Companies hiring younger people to save on salaries

Trends change all the time. What may seem suitable now might turn out to be unsuitable tomorrow.
Earlier, when companies used to hire candidates, the major criteria taken into consideration was the Work Experience that the employee gathered before applying for the concerned job. The idea was that the company would have to spend less time in training the candidate as he/she would have learnt things at the previous place of work. That meant less time spent in training, less amount of money invested in training the staff, no hassles whatsoever in arranging for trainers, less amount spent on salaries, etc.
But now a days, this trend is changing. Companies prefer to hire fresh graduates and then to train them according to the requirements and expectations of the job profile. The Human Resource department prepares the candidate to suit the job profile and trains him/her accordingly. It is considered to be easier to mould a candidate with no work experience and receive customized services for the company than to hire somone who is already set in his/her working style which may or may not suit the requirements.
However, this preference is seen more in the case of junior level staff as their past work experience is generally not very useful in contributing to the working of the companies. Work is of a beginners' level and little or no knowledge of the job is required beforehand.
Another advantage to the companies is that the salaries' cost to the company is relatively lower. The difference between the salary given to a fresher and the salary given to a candidate with work experience is quite high. Although some amount of spending is done to train the employees but the companies do not mind that. Often it is seen that the returns found on the investments (training freshers) is more noteworthy than that for candidates with work experience.
Another aspect is that such candidates are generally from the younger set of the population (age below30); who are seen to be more keen on learning new things and getting adapted to the work environment. Some may say that this is something that can be seen in the older ones too (age above 30). But more positive results are seen with the young people.
To sum it up, I will say that for beginners' level jobs, it is seen that the companies are hiring young people, but the reason for that is not to just save on salaries, but to groom a more adoptive employee who may turn out to be an asset for the Company.

Smoking in Public Places

Every year, India has a high production of Tobacco which brings it high revenue eventually contributing to be a major contributor towards the Gross Domestic Production. Though the growth and sale of tobacco has its own "benefits", it's the usage which is troublesome. Every year, India has one of the highest numbers of people who succumb to death due to excessive consumption of tobacco. Whether it is by smoking it or by chewing it. When one is chewing tobacco he/she is harming just himself/ herself but while smoking, not only does the one smoking get effected, the ones not smoking but standing/ sitting/ being near the ones smoking also get effected. It has been proved that passive smoking is more harmful than active smoking.

The ones smoking are volunteering to inhale the poison, but the ones not smoking are involuntarily getting poisoned without any of their mistakes. The government of the country, recognizes this unjust act and for the benefit of the masses, has banned smoking in public places. But do the addicts care? They don't.

For their personal greed of addiction, self satisfaction and enjoyment; many are found to be smoking in malls, parks, offices and hard to believe, even in hospitals. Though, they claim to be doing it privately, yet they fail to realize that even those who they live with and for whose well being they are responsible, will be devastated if some untoward incident occours to them due to smoking.

When reminded of the government's good intensions of banning smoking, not just in public places, smokers defend themselves by citing the vaious individual rights given by the constitution of the country. The freedom of expression, the freedom of But, what is wrong is wrong. Nothing can justify it to be right.
Today, I read a quote that said," Air and Water, nature's most abundant resource, is being used by mankind as a universal garbage can".

We claim to be educated and sophisticated. We are the survivors in our respective fields and are on our way towards becoming winners but in this sojourn of victory, we are harming Mother Nature who made us what we are today.

It is time we put are preaching into practice. To take responsibility for our actions and to cover for the losses so far. The coming generations have the right to a green and clean planet and we need to make sure they get what they deserve. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Charity begins at home so the least we can do is stop smoking in public places and also privately to live and let live longer.

Rajneeti- new lessons of life!!!!

