22^nd – Mar 31^st = Purple

Apr 1^st – Apr 10^th = Navy

Apr 11^th – Apr 20^th = Silver

Apr 21^st -  Apr 30^th = White

May 1^st – May 14^th = Blue

May 15^th – May 24^th = Gold

May 25^th – June 3^rd = Cream

Jun 4^th – Jun 13^th = Grey

Jun 14^th – Jun 23^rd = Maroon

Jun 24^th = Grey

Jun 25^th – Jul 4^th = Red

Jul 5^th – Jul 14^th = Orange

July 15^th – July 25^th = Yellow

July 26^th – Aug 4^th = Pink

Aug 5^th – Aug 13^th = Blue

Aug 14^th – Aug 23^rd = Green

Aug 24^th – Sep 2^nd = Brown

Sep 3^rd – Sep 12^th = Aqua

Sep 13^th – Sep 22^nd = Lime

Sep 23^rd = Olive

Sep 24^th – Oct 3^rd = Purple

Oct 4^th – Oct 13^th = Navy

Oct 14 – Oct 23^rd = Silver

Oct 24^th – Nov 11^th = White

Nov 12^th – Nov 21^st = Gold

Nov 22^nd – Dec 1^st = Cream

Dec 2^nd – Dec 11^th = Grey

Dec 12^th – Dec 21^st = Maroon

Dec 22^nd = Teal

RED:

You are the cute and lovable type. You are picky but always in love and likes being loved. Fresh and cheerful, but can be moody at times. Capable with people, nice, soft and they can love you for the way you are. Likes people who are easy to talk to and can make you feel comfortable.

Cream:

Competitive and sportive. Don’t like loosing and always cheerful. You are trustworthy, and very out going. You choose love carefully and don’t fall in love easily. But once you find the right one, you don’t let go for a long time.

Teal:

You are mostly interested in looks and have high standards in picking love. You think and make a solution precisely and hardly make stupid mistakes. You like to lead and is easy for you to make new friends.

Grey:

You are attractive and active. You never find your feelings and never express everything that’s inside. But can be selfish at times. You want to be noticed, and don’t like to be treated unequally. You can brighten up people’s day. You know what to say at the right time and you have a good sense of humour.

Green:

You get along will with new people. You are not really a shy person, but sometimes you can hurt peoples feelings by your words. You like to be loved and noticed by your lover, but mostly you are single waiting for the right person.

Gold:

You know what’s right and what’s wrong for you. You are cheerful and outgoing. It’s hard for you to find the one you want, but once you find the right person, you won’t be able to fall in love again for a long time.

Pink:

You are always trying your best in everything and like to help and care for other people. But you are not easily satisfied. You have negative thoughts and you look for the sort of romantic love only found in fairytales.

Yellow:

You are sweet and innocent. Trusted by many people and have a strong leadership role in relationships. You make good decisions and make the right choices at the right time. You dream relationships.

Maroon:

You are intelligent and know what’s right. You like to make things go your way, which can sometimes cause trouble for not thinking about other peoples’ feelings. But you can be patient when it comes to love. Once you get a hold of the right person, it’s hard for you to find a better love.

Orange:

You are responsible for your own actions, and you know how to treat people. You always have goals you look towards and are competitive. When it comes to friendship, you find it hard to trust someone. But once you find the right friend, you trust them forever.

Purple:

You are mysterious, never selfish and get interested in things easily. Your day can be sad or happy depending on your mood. You are popular between friends but you can act stupid at times and forget things easily. You go for people who trustworthy.

Lime:

You are calm but easily stressed on. You get jealous easily and complain over little things. You can get stuck into one thing, but you have a capable personality for everyone to trust you and like you.

Silver:

You are imaginative and shy, but you like trying new things. You like to challenge yourself. You are challenging and like “Hard to get”. Your love life is usually hard and confusing.

Black:

You are challenging and have the guts. But you don’t like changes in your life. And once you make a decision, you keep it that way for a long time. Your love life is also challenging and different.

Olive:

You are warm and light hearted. You seem to flow well with friends and family. You don’t like violence and know what’s right. You are kind and cheerful and don’t envy other people easily.

