ACG

23/07/2016

Automation will shrink jobs in IT but these 10 skill sets can help you stay relevant
A report points that while process-based jobs will perish, the industry will see a 56 per cent increase in high-skilled jobs.
NEW DELHI: India's Information Technology (IT) job market is likely to take an automation hit.

Campus recruitment of graduates across engineering colleges is looking at its first dip since 2009, a time when global recession had led to significant job losses and lower hiring by companies, as companies resort to automation in entry-level coding jobs and look at optimizing their bench strength.

"With clients worldwide tightening their IT spends and the IT industry grasping digital and its nuances, companies are focusing on strengthening their existing workforce while trying to understand what the future will hold in terms of skills, jobs and work. From a one-time training system, IT companies will need to adopt ongoing and sustainable training while incentivising self learning," says Nasscom president R Chandrasekhar.

A US-based research firm HfS Research predicts that India's IT services industry will lose 6.4 lakh 'low-skilled' jobs to automation in the next five years.
By 2021, HfS said that the IT industry worldwide would see a net decrease of 9 per cent in headcount, or about 1.4 million jobs.

"India churns out nearly 16 lakh graduate engineers every year, of which nearly two lakh are absorbed by the IT industry - the largest organized recruiter at the campus," the report states.

Nasscom says fresh hiring in the current financial year may be lower than last year as IT companies are facing pressure on margins, besides focusing on automation of jobs.

"Hiring activity in the year before last was 2.20 lakh (new jobs were created in IT sector). Last year, (FY 2015-16) there were about two lakh additions. This financial year, we are expecting it to be on the lower side of that", says Chandrasekhar.

But all is not that bleak.

The report points that while process-based jobs will perish, the industry will see a 56 per cent increase in high-skilled jobs. High-skilled jobs require creative problem solving, analytics and critical thinking.

The mid-skilled have a chance to upgrade their knowledge quotient.

For the low-skilled, short-term courses in integration and management services, web research and content management can increase their employability quotient.

Till educational institutes revise their courses, one will have to pick up some new skills for better jobs.

29/06/2015

Looking for a job? Make sure you look beyond the salary:

"If to love each other is the job, then the happy life is the salary". What the Indonesian author Toba Beta meant in this quote is that there is nothing more satisfying than loving your job. If you're happy with what you're doing, that inner peace will score far more than the salary package and you'll enjoy better success in your work life than you could possibly imagine.

Once upon a time, job seekers nodded in approval for a job offer on the basis of the pay package , but people need to realise that judging a job by its paycheck isn't a good idea in the long run. A hefty paycheck is nice, but it is the appreciation for the work that motivates one to give it his/her best every day. While it is indeed important to earn a decent living, there are many other irresistible factors in a potential job that can benefit the job seekers in both the short and long-term.

To avoid those Monday morning blues at work, there are several factors that should be the winning criteria for a job other than a good paycheck. Nowadays candidates are becoming extremely choosy when it comes to accepting a job offer. Landing a job that interests them in making the work more enjoyable tops the list of their priority charts. Spending all day doing something unexciting or worthless will make the day crawl, and leave you feeling a vacuum in your professional growth sphere. Choosing a job that adds value to you as well as the world, can change your attitude towards work and enrich your life. This is where a designation and job profile follow. We must have heard of designations like Critics, Rainmakers, Icebreakers, Wordsmith, and so on. Job seekers eye such quirky designations because these terms are not only easy for them to understand, it is easier for the company to relate to the employees' mindset at an individual level. Sometimes an unconventional designation coupled with a challenging role also becomes an inspiration for the candidates to consider the job and explore their true potential. These days organisations are offering unique and quirky designations such as Brand Ninja, Marketing Samurai, or Ambassador of Buzz, Chief Happiness Officer, Chief Growth Specialist, Chief External Ecosystem, Lead-New Ideas are wooing potential candidates. Once a job seeker agrees to the job profile, the opportunity for growth within that role comes up as the next aspect. Working at a job where there are promotions and appraisals can motivate one to work harder. An opportunity to achieve advancement in a company helps the new generation job seekers in setting goals that are achievable and prevents the urge to explore other avenues. Who doesn't want a job that will make the best use of their talents and develop their career?
Voluntary benefits are yet other aspect young job seekers are contemplating these days. Benefits like Life insurance, Provident Fund, Medical claims, etc are essential for a modern worker as this saves a substantial amount of money for emergency situations. Additional benefits like flexible working, vacations, sick leaves, casual leaves and paid holidays have the possibilities of adding to the employee's performances. Job seekers today prefer a culture of flexibility at work that suggests a result-driven focus. They equally yearn for a healthy work-life balance that can allow them to enjoy their time outside their workplace and juggle responsibilities. For a new age job seeker, his/her integrity matters to a great extent. Before committing to a job, they ensure that the company's values align with theirs. They look for a job without any chances of compromise because if a job would demand the candidate's suspension from all personal convictions, it is simply not acceptable.
The location is assumed as another crucial aspect of decision-making when it comes to choosing a job. For a fresher, finding a job in the same city where he/she is residing can be cheaper. However, if the job location is in a different city, commuting and cost of living becomes expensive for job seekers. In such cases, they prefer to look for jobs wherein they can enjoy a shorter commute and cheaper housing. So while looking for a job, it would be sensible to find out whether the company is ready to pay for you to move or can help you to find another job within the company if you'd like to relocate.
Job markets have inevitable possibilities of spelling doom and gloom and, therefore, many job seekers look first and foremost at the salary packages when considering a job. No doubt salary is essential, but it isn't the gateway to success, satisfaction, and happiness. The old adage, "Find a job that you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life," definitely stands true for this generation. One must find a job that helps maintain a high level of motivation by its very nature, not entirely by the paycheck because that has the potential to wear-off real fast. Too often, job seekers get blindfolded by the impressive pay packets and commit to the work profiles that are accompanied by a hefty enough paycheck. Well, it's time for a wakeup call to such job seekers. One must know that other than the money, there are other factors influencing their job satisfaction which can play a major role in deciding whether they can succeed in a position. A fat paycheck may be the first bite of an apple that tastes sweet initially only to end with a sour aftertaste. After all, being unhappy all day and every day can never be worth a good salary.