To be or not to be, that is the question.... Well, I can't quote much of Shakespeare but this is one line that I cannot forget. It’s right that to fight something, one first has to know the good and the bad of that thing and use the bad to beat the good things. But what if, the bad is so overwhelming that it is almost impossible to reach the bad "things", let alone beat them?
It's been about 3 years since I left the classrooms to join the boardrooms, and get paid for "education" rather than pay for it. I've had quite a lot of learning for the past 18 years and have reached plus crossed the red line of putting the learning into use (can even read- practice). I was a willing (sometimes unwilling) learner but could always manage to make it through, cause let me applaud myself, I was smart.
But when it comes being smarter (than others in ranking), I'm actually losing out. Counting from June 2007 or actually July 2006, I've failed at politicising. Least to defend myself, if not to attack others. My dad always wanted me to learn how to play and win chess, and gain patience and tactics. But I don't remember a single time when I won against anybody. One needs to master patience, learn moves and strategize in order to beat the others playing. But, I guess I'm just plain stupid to have spent time over other unimportant things rather than those that matter.
What happened to that pretty, smart and popular me who everyone knew and some thought would make it big when she'd step out in the world? She either got lost or got pulled down by her impatience, innocence and inability to see things in the right light.
I don't want to be that shrewd and plotting Lady Macbeth who was (eventually) trapped in her own schemes and suffered before she succumbed. I'd much rather be the Portia who was kind, mild-mannered and also knew what she wanted and how she was supposed to get it. Who was confident of herself and had the right pace for achieving her goals. One who could fight against all odds of sabotage, inexperience and being the underdog, when compared to the opponent. One who had a good heart, a good will and a spirit to fight and fight until the victory was hers. I want to be the Miranda who got what she wanted despite not having the right resources for it. And above all, I want to be the Elizabeth, not from Shakespeare but from the Pirates of the Caribbean, who will push limits and her luck to lose the battles and win the War !!!!!!

B-School Aspirations

Every year hundreds and thousands of aspirants choose and answer aptitude tests available from a multitude of options depending upon the elements of the package deal known as "Admissions to a Business School".

As mentioned, many options are available to the aspirants. Some in the home country and some in the foreign lands. Being an Indian, I consider myself quite lucky because in the present scenario, the Indian Universities that offer Business School Deals which sometimes equal and many a times excel those available off shores. Every year, the number of Indian students appearing in Indian Management Aptitude tests and joining the courses they offer, is higher than those opting for and joining foreign universities. Lower cost of education is one of the major reason for this preference and since the Recession, higher and quicker returns on investment has become another major criteria.

Earlier, there were a higher percentage of Indian aspirants for GMAT, who used admissions in foreign universities as a tool for settling down in the targeted nation. Needless to say, they also found themselves with better salary packages in comparison with their national counterparts.
But that has changed now.

Due to lower costs of living, higher purchasing power and more savings, the choices are changing. Now days, even though people study in foreign lands, they soon return back to their homelands. Apart from the mentioned reasons, they also prefer the job security back home and are happy to be free from hassles of visa requirements/ renewals.

Despite being aware of such pros of pursuing Business Studies in India, I have opted for studying Masters in Human Resource Management in the USA/ UK. The reason behind this decision is that I intend to gain a more scrutinized International exposure now that I will once again study Business Management. Not many opt for a second Post Graduation in Management, but since I do, I wish the second one to be different and better than the first one.

During my first stint, I was a graduate, with no work experience, heading towards earning a ticket to my Management Destination. But now, after almost 4 years, I not only hold a bachelors' degree in commerce but also a Full Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management, a managerial work experience (majority in the field of Human Resource Management), a beginners' knowledge of French acquired from Alliance Franciase and also a higher level of zeal to top it all. These feathers in my cap have given me the confidence that I will make it big, given the right platform.

No matter how many more opportunities might be available in my own homeland, I am aware that the desire to compete with students of different backgrounds and nationalities, under the guidance of the best faculty handpicked from every corner of the world, will push me further at every step. And as Mariah Carey remarkably sang, “I can make it through the rain".

To Strike a Balance

All our lives, we are expected to know how to juggle. Our existence is declared by the gynec and we rule from one terrain of the womb to another. On the set fortunate day, our mothers (or the surgeons) bring us into the world.

Then it’s juggling from one lap to another from one shoulder to another. On growing up a little, we pick & choose between the numerous toys & no one dares to question our judgments. But as we start studying and step into this weird world, the real juggling starts and we are expected to deal with numerous things to study, alien like people, games, time, extracurriculars, etc. etc. nursery to school to college…. Juggling continues. Now comes, the real question Ab kya? What next?

Chalo bhai, since so much’s been spent on the education let’s start getting an ROI by declaring to the world that Hum bhi Ma Papa ki kamau santaan ban sakte hai and hence off we start going to work. in the office we juggle between the boss, the colleagues, the real work, the pretentious work and fun J Also, many a times some of us realize that Boss, present pay scale is not enough, I’m hoarse shouting I hate my job; so let’s start preparing to either change the job or prepare for MBA.

M-B-A the three golden letters which are no less than a mirage. They seem like the wishing well but in fact don’t even provide for a bottle of bisleri when needed. None the less, we try and try and try to again juggle between the job and books that will help us reach a place called MBA College, where we need to juggle between books, aliens, fun and the task of finding bakras who’ll either let us pursue our internship or give us a job or if we are lucky, both.