Brown:

You are active and sportive. It’s hard for other people to get close to you, but fall in love easily. But once you find out you can’t get something, you give up and let go easily as well.

Blue:

You have low self-esteem but very picky. You are artistic and like to fall in love, but you let your love pass by, by loving with your mind, not with your heart.

Navy:

You are attractive and love your life. You have a strong feeling towards everything and are very easily distracted. Once you get angry at someone, it’s hard for you to forgive them.

White:

You dream and have goals in your life. You get jealous easily and you don’t react to things easily. You are different and sometimes thought of highly by others.

Aqua:

Your feelings change suddenly and easily. You are always lonely and like travelling. You are truthful, but listen and believe people too easily. It’s hard to find love for you, and you get lost in love easily. Sometimes you also get hurt by love.
****************************************************

The Role of Media in the Indian Society

Media is called the fourth pillar of democracy due to its important role in shaping public opinion. But instead of covering news that is of paramount importance, they often cover trivial issues and sensationalize the same. They have a habit of exaggerating and blowing things out of proportion.

Now-a-days gaumless television channels and newspapers are making a fast buck by cashing in any way they choose to. In the race to become more popular and make more money, they have broken all the rules they must follow while serving to build a healthy and truly avant-grade society. They have scant regard for both veracity and public sensibilities.

The Indian media to make matters worse, has adopted a self-imposed right of intruding into the privacy of people, be it the common man or celebrities. Sometimes just for the sake of making more money frivolous news is given so much priority that the real news is not even brought to notice.

Media is an integral part of our society and does entertain us, again that could be a contentious issue because by entertainment we mean healthy entertainment and not just hogwash. Media being a quintessential medium for the dissemination of information surely must act more responsibly than at present.

The Solitaire Story

I was purchased as an engagement gift. I was going to be the tie that was to bring two people together. The salesperson gift wrapped me in a shining pink paper and put a pretty bow on the box. He wrapped me so tightly that I could hardly breathe and was left gasping for breadth. I kept hollering but nobody could hear me. Being a tantalizing 3-carat gold solitaire, I was not used to being treated so shoddily!

We reached our destination before dusk. At home I was taken out of the box and was displayed to all the guests who had come for the occasion. Oh, how I loved being the cynosure of all eyes. I was passed around and admired for the house was crammed with people. What a pandemonium! For everybody wanted to be the first to touch me. Most of them articulated their merriment by applauding.

The ceremony was held in a plush hotel that was aesthetically decorated. The bride to be was in awe of me during the exchange of rings and lo behold! That’s when I first laid my eyes on him. The groom to be acquired a simple yet elegant ring wrought in white gold and that piece of work took my breadth away!

I was head over heels in love with Mr White Gold, but was utterly petrified of betraying my feelings.

There was an atmosphere of joviality and the couple waltzed the night away while I wallowed in utter despair. Suddenly I heard a soft chuckle that made me light-headed. It was none other than Mr White Gold himself. He was scrutinizing me with a look of complete amusement and affection. I finally mustered all my courage and told him about my feelings for him. He acquiesced and my happiness knew no bounds. I had finally come home! A match truly made in heaven.

Female Infanticide

Female infanticide is a heinous crime and a bane of society. It is increasing at a disquieting rate in India. In countries like china and India where patriarchal societies are still the order of the day, the status of woman is considered inferior to that of men. Female children are often unwanted and clobbered. The stigma has continued to burgeon by the day. Organized efforts to tackle the social ill have remained mostly hypothetical and hence, mostly feckless.

What is appalling is the number of our erudite population who continue to engage in this, overtly or covertly: shockingly, mothers are the ones who often perpetrate the crime with the support of other women in their network.  If spared, the predicament faced by the girl child is even more perilous, as she is often subjugated and subjected to recurrent physical abuse. Female infanticide and abuse are barbaric and cruel and should be controlled without further ado. I believe it is up to each one of us to take stock of the situation and work towards eradicating this menace irreversibly.

India needs brilliant minds with a research focus….

India needs a revolution in higher education. The number of world class higher educational institutions in India is very few. Research in most of the educational institutions is almost non-existent. The quality of teaching is also very average, with even the prominent institutes facing a crunch of quality faculty. Also, there is a mismatch between what the industry needs and what institutions are producing, resulting in most graduates being considered unemployable by the industry.

