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— Namrata Chaurasia A How often have we cursed those irritating ads that pop-up every time we browse the Internet or the spam that infiltrates not only our mailbox but also our mobile? Bugging as they may be, these images are a part of the cleverly crafted strategy to capture the capricious eye of the consumer. With technology transcending space barriers, the Internet has become a viable and cost-effective advertising and brand-building medium — connecting advertisers and marketers to customers from Manhattan to Meerut with text, interactive graphics, video and audio. And with India’s increasing population of Netizens, who spend hours glued to their computer screens, the number of jobs available in the world of online advertising has also steadily multiplied. Although a relatively smaller percentage of Internet users in India buy products online, but the good news is that e-commerce is catching on in a big way and an upbeat PwC Report is convinced that in the coming years Internet will be the fastest-growing advertising medium. If you want to take up advertising on the Internet as a career, a stint in a good brick-and-mortar ad agency would be a good starting point. For the simple reason that Web advertising is a specialised form of direct response advertising. Although the medium varies, the principles of advertising remain the same. But you do need to understand browser psychology. Also, you need a working knowledge of Java, which you can acquire alongside.
Engg or B-school
Q I have joined an engineering college, partly because that is supposed to be the most prestigious stream for students at my stage. But I don’t feel comfortable with this stream, and would rather go into a management stream as soon as possible. What are my options? — Snigdha Joshi A Normally, engineering students who prefer to go into a management stream join a business school after graduation. But, if you are in a hurry, you can leave the engineering programme to join one of the Bachelor’s programmes in Business Administration or Commerce, something that I would be reluctant to advise because an engineering degree is worth more in the job market. Besides, many engineering colleges, including the IITs, are increasingly offering courses in subjects like financial management, trends in business and finance, industrial engineering and operations research as electives to B. Tech students. As a result, eminent companies are recruiting many of these engineering students for management positions s through campus placements. Now that you are already in a good college, treat your course as a good bachelor’s degree. The reason why engineering grads are preferred is because they are relatively more hard working and have developed an analytical and logical problem solving approach — which is an asset in any job in any sector. IT’s not about marketing
Q After a fairly successful career in the FMCG sector (marketing), I am now tempted to switch to the IT sector. Do you think it is possible, particularly at this stage? — Navin Bansal A For a while it was believed that the technology sector was so unique and so demanding that the crossover couldn’t be made because of the technological skill set required. But there are a number of examples of people who have taken skills learned in other industries and applied them successfully elsewhere. Louis Gerstner, who retired after a very successful stint at IBM, really didn’t know much about computers, coming from Phillip Morris, a tobacco company, but he certainly knew a lot about management and had the skill sets necessary to lead large, sophisticated environments. Moreover, the fundamentals of marketing (as also finance or HR or general administration) remain the same across sectors. Even at the senior level, the skill sets required of a CEO, CFO or a COO are pretty much transferable between industries. And there are numerous examples like that. Talented people bring a fresh outlook and perspective. And that’s valuable to any organisation. Net working
Q I would like to know something about home-based internet jobs. Are they reliable? How can we ensure the authenticity of the advertisements? — Meera sandhu A Open any Internet site and the chances are that you will be looking at advertising banners exhorting you to work from home and earn pots of money. But then if that were true, wouldn’t we all be working from home? Here are some dos and don’ts before you take-up any such offer. Know who you’re dealing with. Often companies may have no plans to employ you directly, only to sell you training material and find customers for your work. Most importantly, find out if there is really a market for your work. Don’t fall for promises of making big profits easily. Operating a home-based business requires hard work, skills and time besides good products or services. Get references of other people who are doing this work. Ask them if the company has kept its promises. Be wary of offers to send you an advance on your pay. Some slick operators use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your first month’s pay. You deposit it, and before it has cleared the company contacts you to say that you were mistakenly paid the wrong amount so you need to return a portion of the payment for some reason. After you send the money back, the check that you deposited ultimately bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate hoax. Now the crooks have your payment, and you’re left with a hole in your pocket. So, be very careful to only deal with legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home.
Nurse your ambition
Q I am interested in becoming a male nurse? What are the prospects? — Ritesh Kr Johri A With more than a million new and replacement nurses needed abroad by 2012, nursing has become a viable option for men thus breaking the stereotypes that men cannot be good caregivers. While most male students from the northern states like Delhi, Punjab and Haryana are averse to this gender bender profession thankfully in Kerala the general ratio of male: female nurses in most colleges is: 1:5 and increasing every year. The demand for male nurses is mostly in psychiatry where they may have to handle potentially violent patients, critical and emergency care where speed and strength are required as well as in STD clinics. And having a heart of gold is worth its weight as male nurses abroad can get $ 30-40 per hour. US, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia are the most preferred destination. Several Medical colleges in India admit both male as well as female candidates to their nursing courses: Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, AIIMS, Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical & Technological Sciences, IGNOU (Distance Education)etc. Also do check with some of your local hospitals that recruit
Add to your prospects
Q What is the difference between B. Com (Pass) and B. Com (Hons). Will I face any problem in future if I opt for a pass course? Can I do M. Com and then take up teaching ? — Niharika Jain A It’s always advisable to go in for an honours degree if the university offers it—particularly if you wish to pursue postgraduate studies in that field. An Honours course is more exacting and consists of additional paper/s in the specific subject areas. For instance, a B. Sc (Gen) would give you equal knowledge of Physics, Chemistry and Maths, whereas a B. Sc (Hons) in Physics will focus more extensively on that subject. As far as doing a B.Ed is concerned, there may be no problem, but you may face a roadblock when applying for M.Com at a university like DU, which will give preference to B. Com (Hons) students, particularly if that university offers honours courses are at the bachelor’s level. However, there are universities that don’t have such a stipulation. So, if you wish to do your M.Com from one of these, you should have no problem. Else, you’ll have to opt for a private or distance-earning programme. Also, should you decide to go in for an MBA or any other professional interdisciplinary PG course that admit students purely on the basis of an entrance test, your B.Com (Pass) will not be an issue.
The writer is a noted career consultant
Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at
careers@tribunemail.com
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Q I have just completed my BFA with a specialisation in Graphic Design. What are the prospects of a career in web advertising?
