College Memories: When you don't exist?

I have always been  a student who was somewhere between good and average.

I was a bit shy and reserved and had few friends from a long time. 

This incident occurred during 3rd year of engineering.

One fine day, couple of class mates  informed me that the Ma'am who taught Engineering Economics had asked me to meet her urgently.

I was wondering why she might have called me. Have I done anything wrong that I have been asked to meet her. I was concerned about my attendance, but then realized that I loved Economics and have not bunked her classes. 

But, I was getting anxious as in last 3 years no one has summoned me to meet them, it was an altogether new experience.

Finally, I reached her cabin, 

Me- Good Morning , Ma'am!
She- Good Morning
Me- Ma'am, you have asked Ravi to inform me to meet you.
She- No, I have asked him to send Rohan.

( I was shocked)

Me- Ma'am, I am Rohan
She- How come? I have never seen you in the class? 
Me- But, Ma'am I have hardly missed any classes.
She- How it could be possible? I don't recognize that you have always been in the class?

( I was wondering about what was going to happen. Why was she behaving like this?) 

Me- Ma'am, I never missed your classes, and why have you called me?

She- Well I believe you, else how could you have topped in the class and have got 45 out of 45. ( I could see that she still felt she didn't know me) 
Me- *Poker Face*

---

If you are a undergrad or a Fresher looking for your first Job. I have complied my Quora answers and articles relevant for you at Career Advice & Guidance

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What should be added in your appraisal report?

I am sharing from my experience, would love to learn something new.
Appraisal reports must include the followings things done in the financial year:

1. Qualitative contributions ( All the qualitative works like mentoring a new employee, training a summer intern, being part of the employee welfare committee or any other groups affiliated with the company management)
2. Quantitative contributions ( You must have set some objectives, write about how many you have achieved)
3. What are the skills the employee has acquired or honed needs to be added. ( Add the details of the course that you completed through distance learning)
4. The training, workshop or seminars attended or conducted by you (only those worth mentioning).
5. Brief description of awards, certificates received by you.
6. Innovation done or value added to the organisation at large. ( How you have reduced time, cost or resources required to get a work done without compromising on the quality

  

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3 Things I love to do at home

1. Counselling-  When I was in college, I always wanted someone who could answer my career related queries . I was reliant on google and felt need of someone who can counsel. So, I prefer to counsel others online or offline.
2. I am a startup enthusiast- I write feedback emails to various startups. I feel happy to provide valuable inputs and the founders are happy that someone is interested in their company. Win Win Situation:)
3. Bring a small change- I had face off with big companies in the past when they had put misleading advertisements on TV. The companies failed to prove their tall claims many a times and had to edit or recall their ad. The 30 years old NPO, The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)  has featured me as ASCI Ambassador.

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Some Myths about Happiness

Here is my take on a topic which is close to my heart. I will bust some Myths about happiness:

• Happiness is the result of success - (No it is not, my office boy seems more happy than me.  The guy who was moping the washroom floor looked more satisfied and happy to me. Happiness is an attitude! (PS- Success is also relative and for me those who are happy are successful)
• Happiness is a function of money, love, power, respect, health, etc. ( No, my friends who earn more than me and are pampered more that me are less happier than me, even some of my friends who have less materialistic pleasure than me are among the happiest lot of people I know. Yesterday, I saw profile of Virali Modi, she defied death many times and reading her answers make me feel that despite being in a wheel chair she is happier than me. And, let me clarify that I consider myself as a Happy person)
• Happiness is a goal ( Happiness is not a goal. It is the by-product of our actions. Like, if we do what we love or we love what we do then we are happy. Happiness is a journey not the destination.)
• We should run behind happiness? (Don't run as you can never find it that way. Do the right things, experience the beautiful things in and around you, be less arrogant and more humble, be a little less self centered and help others for no reason and then I am sure that happiness will itself find you.

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What do you feel about tough time and tough people?

I too have a story probably not much fancy but still, I want to share it.

