New Delhi, May 4 -- 1. CIVIL ENGINEER
The lowdown
Civil engineering is about the design and planning, construction, supervision, quality control and maintenance of physical structures, such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, canals, sea ports, power plants and airports. Specialisations include structure, transportation, geo-technical and geo-environmental, and water resources engineering. Employers include municipal bodies, the defence forces, National Highway Authority of India, government development arms like the DDA and Noida Authority, BHEL, Larsen & Toubro, etc
*CLOCKWORK
9am: Reach office and start work
10am: Vet the drawings. Make changes and send it to the site
11am: Shoot mails to the mechanical and electrical departments for their inputs
12.30pm: Go through inputs received from various departments 1.30-2pm: Lunch
2pm: Check mails
5pm: Summarise and prepare a report
6 pm: Leave for home (the average day of a site engineer would involve supervision and management)
* THE PAYOFF
Those just starting out can make R30,000 to R40,000 a month. As one progresses and gains experience one can earn R50,000 to R90,000 a month Someone with 15-20 years' experience can rake in upwards of R1 lakh a month
* SKILLS/TRAITS
*Spatial thinking - ability to visualise a design
* Quantitative skills
* Quick decision-making skills
*People-orientation
*Physical stamina
* getting there
A student who wishes to get into civil engineering must take up physics, chemistry and maths in Class 12. After completing Class 12, students can opt for a BE or BTech degree in civil engineering. Admission to the degree programmes is usually done through an entrance test. One can also enroll for a diploma programme. The diploma holders also have the option of upgrading to the bachelors level through the associate membership of the Institution of Engineers (AMIE)
*institutes
*The Indian Institutes of Technology, Delhi, Bombay, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee and Bhubaneswar
www.jee.iitd.ac.in
*Institute of Technology, Varanasi, www.itbhu.ac.in
*Delhi Technological University
www.dce.edu
*BITS Pilani
www.bits-pilani.ac.in
*Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (Ranchi)
www.bitmesra.ac.in
*National Institutes of Technology - Tiruchirapalli, Warangal, Surathkal, Calicut, Kurukshetra, Durgapur, Rourkela, Jalandhar, Hamirpur, Jamshedpur itt.edu, nitw.ac.in, nitk.ac.in, nitc.ac.in, nitkkr.ac.in, nitdgp.ac.in, nitrkl.ac.in, nitj.ac.in, nitham.ac.in, nitjsr.ac.in
*Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, www.mnnit.ac.in
*MN Institute of Technology, Jaipur, www.mnit.ac.in
*Maulana Azad NIT, Bhopal
www.manit.ac.in (Indicative list)
* pros and cons
*You hold a technical qualification that stands you in good stead
*The work can get extremely challenging at times
*You might get to work on some Heritage building other landmark structures
*You can derive tremendous satisfaction from seeing the physical manifestation of the fruit of your labour
*The profession is not given its due
*As compared to other engineering streams the compensation is relatively low
*Involves a lot of travelling which might keep you away from your family for long stretches of time
*You are responsible for the safety and durability of the structures
2. PHOTO JOURNALIST
Hot shots
The lowdown
Photojournalism is about using images to tell a news story. It refers to still images in print journalism, while for broadcast journalism, usually a video tells the story. A photojournalist is also a reporter but s/he migh need to make decisions instantly. S/he is often exposed to significant obstacles (physical danger, weather, crowd). While interviews can happen again, if a great shot is lost, it cannot be recreated. Photo journalists have to be on their toes all the time. n CLOCKWORK
9am: Leave for work
10am: Reach office
10.15am: Check out the list of assignments
10.30am: Fix up appointments with contacts
11am: Leave for assignments
2pm: Lunch
2.30pm: Follow up on assignments again
6pm: Come back to office
6.30pm: Correct pictures in Photoshop and then file them
7pm: Check out pictures clicked by other photojournalists on the Internet
* the payoff
Most photojournalists initially work as interns and might not get paid for work. Trainees can expect a salary of R10,000 to R15,000 a month, depending on the organisation. Money increases with experience, hard work and skills. Within 10 years, you can earn between R50,000 and R1 lakh a month. Foreign agencies like AP, AFP and Reuters give rich exposure and pay well, compared to publications. Freelancers who have good experience can make good money
* SKILLS/TRAITS
*Physical endurance and a certain level of fitness
* Curiosity about events and quick reflex
*A creative eye, knowlege of current affairs
*getting there
You can learn the basics of photography from a good institute. Later, you can freelance or do an internship with a media house for a year or two. The Internet is emerging as a reliable option, especially for beginners
* institutes
* Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi www.saimc.com
* Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai www.xaviercomm.org
* pros and cons
* Academic brilliance is not required. This job is all about spontaneity and creativity
* You get to travel to a lot of places, constantly meet people, explore cultures
3. CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
Call waiting
The lowdown A customer care executive (also known as agent) works in a BPO centre, an offshore unit for 'client' companies based abroad. The executive answers calls made by the client company's customers. For instance, in the case of a telecommunication company based in the UK, an agent sitting in Gurgaon answers calls made by British customers. Before an agent is put on the job, s/he gets product, voice and accent training.
* CLOCKWORK
The work hours are erratic and might start from 5.30pm. This is how it is likely to go
5.30pm: Meet with team leader and get feedback on the last days' performance
6pm: Start attending calls
9pm: Have dinner in the cafeteria
9.30pm: Take calls again
10.45pm: Tea/coffee break
11pm: Resume work
12.30am: Tea/coffee break
12.45am: Resume work
2am: Log-out time. Take the cab and go home
* The Payoff
Initially, an agent gets a salary of R12,000 to R15,000 a month with perks. Most BPOs offer pick-and-drop facilities and a free meal to employees. Over and above the salary, employees also get huge incentives and overtime allowance, depending on their performance. The incentives can range from R2,000 to R12,000 a month. At the managerial position, one can earn between R50,000 to R70,000 a month. If one does really well, the pay is R1 lakh-R1.5 lakh a month at the assistant vice-president position
*SKILLS/TRAITS
*Extremely good, verbal and written, communication skills and reasoning abilities
*Being well-versed in computers also helps
*All skills needed in any service industry - patience and inclination to serve - apply
*In the technical processes, it is preferred if the agent has some software background, like a diploma or degree in software programming or computer science
* GETTING THERE
Any graduate who cracks the written test and interview (held by various BPOs) can grab a job in a BPO company. Walk-in interviews are held often. One can also apply through a placement agent.
* INSTITUTES
*IGNOU
www.ignou.ac.in
*NIIT Uniqua
www.niituniqua.com/ContactUs.aspx
*Hero Mindmine
www.heromindmine.com/global_bpo.asp
*pros and cons
* A vibrant work culture
* Besides the salary, one also earns handsome incentives
* One does not need to worry about conveyance or food
* Erratic work shifts can mess up one's biological clock and social life
* Attrition rates across the industry are very high
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com
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