Take for example, engineering education in India. If India needs to make a mark in Engineering, it needs to inculcate the spirit of research and innovation amongst the students and have excellent motivating teachers. Unfortunately, there are very few quality PhD’s being produced in India each year and this is a serious issue that needs to be collectively addressed by the Government, the public and the private sector.

Unfortunately in India, there is a perception that an MBA degree is the gateway to great careers in the corporate world. Only those academically inclined need to go for MPhil’s and PhD’s. Nothing could be further from truth. In today’s knowledge economy there is a huge demand for research professionals, with research professionals, with researchers and MBAs drawing comparative salaries.

In this century of the Mind, when India is trying to emerge as a knowledge super-power, it needs brilliant minds with a research focus.

We are at the Nano and IT stage where India has to generate new ideas and concepts. India is short of quality PhDs by at least 100 times of the requirement. We cannot develop in this Knowledge economy without research.

Encouraging our youth to pursue Master’s and Doctoral level studies and open their eyes to the real prospects and rewards accruing from the same can be done only by making students’ aware about the excellent prospects available today in the field of research. Educational institutes should play a key role in bringing about that awareness.

Also students should be encouraged to make the decision according to their own orientation whether they want to be specialists or generalists, whether they want to work on their own or within a team, and whether they are inward, or outward looking. They may be able to find an answer to these questions by deeply analyzing their own approach to problems. If for instance, they prefer to go to the heart of the problem and seek its root cause; they may be more tuned to an MPhil and PhD kind of a degree. If on the other hand, they like to take a holistic view by looking at the interconnections between things, an MBA might b the correct choice.

In today’s Knowledge economy, it is becoming essential for learners to possess and inquisitive and research bend of mind to understand complex and fast changing scenarios. It is equally important to be able to apply this knowledge for problem solving using a holistic approach.

India is increasingly emerging as an R&D hub with most companies setting up their R&D facilities in India. Hence contrary to the general perception, there is a huge demand for the trained/technical professionals is being acutely felt across all industry sectors, making M. Techs and PhDs a favoured lot.

Looking Beyond a Degree

“If Thomas Edison went to business school, we would all be reading by bigger candles”.

Perhaps a bit exaggerated, but this fact by and large retains its veracity. Education in the 21^st century is a different world altogether. Driven by a zealot’s frenzy through business schools, we have churned out a new generation of MBAs with a marked pride that accompanies this feat of becoming to an assembly line of business graduates which stamped degrees. Our systems of education are so ridden by the obsessive need of possessing a degree (an MBA or any other) that the latter has come to be regarded as a measure of one’s intelligence and intellectual capacity.

Everything in today’s world has taken on a speed, a quick desire to make it big without having really put in all the necessary efforts, be it in any aspect of our personal and professional lives. In this mad rush, it is easy to loose track of the basics in life. It surprises me even more that people increasingly fail to realize that just a degree, just doing an MBA, is not a solution to everything in life. There is much more to life, to be done and to be experienced which any conventional education fails to get you. We need to broaden our visions and learn to look beyond the limitations, the horse blinkers that conventionalism imposes upon us, this need to conform to a standard format of success.

It is easy to forget that one of the most important factors in one’s life is to be happy, to achieve happiness through the pursuit of one’s passion, an activity or profession in which one obtains maximum satisfaction and inner peace.

What it takes to be happy: You do not want to be rich – you want to be happy. Many people mistakenly believe that the former leads to the latter. While it is certainly true that money can help you achieve goals, provide for future, and make life more enjoyable, merely having money doesn’t guarantee happiness.

Many of us get wrapped up in the belief that money is the key to a better life. But it’s not. The key to a better life is increased happiness. Undoubtedly, for some people that does mean more money. Most of us would be better served by:

-         Creating rituals around the things we love to do

-         Expressing gratitude for the good things in our lives

-         Setting meaningful goals that reflect our strengths instead of dwelling on weaknesses

-         Simplifying our lives – not just the stuff, but the time

We are more likely to lead happy lives by putting these principles into practice than by getting another raise at work – especially if the increased income would only lead to increased spending. When we focus on monetary goals, we run the risk of becoming trapped on “hedonic treadmill”, working hard to make more and more money.