As a kid, I was weak in Maths and struggled a lot to get better. It was early 90s and I had been regularly punished in the class for my dismal performance.  I remember making silly mistakes in exams and then my tutor will scold me. He would often put a finger between my fingers and will press it hard as a punishment. Please don't blame him, this kind of punishment was Ok in early 90's in a sleepy town of Eastern India. Then, my father started tutoring me and slowly things started to get better. I hated maths but now,  I want to meet that Tutor to thank him for teaching a dumb student like me. He had a thankless job as I always wanted him to be sacked from his job of teaching me.  For me, he was a tough person but, he was only playing his role to make me stronger, in his own unique way. I have realized that everything happens for a reason.

After class-3 or 4, Maths became my favorite subject till date. I know how much fun it was to solve challenging questions of Algebras, Calculus, etc. For me complex number was not complex at all. It made my IIT Preparation amazing. I failed at IIT JEE but still I am proud of the experience. It was another thing that it bothered me like anything when it happened. Difficult things happen to make us stronger. In my college, I have got the highest grade in my 4th sem Maths paper, which is sadly my last paper of Maths. 

Life is more than the grades we get, the job we have or the money in our bank account. The real money we earn in this life is through experience and all experiences  are good experiences. I define a so called bad experience as a tough experience, which is needed to teach us difficult lessons.

Our Failures, Tough times and Tough people teach us more about our-self. They make us push our limit and try harder. If everyone will be goody goody then we might not put that extra effort that differentiates Good from Outstanding.

Please forgive tough people if you have any hard feelings for them. If possible give them the credit for the thankless job that they did for you. And, cherish the tough times as our present is a result of our past struggles.

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How can a teacher make engineering subjects interesting?

Originally written on Quora in response to a Teacher, Seema Shah

A teacher can create interest in the engineering subjects by:

• By inspiring not educating-  The roles of teachers should be to inspire an student. Excellent teachers are able to do it, eg-  I am answering the questions of Seema Ma'am while no one is asking me to do so. If she give me a homework to write answers then she might teach but by posting the questions, she has inspired many to answer it at their convenience.
• Creativity- 5324 is 5-3+2=4, the formulas and concepts will look boring but a great teacher has the ability to find creative ways to teach something.
• Role Play- It will be interesting if once in a while, a student can be made a teacher and  teachers sit with other students and learn what he/she is explaining. Pick random students and make the situation friendly else they will feel that it is another form of punishment.
• Be a Friend- A personal connect with students can make the whole thing better for both teachers and students.
• Involve students in various decision making related what has to be taught- When they feel part of the classroom then they learn in an effective way.
• Interactive classes are more fun and rich in learning- I was a student who would tremble if he was invited to solve a question on the blackboard. When I joined the company I am working for, they sent me to their Headquarters for training on Project Management. It was the best learning experience of my life as they didn't let me  sleep. They made the classes interactive and full of activities. In two weeks, I evolved as a student.
• Teach Engineering students like a kid- Try to gauge the interest of your students, make efforts to bring them out of their shell, add value to their experience, share some interesting/ inspiring stories so that they pay attention to you. Occasionally conduct team building activities, offer advice for their career or placement. By doing these, they will develop enormous respect for you and they will swallow the boring lessons also without complaining.

PS- I am too small a creature to offer suggestions, so if you find something worth trying then it's a pleasure. If a suggestion looks absurd, put it where it deserves- a garbage bin :P; It was a joy to answer this question

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I am Kalam

Originally written in my personal journal in Nov 2011 after watching the movie " I am Kalam"

I have just watched the movie " I am Kalam" for the second time. This has touched my heart. I am born and brought up in a modest family . But, I easily co-relate with the  poor kid in the movie, who wanted to be like Dr. Kalam.

In the movie, the poor chap is working in a road side restaurant (dhaba). He is not fortunate enough to go to school. But, he learns on his own. He has the desire to study.

He is inspired to study and be a successful person like Dr. Kalam. The poor boy could easily relate with Dr. Kalam. He has heard that as a kid, Dr. Kalam used to sell newspapers and later by hard work and passion, he become the President of India. He also does odd jobs at a dhaba and hoped that he can also become a big shot someday if he studies well.

The message was loud and clear. It was like music to me as I love Dr. Kalam and admire him. I couldn't understand how he has a mass appeal cutting across all barriers like class, age, religion, region, language, etc.

