Unions protest BBC's plan to move jobs to India

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is moving its finance-based work from Britain to India.

In a statement, the corporation said it was outsourcing the work to Indian tech company Xansa in a contract worth around 85 million pounds over 10 years.

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10 Powerful Career Strategies for Women

The general impression is that women are becoming incrementally more successful in the workforce -- and some of the news is good. Women are represented in the workforce in greater numbers than ever and holding a higher percentage of managerial and executive jobs than in the past. Women-owned businesses have doubled in the last dozen or so years.

Lack of pay equity and the ever-present glass ceiling continue to be obstacles to women's career success. But women have secret weapons, opportunities to deploy their special strengths, and the ability to adapt talents typically thought to be men's domain. If our 10 strategies seem to suggest male-bashing or a war between the sexes, that's not the intent. It's just about leveling the playing field in a work world that has been inequitable for women for far too long

Here are 10 strategies women should consider for advancing their careers:

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Is Technical Writing a viable career option?

Ever thought about what goes into creating the user manuals or instruction brochures of your music system, mobile phones or even the car maintenance guides? Most of us just manage to glance through the item, leave alone going into the technical details.

Since such information is meant for the layman, simplifying the jargons associated with any particular product or process is the key function of technical writers. A bridge between technology and its users, technical writing is also the ‘science’ of designing, validating, and packaging the information created to meet a certain objective. The irony of the situation is that in spite of playing such a crucial role, not much work has been done to assess the number of technical writers in the country. The IT industry, which absorbs a major chunk of technical writers has also shied away from giving due credit to this work

In today’s customer-centric business model , the very process of acquiring and losing deals depends on the effectiveness of the technical writers. According to Priyadarshi Tripathi, consultant, HCL Infosystems, “Any organisation that is conscious about the information/messages catering to its customers, employees or business partners employs technical writers who are specialists. ” Pradeep Henry of Cognizant Technology Solutions adds, “ For a software services organisation, its user manuals and technical write-ups act as its public face and reflects its level of professionalism.”

Technical writing as a niche profession

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Top Jobs for the future

How would you feel if the job you've been doing for most of your life just moved offshore without any warning?

What if you just spent several years getting an education for a job that was no longer in high demand?

How would you like to know the secrets to choosing a satisfying career that will also be in high demand?

By understanding the major trends that are affecting our lives, you will be able to play an active role in planning and directing your career. By understanding these trends you will have a better chance of seeing the big changes before they hit.
This look into the future will show you the careers that are expected to have high demand and some that aren't. But more importantly this article will show you the basics of "trend spotting" so that you can make your own intelligent career choices.

If you are not interested in "the how and the why" of looking into the future of careers and jobs, simply click here to jump to the list of "Top Jobs For The Future."

Premier IT event to focus on IP development

Bangalore: The eighth edition of India's premier IT event, BangaloreIT.in 2006, slated from Oct 28, will focus on intellectual property (IP) developments taking place in the country to create high-end products for global markets.

Among the foreign countries to be represented by their companies are Australia, Belgium, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, Singapore, Spain and the US.

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Organisation Behavior

Well friends i am not going to brief here anything on this topic...ya but would recommend you all to read the book by Fred Luthans-'Organisation Behavior'.

Its a must read book for all who are about to take the plunge and those who are already into the feildwork.

Some amazing case studies ,a good lot of relevant examples are illustrated and you can get a close look on how important every aspect of human behavior is and its impact on the organisation as a whole.

Corporate Policy Making,due you have any clue.......

Well, I am not really going to talk about corporate policy making techniques here. Just wanted to share with you a little piece of internet humor, that is going around as email forwards. Most of you probably have already read it, but no harm having a hearty laugh once again.

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling.

Each time a monkey tries to climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them miserable. Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed with cold water, set upon him and beat him up.After a while, none of the eight monkeys ever wants, or attempts, to climb the ladder.

