Ementor

Recruitment

I did my MCA from IGNOU and have specialised in the following modules—Languages: C, C++, Core Java, Cobol; Database Management System: Oracle 8i, SQL, PL/SQL; Web Technologies: HTML, Ser-vlets in Java; Operating Systems: Windows 98/2000, Unix; IT Concepts: Networking, S/W Engineering, Object Oriented Programming and Relational Database Management Systems. Kindly suggest in which line should I go. I want to become a software programmer but nowadays most companies are recruiting experienced professionals. What should I do now? Kindly advise me.

—Vamsee Krishna, Hyderabad

Satish Doshi: Software programming is a good career choice. The problem you have is common to all fresh graduates, “Everyone wants experienced candidates, but if no one hires a fresher, how will the fresher get any experience?” The MCA programme tried to solve this problem by ensuring that one full-time semester was spent on real-life projects. Many organisations offer employment to the MCA student, who has undergone training at their office, if the training performance was good. So, if you have spent one-semester in your MCA working on real-life projects, then you have a head-start in your job search compared to others. A large number of MCA graduates get jobs on the campus. Assuming that you do not fall in the above categories, you will just need to try hard to reach out to potential employers. All avenues need to be pursued—media advertisements, job-sites, recruitment consultants, mass mailing, personal visit to potential employers, follow-up of leads provided by professors/seniors/colleagues, participation in professional associations, providing programming services free of cost to voluntary service organisations, etc. You need to be clear that it is important to start building real-life experience, rather than being very choosy about the first job. Perseverance will definitely pay-off in getting your first job.

Human Resources

I have been promoted as a project manager last year. I am responsible for a team of 20 programmers and systems analysts in an off-shore maintenance unit. My client is extremely difficult and demanding. I find it very stressful to complete the performance appraisals for the year for my team members. It tends to become more a game of negotiation—with team members and my manager. At the end of the day, my team members are extremely demotivated and I have always found that the attrition rate increases post the appraisal results. I also feel that our appraisal form is inadequate. Can we do without the appraisal process since it creates so much stress within the company and also has a negative impact?

—Anil Khanna, via e-mail

Varda Pendse: Yes, appraisal process is extremely stressful, but you must remember, it is your responsibility. The role of a manager is to manage team members by:

• Providing them clarity in terms of what they need to do;
• Reviewing the performance against set targets;
• Guiding and coaching them to ensure that they deliver;
• Ensuring that reward are commensurate to deliverables.

The appraisal process is merely a tool to assist the company and manager to manage performance of the employees as also to motivate the employees for higher levels of performance. Hence, we must remember that it is a facilitative tool and provides a framework for the manager to evaluate performance. We must ensure that we clearly state our expectations of the deliverables from the employees as also the performance measures against which the employee will be evaluated. Since there is no clarity between the employee and manager, any discussion will be stressful as the basis of the discussion is ‘perception-driven’ rather than factual. Lastly, as managers, it is our role to constantly review, guide and coach employees to higher level of performance. It is equally true that we need to reprimand employees who do not meet expectations in terms of delivery/competencies. The appraisal form is once again a tool to assist the manager to differentiate on performance.Hence, we take care of all of above as managers, the process will not be stressful, either for the company or for the individual manager.

Training

I am an IT professional. For the past five years I have been working as a junior level system administrator. I have completed my Oracle 9i DBA training also. Now I am interested in pursuing a career in storage management. Are there any good training institutes for storage programmes? Which are the certifications for storage management?

—Dev Kumar S, Bangalore

N J Rajaram: Considering your background I will advise you to go in for certification programmes that span key segments of enterprise IT: Storage management, server management, networking, local/remote management and troubleshooting. You may look into the following for certifications in the preferred area:

Network Appliance Certified Storage Expert (CSE); HP has a certification programme to get certified under the Storage Networking Industry Association; IBM has certifications in the areas of Total Storage Networking and Virtualisation Architecture and Open Systems Storage Solutions; Sun offers programmes in Data Management, Back-up and Recovery, and Storage Architecture.

Certain authorised centres offer trainings for the above programmes. Aptech offers trainings specifically related to Sun’s certification schemes.

Heart to Heart

I am 23-year-old and working for a call centre in Gurgaon. I come from a small town and find the atmosphere at my workplace very different. The girls and guys are ‘too hep’. I find it very difficult to converse with them because they appear too confident and speak in a completely different lingo. In fact, I get tongue-tied before the girls. I find this very embarrassing. How can I gain more confidence?

—Ravi Mishra, Gurgaon

Harish Shetty: Ravi, the slang, the attire, the expressions and the lingo are not attributes defining relationships. They are just the gloss on a well-ironed shirt. It takes many to tango and differences make it beautiful. Just be yourself and your appeal will be naturally appealing. Yet as cultures bang into each other at call centres, cross-cultural learning will automatically take place and your fears will vanish. Never hesitate to express yourself in your normal style and believe me it will appeal to the hearts around. Your fears will also diminish as you continue interacting and isolation will prove dangerous. There is no need for you to go overboard and imitate others and lose yourself in the bargain. Make it a rule to have your meals in your office with your colleagues. Lift your head and walk straight as you can never be like someone else and the other person can never be like you.