Ementors

Recruitment

I am 27 years old and working as a facilities management engineer for a medium scale organisation. After completing my SSLC (Matric) due to family situations I had to start working. At the age of 22, I joined BCA through correspondence (that too from an open university which was not accredited). I have not done my Higher Secondary education (12th). Now I have completed my BCA and have joined MSc in IT. Also, I have five plus years of professional experience in the field of Networking. I have done my MCSE on Windows 2000 too. According to my friends, there are not many opportunities in good companies for people who have done correspondence courses. Is it true? Is it possible for me to find a job in an MNC?

—K Thandapani

Satish Doshi: It is good that you have completed your graduation (BCA). This will help in making the missing Higher Secondary less relevant. With five years professional experience in Networking, it is important for you to do more courses directly linked to Networking, rather than a generalised course like MSc in IT. The MCSE on Windows 2000 is useful for your background.

You should look at advanced certifications in related areas from CISCO, Microsoft, etc.

Your question, if good companies/MNCs will consider you as eligible for jobs, would depend on the company and the type of experience and certifications you have. At the entry-level it is difficult. However, as your relevant experience increases, the weakness in qualification becomes less relevant and in many cases are ignored if you have strong certifications. You would then be considered for hiring by these companies, though the initial salary fitment may be lower. Once you have joined and perform well, even these differences in compensation get reduced. You may also want to consider job opportunities in Gulf & Africa, where the primary qualification is given less importance and your experience and certifications are given higher weightage at your experience levels.

However, in all cases, it is important for you to build an extremely strong on-the-job performance. So, in trying for more courses, you must make sure that your performance at work is maintained at very high levels.

Heart to Heart

I am a 22-year-old animation specialist working for a well-known animation studio in Mumbai. I have this burning ambition to be very successful in life. I am not too sure that the field I have chosen will get me fame one day, but I do enjoy the job. I want to succeed very fast in life and am impatient to make it to the top. What people achieve at the age of 35, I want to get it by 25. And I want it at any cost. The reason why I am writing to you is because my mother and friends think that something is wrong with me. They feel I should not be so obsessively ambitious and be more realistic in life. I know I feel driven, but I feel it is good because I need this drive to succeed. Do you really think something is wrong with me?

—Pooja K

Harish Shetty: Your drive is like a jet aircraft and not a bullock cart, nor a railway train. This is perfect and will take you higher and provide meaning and value to your life. What surprises me is the phrase “at any cost”…. This is dangerous and I would like to share that the costs are important. Burning midnight oil off and on is ok, being reasonably aloof from families can be accepted in some measure but do not compromise your dignity, self respect and basic values. Love, god and a goal are necessary ingredients for life and in the right balance. Obsessively driven people sometimes cannot take mild reversals and disappointments and get very depressed. Many lead chaotic lives and lose out on friendships and loved ones. The skill base to be achieved early also needs a balance in the orchestra of the mind and body. A healthy diet, good sleep and a lot of laughter are mandatory for early peaks in one’s career graph. The life’s candle does burn but let it not burn from both ends. Keep in touch with your loved ones, listen to your body and respect the laws of nature. Run fast in the fast lane but stop and pause at intervals and keep in touch with your feelings, friends and family. Then and only then your pursuit will be joyous and fulfilling.

Training

I am doing my BTech in Computer Science. I have great interest in OS development and embedded systems. How do you see its scope in India? I have knowledge of C/C++ (on Linux platform) and little idea of assembly language (8086).

Do I require any further knowledge to work in this field? Can you provide me with some useful information (regarding how to start and other resource) in these two fields.

—Raman Mittal

Prabal Mall: I am hereby providing you information in areas of your interest, operating system development as well as embedded systems. After completing your BTech in Computer Science you could look at both the options.

The field of embedded systems is growing rapidly with its innovative applications in communication, Internet appliances, consumer electronics and process control and so on. Considering the vast scope of the field, ranging from telecom to consumer electronics to aerospace, the demand for embedded systems engineers for product development and application, will continue to grow in the years to come. According to an IDC report the international market as a whole expects product development worth $75 billion, which will require as many as 150,000 trained professionals in embedded systems development by the year 2005. While India is a known player in the software services space, the image of the country has been so far as a low-cost service provider. This is where embedded software development, which requires specialized skill sets, can make the difference. It is a sector promising a fast-track career, which is only for the brightest and the best.

Linux has in recent times attracted the interest of embedded systems developers, primarily for two reasons—ownership of source code and the cost factor. Lineo, a global provider of embedded solutions, has recently introduced its training programmes on embedded Linux in the country and has aggressive plans for the future. They have training partners in Bangalore (Park Controls, e-Cosmos) and Spider Systems in Pune. Lineo also has a tie-up with the University of Mysore through e-Cosmos to conduct training in their campus.