Dr. Kalam is the epitome of Unity and strength. He is the hope for millions like me and that poor chap of the movie.  I am sure Dr. Kalam would be glad that he had inspired the poor chap. I am also inspired from  the movie. I need to identify my aim in life. Then, I need to educate myself to achieve it.

I feel that giving away money in charity cannot help a lot. Rather, an under-privileged must be  helped in such a way that they become self- dependent. I think that providing vocational training for free instead of giving them cash will be better and effective.

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Time Management Tips

I love project management and would like to share few lessons from it to answer this question.

• Optimize-I would always try to optimize time and quality.
• Time is more than Money- Time is equivalent to money, sometimes more important than money because I have to spend more money to accelerate a project that is delayed.
• Do it now if it takes less than 5 minutes. If something is important and it will take less than 5 minutes like reviewing important reports or sending important work emails or paying my bills then I will never leave it for future because this step will cut down my to-do list and makes my life easier.
• Tame an elephant when it's a kid-Never keep important things pending and do important things before they became urgent. A small problem if ignored at the initial stage can become a monster that will haunt you.
• Make To-do Lists-However, there are always some of the things that we have to keep for future due to shortage of time. We can do them by making a To-Do List and having a target date for finishing it. Always review your list and keep striking out thing that you have finished. If you develop an habit of doing so often then you will find it easy afterwards.
• Think out of the box- I love commuting for an average of 2 hours per day. I enjoy it because my company takes care of travelling, so I can do many things while having a cosy seat. I have so many things to do like relax, take a nap, listen to some audio books, watch a movie, listen to music, taking to old friends, checking out social networking sites, etc.

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It is not easy to let go of things

Today, I spent 4 hours cleaning my cupboard but it was fun and entertaining like an old slow movie. I am not joking. I had to pack bag for my vacation so I thought why not let go of the unwanted stuffs. It was a great idea as I was already feeling bored and so had got a job to do. I first targeted clothes and realized that there are two dozen of clothes that I don't use but can be given away.

I have told my friends staying together about this and we have decided to donate all the clothes that are of no use us to a NGO I had contacted few weeks ago. They come and collect old clothes and would distribute it among poor and needy people.

Then, came the hard part, I decided to let go of my novels which I had already read. But, I was not feeling like doing away with them. So, I  immediately decided to put aside two thick competitive exams book for Mechanical Engineering. The condition of the books reminded me that I brought them for preparing for PSUs and GATE but they had only tasted dust and nothing else.

I wish I could give it to someone for free. Sadly, I don't know any family in this urban village. There are more than 2500 families in our housing complex but we don't know anyone. I think the last option would be to give it to a nearby book shop.

Even, books were easy when I went to remove the heap of papers in several files. I started going through them and they took me to flashback. The train ticket when I went to join my first job reminded me of that wonderful trip when my dad and brother accompanied me to Chennai and they went ahead to Bangalore for my brother's counselling for Engineering Colleges.

After that, I got my hands on old checkbooks and passbooks which have been obsolete but I don't know why I couldn't throw them away. Then I got my hand on few old passport size photos. I don't look like them but still how could I get rid of them. We had an orientation program when I joined L&T. I got the program schedule and man I couldn't dump it. It felt so good to remember those days. We were so excited. We were hosted in a posh resort for ten days and we had awesome food at office and resort. Ah! those days...

I got my hands on my offer letter of TCS and I opened it, smiled and kept it back safely. A thought passed my mind that by this way, I am not going to get rid of the clutter. So, have tried to do away with as many documents that didn't had any emotional value for me. The strange thing is that we are so busy in our day to day life that we hardly go through those things but dumping them still feels hard.

I had got many rakhis which is a proof that I have been away from my sister on Rakshabandhan for years. I wear rakhis for many days and then keep them safely. I will not throw them. I even have the envelope and the letter from my sister which she sends with the Rakhi. This year she had not send the letter and I was searching for it in the envelope. She was busy due to the placement season and I can understand this.

I was reminded of my Mom. When I was collecting old clothes to give to poor people then Mom would pick few old clothes and would keep it back. When asked, she would say that this was when you were born or your first birthday. I didn't felt anything then. But, today I can understand her attachment with those piece of clothes.