The author is CEO & Co-Founder,Talview.com

Source: Business Times Daily

26/06/2015

The power of higher purpose:

(This is an article published in “Business Standard” daily dt June 22, 2015)

When you look at champions across all walks of life, do you ever wonder what drives them, what is the force that motivates them to push the limits of endurance and achieve greatness? What made Karamveer Singh Kang, the general manager of Taj Mumbai, rush to the property from another hotel during the 26/11 siege and lead the rescue operations? Even after losing his family to the terrorist attack, he told his father, "I will be the last man out." 11 employees of Taj Mumbai lost their lives while valiantly saving the guests. What makes people rise to the occasion and become heroes? What distinguishes great companies from others? It is a sense of purpose. Higher purpose is not just a lofty word, it is as real as you and me, it is as practical as business. When people are connected by this sense of purpose the whole organisation moves in tandem. The small problems and issues become insignificant, differences disappear, inconveniences don't matter and people put their heart and soul into achieving the purpose.

Higher purpose is the glue that binds people to an organisation. Organisations are defined by their people and people have emotions, which as leaders we must never forget. The sense of purpose is how you connect to that emotion, how you bring together people who share the values that the organisation holds dear. It's not enough to define an over arching vision statement. People must identify with it, feel that it belongs to them and that it defines not the 'what' of their job, but the question 'why'. I can find no better example in today's world than Apple.

When people have a purpose, it also becomes the guiding principle to day- to-day decision-making. Greatness is found in everyday lives, not just in crisis situations. I will always remember the audit partner who had to take a call on the accounts of a company that she was auditing: should she go with the flow or take the tough call of facing a difficult time at the audit committee and the board meeting and risk losing a client. In the end, her decision was guided by thinking about her responsibility to the investors, some of whom would have put their life's earnings into the company. When you know your purpose, you refrain from taking shortcuts, think long-term and do what you believe is right.

The salaries we earn is like the current account. It will go up and down with time and has short-term gratifications. How many of us remember how much bonus we received five years ago. But I am sure we all remember praise or a good word that we received even 20 years ago. In a similar way higher purpose is the capital amount, which helps build each of us as individuals. It is the higher purpose, which helps us weather the storms in our lives and helps us achieve results beyond our own belief. It helps to give that 10 per cent extra, which distinguishes winners from the losers.

The genesis of all innovation, invention, efficiency, improvements is inspiration. So how do you inspire people? I come back to a sense of purpose because that is where people will find their inspiration. To try to convince people that there is a link between profitability and purpose, therefore, is a waste of time. It is said: "Find purpose and the means will follow." I truly believe that if we find purpose, profit will also follow. What is important is to create forums and platforms in the organisation to propagate the message, to help people bind with the common purpose, to recruit people who believe in it as passionately as you do, to provide the right training grounds so that it becomes a part of the DNA of the organisation. A purpose becomes reality only when people live it in their day-to-day lives. Leaders at all levels in the organisation must help create an ecosystem that supports this.