Phir job mili to juggle from one situation to another one assignment to another and then shaadi which involves juggling between job-in laws-patidev-responsibilities, etc. it goes on and on and on.

Though the juggling is endless and we can never get rid of it, the key is to strike a balance. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail but what matters is that we are trying. At least I am. Ab Allah jaane kya hoga aage. Whether the balancing act will succeed or not, dunno. Hoping for the best, though.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

What is anger? The dictionary tells me that it is the strong feeling that makes you want to quarrel or fight. Well… I agree but partially. Because I think it is a strong feeling that makes you want to quarrel, fight or even get back at someone by teaching them a lesson. Under the effects of anger, we decide things which may either give us solutions to the issues we face or they may increase the problems manifold. But what happens when you cool down? What happens when you realize that the aftereffects of anger have in fact ruined things? So who remains at the receiving end? Who faces the music? The one who got angry or the one who faced the anger? I say the one who is the weaker of the two. The one who can be subdued and the one who is downtrodden. Because that is the rule of the world. The one who can be subdued should be……. Because one can be sure that the weaker one will never cause no harm no matter how angry he/she may be.

In Pursuit of Happiness…..

I had long ago (probably in my previous life when I had something called A JOB with me) read a quote on my Boss’s desk’s notice board which meant something like people keep mentioning about pursuit of happiness although happiness cannot be looked for but has to be lived with (some such unnecessary bull*%$&) [bhai censored site hai bachche aur boodho ka khayal rakhna padta hai, others will follow what I mean].

I for one, completely agree with the inventor (or is discoverer….???? who cares) of this phrase (made more popular by Will Smith n others associated with the classic). I still remember that one evening when I wanted to kill some more time in Pune, my friend (who I call Dada) had dragged me to see this movie (mera 1^st time and his 2^nd and I was surprised at Dada’s disclosure). Happiness is always pursued but never actually found. Seldom or more so Never will you come across an individual who is completely happy and satisfied with the way things are happening at his/ her end. (Saints became extinct from average human reach long ago).

HUMAN WANTS ARE UNLIMITED. These golden words were the first things that I learnt in my 1^st class of commerce (approximately 10 years ago). We always look back at time and sigh…. Boy! Those days were the Best!!! I’d trade anything today to get back my Yesterdays….. Even if, those days were the most dreadful ones when they were The Present. But never ever are we fully satisfied with the way things are going on. We always complain, without realizing how precious the reasons for grumbling could be. I had a lot to grumble about when I was in school or when I was in college or when I was working or when I was in Bangalore but gradually as and how I separated myself from my school, college, workplace and my favorite city; I realized that I wanted and loved all those moments spent in these places and how much I have craved for them, ever since I realized how important they were.

Life has always brought abrupt changes for me, and I have always acted upon impulse. That is the reason why I am a miserable planner and a worse implementer. I plan a lot but fail at implementing. Like for now…. At this moment I’m supposed to be the good girl, burning the midnight oil “STUDYING”. But here I’m typing random crap which people would hardly read unless promised monetary pleasures!!!!

So the point of typing my thoughts into words is that no matter how hard one would try to Pursue Happiness, one would seldom get it unless one Sits Down and gives Happiness a Thought.

When have been the times when I have found Happiness???? The evenings whenever me n Bhai have had arguments about the most absurd things in life. He and I calling each other names, like kids from Kinder Garden. Teasing each other and getting teased at the same time. Spending time chatting/ talking/ being with my dearest friends even if that involves steering away through mundane as well as rough weekdays only to find those few moments of the weekend by sharing coffee, seeing a movie, discussing everything and nothing, exchanging IMs. Attending drab classes about words that sound like phlegm. Talking to Mom about people, things, sharing smiles and laughs. Playing chess with Dad, watching discussions on TV with some or made up interest. Spending time with my 2 Angel nieces who I call my Princesses.

There are so many moments, so many times which have given me Happiness without me trying hard to pursue it. Yet, off late, there has been a void which needs to be filled. This void has made me vulnerable, irritable, hopeless and even bitter. Life has become a long pause with somethings to look forward to in future but with vacant stretches of time in the present.

Old Habits Die Hard and Old Desires are Seldom Forgotten. All I ask for is better times than now. People wish for time to spare I wish for time to be spent. People want to be free, I want to be busy. These days of futility have helped me realize which my greatest happiness is. Although the above mentioned moments are a treasure to me, yet I have always found content in being BUSY and that is all what I desire now.

Happiness will Always be Pursued but to be CONTENT, I want to be busy. So, waiting to be content…….