Pursuing your passion: A few steps

“If we resist our passions, it is more through their weakness than from our strength”

Pear is what prevents us from going after the things we desire. Whether those wants are tied to career, love, hobbies or life in general has little to do with the issue. What we miss, however, in questioning our motivations and variations of possible outcome, rather simply seizing the moment and creating a life of our own design, is that the clock is ticking… and it truly is a lot better to be able to say you tried to say you tried and failed than it is to be stuck with the reality that you never tried at all. Not to mention the fact that you very possibly may succeed!

Identify the essence of your passion

With everything that we do, there is an essence we are trying to deliver and there is the medium we are delivering it through. For example, if you are passionate about dancing, the essence of your passion may be excellence, elegance and freedom and the medium you express them through dancing. The first step is to identify the essence of your passion. Identify what it is you are passionate about doing. Then, identify the essence of this passion. What is it you are trying to seek/achieve? Do you want to inspire people? Help people? Entertain people? Express your creativity? Achieve excellence? This is actually the most important of the 5 steps, because this is where you look beyond a certain fixed way of pursuing your passion and start looking at the underlying message you are trying to achieve.

Identify your preferred form of expression

In the second step, nail down the ways in which you would like to express your passion. Some examples can be singing, drawing, dancing, sports, writing, educating, designing, constructing, cooking, speaking, acting, producing, and so on. Some people may have preferences towards certain manners of expression, such as singing or drawing, while some people may have no specific inclinations at all. Perhaps you like to pick out forms of expression in which you already have strengths, which is fine too. The most important thing is it has to be an expression you feel passionate about.

Brainstorm on the mediums

Based on your passion and your preferred forms of expression, start brainstorming on all the different mediums you can use to pursue your passion. Mediums refer to the channels which let you reach out to others. This is where you get really creative and start listing everything possible. Keep listing all types of different mediums and don’t stop until you have listed everything. One way to get new ideas is to look at the people who are already achieving success in the area you want to move in and study the different mediums they use to express themselves. The most important thing is not to limit the pursuit of your passion to certain fixed mediums. Expand to everything possible and imaginable.

Pick the mediums you are most passionate about

Based on the whole list of mediums, circle the mediums which you are most passionate about. There is no need to limit it to just one medium – you can have more than one. These would be the mediums you choose to bring your passion to life.

Create your plan to bring your passion to life

Now that you have clarity on the mediums to pursue your passion, create your plan to bring your passion to life! Crystallize your long-term vision, break them down into short-term goals, design your strategy and create your action plan.

Leaders learn to heed the voice within

Introspection is the key to building a leadership personality. Introspecting, looking into oneself to analyze, to reflect on what you really want. Introspection should unlock one’s access to creativity and intuition. Developing the right brain part of our personality is very important and though our society does not encourage it much, almost everybody has the capacity to do both logical and more creative processing of information. Right-brain cogitation is as easy – and as difficult – letting go. Let go first of the notion that reflection is a purely intellectual process under our control. Equally important is heeding, emotions and the often disconcerting thoughts that rise, unbidden, from the unconscious. A proven discipline towards achieving this goal is meditation, an act of one-pointed focus that inspires the mind and leaves it receptive even to faint impulses from within.

The ultimate goal of introspection is what our religious philosophy calls egolessness, a state of mind that transcends selfish concerns.

Commitment is everything; learning to reflect takes a lifetime, but is built on regular practice. Whatever you do to get in touch with yourself – and it could be anything from jogging to psychiatry to woodworking to meditation – do it for its own sake. If you give yourself to the process, goals will come to realization by themselves. If you experience pain along the way, consider it a signpost of progress. And if you gradually become more comfortable in your skin, if you feel a spreading sense of oneness with all creation, don’t fight it. There is more to us than the sniveling, snarling organism that craves power and approval. The clarity and contentment we seek lies deep inside us all.

Being “Generally Knowledgeable”

You are asked – ‘what is the parliament of Israel called? Which provisions of the constitution make Hindi the official language of our nation? Which is the Indian state that has the greatest proportion of women in the population?’