Steve Jobs had said, "We are here to put a dent in the universe, why else even be here." When you bring people together with a higher purpose, they will find their way to make their own dent. The sense of fulfillment that you get from making a difference to your own teams, to the organisation and to the world at large cannot be measured in monetary terms. When people are on their way to achieve everyday greatness, need I even argue about profitability?

by
Richard Rekhy
Chief Executive Officer, KPMG

31/12/2013

We have found few openings which may match your profile.
1. Required Prof/Associate Prof
Nehru Group of Institutions, Near Lakkidi Rly. Station, Pampady, Thiruvilwamala Thrissur - 680 597, Kerala, India
Tel. +91 04884 - 281670, 282070
2. Required Prof/Associate Prof
Ramco Institute of Technology
Krishnapuram Panchayat
North Venganallur Village
Rajapalayam – 626 117
Virudhunagar District
Phone : 04563 233402
E-mail : [email protected]

3. Required Prof/Associate Prof
Administrator office
No: 31,Venkatesan Street
T. Nagar
Chennai - 600 017
Tamil Nadu
India
Ph: 044 - 2435 2020

05/11/2013

ISRO Launched Successfully Mangalyan Satellite from Sriharikota & as of 3.23PM IST satellite has been separated successfully and injected Mars Orbiter accurately into right orbit.

Finally ISRO and India created history with the launch of Satellite to Mars . Isro is quietly confident that its Mars mission will succeed despite all odds. ...

17/10/2013

India has the highest number of slaves, says report : India, News - India Today

The Global Slavery Index 2013 was compiled by Australian-based rights organisation Walk Free Foundation on the basis of debt bo***ge, forced marriage and sale or exploitation of children, human trafficking and forced labour.

03/10/2013

Step 1
Register through the Passport Seva Portal. (Click on "Register" link under the Online Application Filling section on the Home Page).

Step 2
Login to the Passport Seva Portal with the registered Login Id.

Step 3
Click "Apply for Fresh Passport/Reissue of Passport" link.

Step 4
Fill in the required details in the form and submit.

Step 5
Click the "Schedule Appointment" link on the "View Saved/Submitted Applications" screen to schedule an appointment.

Online Payment has been made mandatory for booking appointments at all Passport Seva Kendras.
Online Payment can be made using any one of the following modes:

- Credit/Debit Card (MasterCard & Visa)
- Internet Banking (State Bank of India (SBI) and Associate Banks Only)
- SBI Bank Challan

Step 6
Click the "Print Application Receipt" link to print the application receipt containing Application Reference Number (ARN)/Appointment Number.

Step 7
Visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) where appointment has been booked, along with original documents.

Note:

Only emergency/medical cases and preapproved categories may visit Passport Seva Kendra without appointment. Service will be provided at the discretion of Passport Seva Kendra in-charge/Passport Officer.
Minor applicants below 4 years of age need to carry a recent coloured passport size (4.5 x 3.5 cm) photograph with a white background while visiting Passport Seva Kendra. Other applicants need not carry any photograph as photograph will be captured at the Passport Seva Kendra.
Resubmission of application form is required, in case the applicant does not visit the Passport Seva Kendra within 90 days from the online form submission.

http://passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/welcomeLink

03/10/2013

A father left 17 camels as an asset for his three sons. When the father passed away, his sons opened up the will.

The Will of the father stated that the eldest son should get half of 17 camels while the middle son should be given 1/3rd (one-third). The youngest son should be given 1/9th (one-ninth) of the 17 camels.

As it is not possible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, three sons started to fight with each other. So, the three sons decided to go to a wise man.

The wise man listened patiently about the Will.

The wise man, after giving this thought, brought one camel of his own and added the same to 17. That increased the total to 18 camels.

Now, he started reading the deceased father’s will.

Half of 18 = 9. So he gave the eldest son 9 camels

1/3rd of 18 = 6. So he gave the middle son 6 camels

1/9th of 18 = 2. So he gave the youngest son 2 camels.

Now add this up: 9 plus 6 plus 2 is 17 and this leaves one camel, which the wise man took back.

Moral :The attitude of negotiation and problem solving is to find the 18th camel i.e. the common ground. Once a person is able to find the common ground, the issue is resolved. It is difficult at times. However, to reach a solution, the first step is to believe that there is a solution. If we think that there is no solution, we won’t be able to reach any !!

Team ACG

02/10/2013

Happy Gandhi Jayanti :)