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other monkeys are doing the obvious; undaunted, he immediately begins to climb the ladder. All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no idea why!(??) However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to climb the ladder, but all the other monkeyshammer the hell out of him. This includes the previous new monkey, who, grateful that he’s not on the receiving end this time, participates in the beating because all the other monkeys are doing it. However, he hasno idea why he’s attacking the new monkey.

Kanbay opens new campus in Hyderabad

Kanbay International Inc, a US-based global leader in delivering end-to-end IT solutions, Wednesday opened its new software development campus in Hyderabad.Inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the campus with world-class infrastructure has come up on 15 acres of land in the IT park.

Kanbay India managing director Cyprian D'Souza said the company would also look at other potential locations for expanding its operations in India.

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BODY LANGUAGE,makes all the difference

How to appear defensive

Avoid eye contact and looking away. Cross your arms and keep your hands clenched. Keep rubbing your nose or one eye or one ear. Lean as far as possible from the other person; cross your legs if seated and swivel your feet towards the door if standing. These tactics should get the other people on the defensive too and ensure failed communication.

How to appear anxious

Blink frequently and lick your lips. Try clearing your throat regularly too. Tug at one ear and put a hand over your mouth when speaking to make all conversation in distinct. Open and close your hands frequently. If you are sitting down, keep fidgeting in your chair and jig your legs up and down. Such behaviour should ensure a total atmosphere of nervous tension, which is bound to stifle any real communication.


How to appear aggressive

Stare at the other person, preferably over the top of your spectacles. If you don’t wear spectacles, try raising your eyebrows in exaggerated disbelief or amazement; or you could always wear an 'I've heard it all before' smile. Point your finger at the other person or thump the table. If that fails, grab the back of your neck and rub it while frowning. Stand while the other person remains seated and then stride around so they have to keep moving to keep you in sight. If you decide to sit, lean back in your chair, legs splayed and hands clasped behind your head. This approach should terrify even the strongest of individuals and ensure total communication failure.
Of course, if you would rather encourage communication and solve people problems, try the following three patterns of behaviour:

How to seem friendly and co-operative

The other person in the face without staring. Smile when you see them and nod your head as they talk. Keep your hands open, occasionally moving one hand to your face. Do not cross your arms. If you are sitting, keep your legs uncrossed and lean forward to show interest. If you are standing, move closer to the other person, but not so close as to be threatening.
The behaviour will ensure a relaxed and friendly response from your colleagues and give every chance for successful communication.

How to seem confident

Look into the other person’s eyes, thrusting your chin forward and avoiding blinking. Stand straight and at ease with your hands behind your back, or steeple your fingers; but at all times keep them away from your face. When you are seated, lean back with leg stretched out in front of you; at all times avoid sudden movements.
These tactics should ensure the other party is aware of your strength of resolve and confidence in the outcome of any negotiation.

How to seem thoughtful

When listening, tilt your head to one side and make small agreement noises without interrupting the flow. Stroke your chin, or pinch the bridge of your nose. Lean forward to speak and back to listen keeping your legs still.
This approach should ensure that you seem thoughtful and willing to listen to the other person’s point of view.

Indian Pros To Get Long-Term Visas

In what is turning out to be a major bonanza for Indian professionals, Mauritius is working on a long-term visa that will allow them to work there for years. There will be no limit on their stay in terms of duration. Mauritius plans to grant them all privileges except the right to vote. Indian professionals working in Mauritius would also be allowed to purchase property after putting in certain years of work, according to Mr Madan M Dulloo, the Mauritian government’s minister for foreign affairs and international trade. The visa liberalisation programme would be part of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) that is being negotiated between the two countries. The move would allow Indians to explore the opportunities available in the southern and eastern parts of Africa as Mauritius has strong economic relations with countries in the region. Besides, Indian companies setting up business in Mauritius will also enjoy the freedom to hire from India without restrictions. The move would be subject to reciprocal benefits for Mauritian professionals in India.

