Tuesday, January 29, 2008

If I say....

There are certain things which we do not say thinking of the consequences. Everytime we are asked of something, we tried to portray as if everything is fine and the reasons cited are extremely honest. But do things changes or what is the probability that if I say what I wanted to say will not affect my life and it will go smoothly. Why you want to leave the company was a question I was asked by Ernst and Young and my answer was because the line of business of Ernst coincides with my interest area which is true but not enough to give me a job. But, if I would have spoken the truth, can it guarantee a safe place in the organization. If I would have said about the politics played with me in my previous organization by my ex-manager and the mental trauma I underwent because of that and my current company is nothing more than a compulsion to me just because I left that company and didn’t have a job, will Ernst and Young would have recruited me??

There are lots of things which you come across when you are in an interview. And, being in the corporate field for the last 2 years and having attended numerous interviews, I could say there is no way a company could judge the real potential of an employee asking these questions. There is no specific way to measure whether the candidate fits in an organization. Even if I had a bad experience with my ex company I can never abuse or malign it in front of the other company who is taking my interview as it is not politically correct. What seems to be correct is purely a fake picture that the HRs considers as the valid reasons for an entry in an organization.

Where do I see myself after 5 years is a question posed by most of the employers? Well, I saw myself as a person who could easily go up the ladder just because I was quite confident about my abilities when I joined HSBC and yes, I made it a reality giving my 100% to the project I was working for, took initiatives and maintained a good rapport with all employees. But, due to a dirty trick played by someone, now I am somewhere else trying to build my career again from scratch, just to have something in my resume which can earn a job which I want. I have lost my 2 years in an attempt to see myself what I thought. Did my honesty pay?? No…..But, I have to fake everytime whenever someone asks me the question and my obvious answer is “ Well, I would like to see myself as a strategic consultant in an organization where I could exercise my existing talent and benefit the organization”.

Taking the right candidates is a challenge for sure when it comes to the HRs. But, more than that posing the right question to the candidates is much more important. Don’t judge a candidate asking a wrong question but judge them asking a question where they can do justice to themselves and to the organization. Commitment to an organization comes only when there is a mutual benefit. Attrition exists everywhere but that can be tackled when proper employee counseling takes place in an organization by the HRs. The first round of interview before selection is just an attempt to read the profile and not judging the person.
The next time when you ask, “How do you fit in the organization??”, think twice. Because, fitting in the organization is just not what the candidate thinks, it also depends on the project he works for, his line manager, circumstances around him and a lot many factors.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Sensex says, STICK to your STOCKS

The market is volatile. A sudden fall initiated a fear in the mind of the investors. Reliance IPO excitement almost resulted withdrawal of from the secondary market. The market noticed large outflows of FIIs adversely impacting market sentiment. In such a scenario, what could be recommended investment strategy for long-term equity investors?

The strategy is to remain unfazed by near-term market movements and invest in mid-cap funds. Key is to maintain a balance of mid-cap funds and actively managed funds in building long-term portfolios, alongside themes such as Infrastructure, natural resources and gold. The market is uncertain and definitely there is no reason to worry about your portfolio if it is diversified. In a volatile market, mid-cap funds have always performed better and if the funds are managed by fund managers having knowledge on which funds to invest, and then surely it’s a win-win situation for the investors. It’s necessary to keep a close look in the sector funds which are not sensitive to global trends which potentially give rise to such fluctuations. It gives an indication of the sectors performing in a volatile market situation and when the market is stable or upbeat. India is surely in the midst of strong domestic growth. With a positive indication of conducive global monetary environment coupled with stable domestic macroeconomic factors, monetary policy going forward is widely expected to support economic growth. Market performance over the medium term will thus benefit from the strong growth story as well as the increased investment interest it shall attract from both domestic as well as global investors.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

JUST PUNCH IT

Business is a catchy affair!! Glamorizing business certainly helps to boost the profits. The best way to glamorize is Punchline. Before anyone could think of what you want to sell, your punchline should convey the message. Sometimes, a punchline makes a lot of difference in selling of a product in the most unconventional market. If I think of selling a Deodrant in a cold country, how would I sell it through a punchline?? I might market it something as “ Let the Fragrance matter more than the Odour”. This simple punchline solves two issues:
1)Deodrants should not only be used as a Odour removing spray.
2)And, your deodrant’s fragrance is too sensual.

Sometimes, a catchy punchline conveys your organization’s vision and mission.Sometimes its easy to differentiate a product's target market just by seeing the punchline for e.g.
Kingfisher:Fly with the good times
Deccan Airlines:Simplyfly

Deccan is an airlines for masses and Kingfisher for Classes.For a common man, there can nothing be more attractive than "Simplyfly" and for the men of class,they obviously fly with the King and its always a good feeling with Kingfisher.A punchline conveys more than a product use or value.It reflects sometimes an organization's culture.Just make your product near to your customer just by saying "LOCAL" wherever they are in the world.A simple punchline just convey the organization's message accurately.Nike-"Just do it"-There is no other better way to boost the self-confidence the way Nike has put through their famous Punchline. Thus the ad line simply communicates that using Nike can improve your performance by enhancing the self-confidence.IBM ThinkPad- " I think, therefore IBM"-Here IBM tries to say that if you have the capacity to think then you should go for IBM ThinkPad, the Punchline exactly conveys the message.

So,ready to punch!!!