Thank God India Is Out Of The World Cup...

I received an email from a very close friend of mine which really got me to think!! I'm posting it for you guys to read and let me know if this made any sense... to you. Here it goes...

There's a brighter side to India's exit from the World Cup. Something that can cheer up disappointed fans and angry advertisers. Sri Lanka has done a great favor to Indian economy by ousting the cricket team from the World Cup. There are about 80 million cable and satellite viewing homes in India.

According to TAM ratings, the average viewership of all World Cup matches held till now stands at about 3%, with India vs Bangladesh touching a high of 7.25%. To reach the finals, India would have played at least seven more matches.

Considering a TV Rating of 7.25%, at least 5.8 million people would have watched the match. This would have resulted in a productivity loss of 371.2 million man hours (5.8 million x 8 hours x 8 matches), apart from stress faced by mothers during exams.

About 3% of 81 million TV viewers (2.4 million) were ardent cricket fans and would have sat through all eight hours in the remaining 28 matches. Thus overall, Indian team's ouster would result in a productivity gain of 481 million man hours of work (28x2.4x8 man hours), if put to use.

The Sri Lankans have given a boost to the Indian economy by saving 54,902 man years of work (one year = 8,761 hours). Indians can build seven phases of the Golden Quadrilateral connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai spread over 5,846 kilometers all over again, with this time saved.

A daily wage skilled laborer in Delhi earns Rs 17 per hour. If put to productive use, the 481 million man hours can produce Rs 817 crore of GDP, which is 63% more than BCCI's annual revenues of Rs 500 crore, last year. It's 401% more than the Rs 163 crore losses, corporate India has predicted to incur due India's ouster.

The state electricity boards are also thanking Sri Lanka for the great favor. A TV consumes 45 watts per hour. Assuming a viewer will now switch off his TV by 12 midnight, it will save Rs 135 watts at least per viewer (not considering the electricity consumed by other appliances running simultaneously.) This will save the electricity boards 324 million watts of electricity ( 3.24 lakh kilowatts) in just 28 days. According to estimates, SEB losses in India will touch Rs 1 lakh crore by 2008. If disappointed viewers completely switch off their TVs for eight hours, it will save the government at least 8,64,000 kilowatts, along with many more lives — at least three Indian citizens have been reported to die due to cardiac arrest or suicide after India's defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka.

This will save the electricity boards 324 million watts of electricity ( 3.24 lakh kilowatts) in just 28 days. According to estimates, SEB losses in India will touch Rs 1 lakh crore by 2008.

If disappointed viewers completely switch off their TVs for eight hours, it will save the government at least 8,64,000 kilowatts, along with many more lives — at least three Indian citizens have been reported to die due to cardiac arrest or suicide after India's defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka.

I really do feel that the author of this writing needs some recognition and hence this post... Let me know what you guys think ....

You think your job sucked!!

You think your job is bad??

If yes, you got to see these pictures…

Source: www.frogview.com :> The Ultimate Email Collection

The Death of Resumes !!

Times are changing and so are employers !! Employers are dumping the traditional Printed resumes and now are becoming entirely Digital!! Resumes are no longer read & thus you might have to fill out an application / online form. Here’s what Google does:-

Google, uses a screening program to measure applicants' attitudes, behaviors, personality and biographical details. Answers are scrunched in a formula that creates a score, indicating how well the candidate is likely to fare on the job.

"Applicants may be upset, but I see no resolution in sight,"

Employers for sure will benefit out of the entire process of “Digitization of Resume” but candidates & Head-hunters are not very pleased. The Big IT Giants in India have been forcing their panel of consultants (as well) to submit resumes digitally and thats a sign of adaptation to the west. So if you are looking for a Job, be prepared to fill in Online Applications – they are here to stay !!

Though Efficiency of the process is something every recruiter would love to have, i am still not sure whether it is the right time to experiment…

Source: Bradenton Herald | 03/18/2007 | Resumes have gone way of the dinosaur

Technorati Tags: Recruitment, Interview, Interesting, Google,

Link of the Day

Bhuvana Sundaramoorthy has published an excerpt from the book The Accelerated Job Search by Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D, published by The Management Advantage, Inc.

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.

1. Tell me about yourself?

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to
the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?

This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they aregoing. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focuson this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else isa distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on theresearch you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremelyimportant here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?

A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, that’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?

In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?

You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?

This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made

Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

Read the entire thread here.
Technorati Tags: interview, Q&A

My Media Consumption Diet

Gautam tagged me with a media tag meme that was started by Jeremiah Owyang and here are my media diets (in order of preference & usage).