Source: The Economic Times New Delhi Edition

94,000 Heads Needed To Manage Hospitality

With hospitality industry set to add 53,000 new rooms across 40 properties over the next five years, the industry needs about 94,000 fresh heads to manage these new hotels. Apart from the major metros - Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - the big demand for hospitality manpower is slated to come from tier II cities like Pune, Jaipur, Goa, Hyderabad and Cochin. Tech city Bangalore will add over 7,700 rooms over the next five years. This is slated to increase its stock of human resources in the hospitality sector from 3,300-level to over 17,000 in the next five years, a jump of over 400 pct The pink city of Jaipur which adds over 2,700 rooms over the next five years, will need to over 4,700 heads more to manage the extra inventory. According to Mr Saurabh Gupta, head, Hospitality Executive Search, HVS International , the hospitality industry will start feeling the impact of manpower shortage from 2008 onwards when bulk of additional supply starts flowing in. Over 40,000 new rooms are set to enter the market between 2008 and 2010.

Source: The Economic Times New Delhi Edition

Infosys - Hire And Fire

Buoyant market conditions and increasing demand for people will see Infosys Technologies adding a little more than 28,000 people during the current fiscal as against its projected number of 25,000. Meanwhile, for the first time perhaps, there is ‘involuntary attrition’, with Infosys firing people who don’t measure up performance wise. For the second quarter of the current fiscal, Infosys made a gross addition of 10,795 people, which is the highest for any quarter in its history, the company said during the announcement of its second-quarter results. For the quarter, it made a net addition of 7,741 and takes its total headcount to 66,150 as against 58,409 people in the first quarter. The distribution of its headcount was also spread across its different business units, while software services added 7,900 followed by its BPO operations at 2,628. The rest were among its various subsidiaries like Australia, China and consulting business. Mr TV Mohandas Pai, director, human resources, said they would be adding 9,500 people in the next two quarters of the current fiscal and has already made offers for 13,000 freshers for the coming fiscal. The fresh hirings will see bulk of them coming from Karnataka as Bangalore has already reached the saturation point, he said. However, in line with its increased hiring, the attrition rate of Infosys also showed a 1 pct increase from 11.9 pct in the first quarter to 12.9 pct in the second quarter.

Source: 12 Oct' 06 The Economic Times New Delhi Edition

Hot Sectors of the next decade in India

If 1990s was the decade of privatization of the Indian industry, this decade promises to be the one in which the private sector achieves its full potential, while new industries find a place in the top ten list. We have brought to you a list of happening industries, which promise to take centrestage on the Indian industrial scenario in the next decade - Writes Meha Khanduri

• BIOTECH
• IT ENABLED SERVICES
• MEDIA
• IT (Software)
• TOURISM
• PHARMACEUTICALS

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Reversing the Brain Drain !!

For each foreign student eyeing internship options and job opportunities in the booming Information Technology (IT), Information Technology enabled Service (ITeS) and services sectors in India, there is today a swelling number of Indian professionals working abroad, who are keen on returning to their motherland. The widening canvas of lucrative career options to choose from is proving to be a major draw for the high-quality Indian expatriate manpower, writes Upasna Pandey.

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Welcome back ... Do feel free to reach me for any more inputs. Would be glad to assist you.

How to sail through your first job !!

By Pallavi Jha

After all those grilling sessions and competitive academic trails, you have finally landed yourself that dream job. But you somehow find it completely different from what you had expected. Does this sound familiar? If it does, relax.

The trick is not to get bowled over, but to learn a few strategies that will take you through the little hurdles and help you retain the enthusiasm of the dream job.

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Dont you think this would be the right strategy :-)

Leadership and Team building

Organisations are gradually realising the importance of effective, high performimng teams as the most essential ingrediants of organisational development and growth.One of the most effective methods of building teams is by letting them go through an experiential learning experience in outdoor environment.

Globalization has created intense competition. To survive in the market, it is extremely important for a company to have a motivated and efficient workforce..

We need team building, self empowerment, self confidence, creativity, communication skills, risk management, handling failure, business etiquettes and social graces, corporate dressing and deportment, body language, presentation skills, motivation and group discussions etc...