Vivekananda said that we must let go of attachment to people or things. I agree with him but I just thought to write down about this mundane experience as it would remind me of all those stuffs always, whenever I would read it. I doubt if anyone else reads me here. I am my only loyal reader :)

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Career: Should I keep working for a startup?

Question

I am pursuing my M-Tech as well as joined the start up side by side. I am little bit confused whether I can handle this work pressure.. 
and  how much risky is it to join a start up at age of 25 I m very indecisive(as it's not my own start up I am part of a team of 4 members)

Clarifications sought by me

1. Are they paying you enough?

2. Do you enjoy the work?
3. What is best and worst part of working there?
4. Break down your confusion into simple pieces-  Are you learning new things, Are you able to make contacts and do networking with people who can help you land in a decent job, Are you happy? Yes/No and why?

Is the startup related to your M-Tech course in any way. Please answer as much and as quick as possible :) Don't think much just write down what's goes in your mind. Don't judge your thoughts. 

Additional details provided by questioner as a clarification: 

No, they are paying just enough for expenditures (INR 3000) but they committed for more when they will have funding. 

I am enjoying as I want to work with some new concept, it was my wish to work as entrepreneur.

I am little bit tensed  because my job role is not clear as well, it's a basically data entry type work (in tech language you can say data management) 

But truth is I have to commit 8hrs a day initially (we have committed 3 days in a week)

I have studied the IME(industrial management n engineering) in that I have studied all the management related courses so you can rate this entrepreneurship with my field. 

And the most important thing is that  I don't have any idea about the core team concept, the rights on the share of the company and exactly what are the economic sources those leads a start up.

My Answer

It is very interesting from the point of a case study. I am able to say so because I work in a MNC but have a startup culture as I am deputed to a project site which is treated as a small autonomous unit within the company. My response is based on the learning I have acquired from working with startups as a client, from the first hand experience of people working in a startup and my keen interest in following the startups.

Let us first analyse your case:

Positives:

1. You wanted to be an entrepreneur and this is a step in that direction.
2. You enjoy working there.
3. You know the concepts of management and hence working in a startup will help you see the impact on your work clearly.
4. No work is small.  Three workers were asked a question "What are you doing?" while they were laying brick during construction. First worker replied that he was laying brick, Second worker replied that he was making a room and the third worker replied that I am contributing in building a wonderful building. All were doing the same thing but their response was different. We all have to be like the third worker as seeing the bigger picture keeps us motivated.
5. What I understand that you don't have any financial problems. So, don't worry much about the salary and right now you are doing M-Tech, so working at Startup is not a bad idea as long as you are in college provided you make a fine balance between work and academics.
6. You can make contacts with other like minded people by working at that company. It will help you in getting job offers from well established companies also.
7. Treat this as you are working on a live project as an internship. It will boast your confidence, build your knowledge and would help you during on/off campus placement. I can say so confidently as my sister told me that recruiters were impressed with the knowledge she accumulated during her internship at a startup. It provided her with an cutting edge advantage over others.
8. You get to know what you like or dislike much earlier than landing in a full time job. You can consider your current job as a mock test of your feeling that you like to work at a startup.
9. There is less hierarchy and you can see the output of the efforts you are putting. 

Not so Positives:

1. Working at a startup is a dynamic process. You have to stay outside your comfort zone and you would visit your comfort zone rarely.
2. You have to believe in the core idea of the founders else you will not feel motivated to put long hard hours.
3. Your role would not be defined. You have to be jack of all trade. Just think of it like an Indian wedding of your brother or sister. Do you have a specific role. I guess no. You have to do everything ranging from shopping, planning for the wedding venue, food, welcoming guests, dealing with emergencies, etc. You don't have a profile. Same goes for an startup. If you can happily deal with that then working for a startup is one of the best thing to do in life.
4. Your pay would be less as they have to be competitive and have to do a job at a price lesser than the established players in the market.
5. You have to work harder than those at well established companies.
6. But, the more struggle you do, the better and stronger you become. So the answer to your question that Is it better to work for Startup at 25 is a big yes. Right now, as a bachelor you can toil in long hard hours to make things happen. 