Web: - The World Wide Web has been my second existence from 1999. I am glued to the net and love to read about technology, gadgets, Web 2.0 and of course, human resources. I subscribe to over 70 feeds and am a regular reader.

Music:- I am an avid music lover. I listen to all kinds of music especially Hip-Hop, Alternative Rock and Indian Music. My favorite artists are A.R. Rehman, Marshall Mahers, Snoop, 2Pac etc. to name a few.

Television:– I dont get too much of Television as i am glued to the Internet most of the time. When i get some time, i’d like to watch CSI, Num8ers, Music Videos or Sports.

Communicate:– I communicate Via a Dell XPS M1210 Laptop most of the time and seldom on my Desktop.

Movies:– We watch a lot of movies, mostly rented DVD’s thru online and local suppliers. My all time Favorite Movie is none other than The Motorcycle Diaries .

Magazines:– I am a regular reader of PCQuest, Business World, Business Today and OverDrive.

Books: – I like to read Business Books and manage to read 5 – 10 Books in a year.

Newspapers:– I don’t read Newspapers these days. Prefer E-papers

Radio:– Radio is something i dont quite enjoy during the day. I like to listen to uninterrupted music and prefer something like a Worldspace Radio, but dont own one yet

So, now you know my Media Habits and now would like to tag

• Joel Cheesman
  
• Jim Stroud
• Achyut Menon &
  
• All other Readers of my Blog

Please do keep the meme alive !!

Technorati Tags: media+consumption+diet

Checkout the job search at JobCentral.

Programmer Personality Test

Doolwind has created a Programmer Personality Test based on MBTI and has been changed to relate to a programming personality type. This is not a joke and is really only relevant to programmers, however anyone is welcome to take the test. There are 12 questions with 2 answers for each question and you must choose one answer from each and every question. There are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers, therefore go ahead and try it out, here...

Technorati Tags: MBTI, Personality, Interesting

Tips for Recovering from a Bad Interview….

Everyone has a bad interview now and then. Even the most patient person gets frustrated after getting the run around. It is important to know how to handle these mini-travesties when they happen. Here are some quick ways to shake it off, find the silver lining and get your job search right back on track.

1) Get it off your chest by talking about it with someone you trust. Everyone needs to vent, so indulge your emotional side for a few hours and tell the story. It’ll feel good to have rehashed it. The last thing you want is for pent up frustration to effect the next interview. Get it all out and then prepare to move on.

“Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.”
Lily Tomlin (1939 - )

2) Admit mistakes and fix them. If you were late, if you tripped up, if you forgot to tuck in your shirt - whatever it was, seize the opportunity to learn and grow. You have the ability to change your actions and become an even better candidate the next time around.

“The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.” Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Foreve

Read the entire article here...

Technorati Tags: Interview,

Phone Interview Etiquette

These days, phone interviews are a part of most screening processes and I’ve noticed that candidates rarely do prepare for the first discussions with their prospective employers. It is rather the first impression you leave and therefore I would like to few tips which can help you during your job hunting process.
1. Do your research: - It is necessary to know a brief about the company you’re applying to including the Job description
2. Writing Material: - Often Telephonic discussions involve in solving puzzles, coding or evaluation of technical abilities, therefore a notepad and a pen would be ideal.
3. Your resume: - These days’ people do have different sets of resumes highlighting different skill sets and thus having a copy of your resume which you applied would be a definitive edge. Normally, initial discussions are based on Resume.
4. Speak precisely and answer to the point unless required. Always remember to charge your mobile phones and always try to scheduled telephonic discussions on landlines whenever possible
5. Communicate clearly and ensure that there are no hindrances between you and the interviewer.
6. Be professional: - Do maintain courtesy of ensuring that you greet them and always say Thank you before you wrap up the discussion and also ask if it would be possible to meet in person
7. Unscheduled interruptions: - It could so happen that you might be scheduled for unscheduled meetings or emergencies. Always do reschedule discussions during such emergencies.

Technorati Tags: Communication, Etiquette, Interview, Recruitment

Links for the Day - 01 Mar 07

Interesting links for the Day

• 6 Reasons you can't say no for a Promotion
  
• Right Way to send your resume
  
• Help Robbie find a Career
• When to turn down a Promotion
  

Technorati Tags: Links, Recruiting, Human+Resources, Work, Life, Tips

Do you know the price of creativity?

Fruda has an interesting post on the price of creativity which you should read. You can read them here