And you feel lost and perplexed. Perhaps even a bit irritated. You wonder what the need for this knowledge is. Where is the connection, what do I have to do with these facts? In some cases, self-doubt also creeps in; if I am being asked all this and I don’t know, does it mean that I am not good enough?

We are looking at a very common train of thoughts and emotions that many young people experience as they write different competitive or professional examinations, a majority among which has a section devoted to testing the general knowledge of candidates. Improving your general knowledge has become critical for success today, whether its an MBA entrance examination or a job interview. And the very first step towards sharpening your general knowledge is to fathom and acknowledge the significance of having a well rounded knowledge of the world around you. Once you have done that, building on your GK may not be agonizing any longer.

General knowledge as the name itself suggests, refers to a “general” awareness and knowledge of the basic facts and developments in different fields. Thus while knowledge of new technology innovations and gadgets across the world may be something every computer professional needs to know as an imperative, for a hockey player or a historian, it would be just “general knowledge”.

GK helps us to stay connected. No man is and island, as the famous saying goes and this was probably never truer than in today’s world. We live in times when barriers are crumbling and geographical divides are getting blurred where business or personal interaction is concerned. Co-operation, networking and interaction are the buzzwords today. The connectedness of all communities, disciplines and schools of thought always existed, but is now being leveraged to an extent never witnessed before. And so, you will always be rewarded in tangible as well as intangible ways if you step out of your immediate sphere and learn what is there (and what’s evolving ) beyond.

Personally, however, I feel that the greatest benefits of general knowledge come to you in the form of what it does to your persona and the way people perceive you. Answer yourself honestly: don’t you feel a sense of awe and deep admiration when you meet a very well-informed individual? Don’t you feel respect for him/her who has such a hunger for knowledge and has actually taken the pains to satiate that? And I think it is precisely that which educational institutes and employers value when they test your general knowledge. A good general knowledge acts as a signal of your thirst for knowledge and capacity for constant learning – a behavioural trait that adds value to every personal as well as professional pursuit of yours just as much as your IQ does. Knowing the Constitutional acts and articles may not reflect your managerial acumen but it certainly indicates you want to know more about everything – a characteristic that is common to every motivated, successful individual in every walk of life.

Rule 1: Read, Read and Read

I don’t think one can overstate the importance of reading. In an age of endless distractions and alternative media, reading is one practice that’s slowly waning. And yet, there is nothing effective as reading to add to your bounty of knowledge. Daily newspapers, a couple of general interest magazines, perhaps even that encyclopedia which has been gathering dust since you stepped out of middle school – yes, they are must reads. And it is not necessary that you have to read the print versions of the same – if you are comfortable with electronic content, you can always turn to the respective websites keeping in mind the authenticity and veracity of the information that you gather online.

Rule 2: Keep your eyes and ears open

This is a very important fact that we need to notice and understand in our day to day life that we hardly analyze things that we do or see in our day-to-day activities. The point is that even in the course of your regular activities during the day, a lot of information may present itself to you in unlikely or inconspicuous form. You have to identify and assimilate it to build on your storehouse of knowledge. Take a constructive interest in what is happening around you and you will be surprised at how much you come to know by it.

Rule 3: Ask

It’s a fact that as we grow older, our inhibitions and reservations gradually take our tendency to question. It is not always that we are not curious, but more often than not, we are afraid or ashamed to ask.

“What will he think if he finds out that I don’t know this?” “This must be such a stupid question, I am sure I’ll make a fool of myself if I ask this”.

These are the thoughts which constantly restrict us. And that is the first habit you have to kill if you want to develop your general knowledge.

No amount of reading, no level of observation will help you unless you actively seek knowledge. It is only natural that you will not understand everything that you read, or see the rationale behind every development in  the world, but if you take interest and ask people who would know, you will soon find that your own understanding and knowledge have proved radically.

On a concluding note, a lesson or a particular skill may be learnt in a day but knowledge is something that has to be developed over time. It may or may not help if you only pore over some standard GK books a few days before your test. Developing GK requires enthusiasm, method, hard work and time, but it’s a great investment in the end. As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest’.