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Why to have a Career Goal

Why to have a career goal? Does a career goal limit your future?

Many of us spend most of our working hours engaged in work. Yet over 75% or working population is not happy with their current job situation. Here comes the importance of having a Career Goal. A career goal helps you focus on what you want to do for a living. A career goal can be a specific job you want to do – such as doctor, teacher or engineer – or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as IT, Education etc.

Rather than limiting your future, a career goal may help you discover career opportunities that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. There are several job opportunities with ......

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Developing a Career Plan

With all kinds of career possibilities available, how do you make a decision? Once you know what career path you want to follow, how do you get there?

Following are simple rules to follow - Develop a career plan. Think about what you want to do and find out more about the kind of training, education, and skills you will need to achieve your career goal.

Assess your skills and interests. Think hard about what you enjoy, what you are good at, what kind of personality you are, and the values you hold.

Research occupations. Find out more about the nature of the jobs that interest you, such as education requirement, salary, working conditions, future outlook, and anything else that can help you narrow your focus.

• Analyze and evaluate your skills and capabilities.
• Set career goals.
• Create a high profile resume.
• Grab information on Industry Trends and specific companies.
• Develop sophisticated networking capabilities.
• Develop winning interview skills.
• Prepare yourself for salary negotiations.
• Use marketing techniques to get a competitive edge.
• Use an approach that meets your needs.

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Desi IT cos flock to South America

P P Thimmaya BANGALORE

LATIN America is now a favourite destination for a large number of Indian IT companies. It’s closeness to the US is driving these companies to set up delivery centres in the region. Even the cost differential is not much when compared to other centres.

A host of companies —TCS, Wipro, Mphasis BPO, 24/7 Customer and most recently ICICI OneSource — have set up their in Latin America.

Mr Siddharth A Pai, partner, TPI India, said that Latin America is an ideal location to offer services like remote infrastructure management and maintenance services.

TCS, for example has already got development centres in Brazil and Uruguay providing its services for ABN AMRO as well as its other clients in South America. According to Mr Sudip Nandy, chief strategy officer, Wipro, this region as a delivery centre would evolve over time. “It is a critical market not just for the export of services but also for the domestic market.”

Wipro got a foothold in Latin America through the acquisition of Portugal based company Enabler, which has a development centre in Brazil. There is also competition for Indian IT services from MNCs like IBM, Accenture in the region .Mr Sudin Apte, country head-India, Forrester Research, said that the multinational IT firms have been supporting their US clients from these locations for some time and believes that the Indian companies are catching up.

But the expansion would be more evolutionary as the Indian players will have to get used to the local language and culture. Mr Pai said that there would be operational issues as the Indian players will have to understand these local markets though the replication of IT global delivery centre is not very difficult. Mr Apte felt that as the brand identity of Indian companies is quite limited it would be difficult to attract talent.

Source : Economic Times

HR ALIGN:A Unique Product Linking People Strategy

Neterson Technologies Pvt. Limited the IT arm of the Neterwala Group* has embarked on an ambitious project of filling a much needed gap in the integration of workforce management with best in class HR practices. This business-critical HR suite is called HR Align®.Unlike other workforce management and HR products in the markets HRAlign® permits you to seamlessly align and unleash the hidden potential and latent talent of your human capital into achieving your company’s objectives. A lot of effort has gone in to make this software, process friendly by linking People, Strategy and Performance in an organized and efficient manner. It improves performance and accountability, by providing a matrix of critical tools, workflow and information that helps companies drive business results from your HR activities.

Any takers may contact the below and do visit their site for more info: http://www.netersontech.com/

manoj@netersontech.com

HR Align® has just been launched and we have received excellent feed back wherever we have demonstrated the product. We have received orders from several large to medium size companies. We believe this to be a benchmark product of the future a must for all IT & HR personnel in getting positive results from your workforce and managerial team in attaining your company’s goals.
Manoj...