Words of caution:

1. As a fresher, don't bother much about pay. My cousins with pay as less as 10K per month are now earning more than 15+ LPA after 8-9 years.
2. We work till 60. So, in our working career of around 35 years, it hardly matters if we started with a lesser pay or a couple of years later than our peers. It is so because, life is a marathon and not a sprint. The struggle you do today will be helpful throughout your life.
3. Keep learning and updating your knowledge. Typewriting was a craze when I was a kid, it was a desirable skill. When I grew up, typewriters were replaced by computers and people who were earning their bread and butter based on their typewriting skills switched to computers as the change was essential for their survival and the move was logical and a comparatively easier one. So, moral is that we may face a crisis of job when we are 40-45 and might have to switch industry, so it is always better to keep make our self adaptable to change.
4. Don't keep all your eggs in one basket. Do many things. Participate in extra curricular activities at college, do well in academics and also work at the startup. I know you would feel killing me on reading this as it is not easy but I said what I have learned the hard way:)

Way Forward:

1. I think you should work for the startup to learn and get hands on experience even when you are in college. 
2. Don't limit yourself. Learn a bit about HR, Accounts, Marketing, Technical aspects, Getting Investors, etc. Who knows, the investor might be interested to hire you at a pay you deserve for doing a work you love?
3. Lucky things happen when we keep doing many things.
4. Take care of your health, your relationship with your loved ones and always try to maintain a good work life balance.
5. Pursue your hobby even if you don't have time because we never have time, we have to find it. In last 3 months, I wrote close to 400 posts here. In last five years, the total posts on this blog was 10-11. Only thing is that I have cut down on my sleep from 8 hours to 6 hours and I  never miss a chance to write and post something as it keeps me going.
6. Newton's First law is really true "A body in rest continues to be in rest and a body in motion continues to be in motion". So, when you get the taste of enjoying your hobby then you will find time for that. And, Newton will take care of the rest. Trust me!

Hope, this might have been helpful :)

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Is Campus Placement the most hyped thing in India

Campus Placement: 

Harvard or Cambridge University don’t conduct campus placement. They will make you capable to find a suitable job on your own. The culture of campus placement is  a recent addition in India from a decade or so. Most of the world's best universities don't arrange for Campus Placement.

If you are placed during campus selection then my best wishes to you. If you have not got placed during campus then don’t worry. Just work hard. Success is not permanent and so is failure.  

Like everything else this too shall pass

Campus Placement is one of the most hyped things in India. If you have a job when you are out of college then you are seen with respect, else you might be seen as a Failure, which is not true.

My Personal Experience

I agree that getting a job in campus makes life easier but it doesn’t makes one better by any means.  I have got selected in two companies through campus selection but four years down the line it doesn’t matters to me. I was selected in TCS when I had bare minimum knowledge of Programming just because of my soft skills. My answer to TCS Interview question "Why should I hire you"? 

I was a Mechanical Engineering Undergrad with no plan to join a construction company. Getting into L&T was never on the cards. But, at last moment, I decided to attend the Pre Placement Talk of L&T, where I saw the video of how they build the Delhi Airport.

 The video made me fall in love with the company and that’s how I came into L&T. It was also strange that out of more than 300 projects of L&T, I was assigned to work at the Mumbai International Airport Project. I couldn’t have asked for more as I joined L&T just by admiring the Delhi Airport (Terminal 3)

It has been a roller coaster ride for me and there are negatives and positives. Overall, I love the experience and the exposure I got. But, let me also share about my friends who were un-placed or have not got plum jobs during campus

1. Many of my friends who couldn’t get a Job have cleared competitive exams and are at companies like NTPC, Coal India, ISRO, BHEL, BEL, etc. 

2. Some of my friends got job at companies which were not heard of and they used to get less than our office boy. But, as they knew that they have not settled, they switched jobs and at present they are having higher paying jobs.

3. There are some who got into different kind of post graduation courses like MBA, MTECH etc and are now in job with an enhanced qualification.

4. Still, I have a couple of friends who are very close to clearing IAS, IES or anything big.  Their struggle is still going on and I am sure that they will soon get into a job that they deserve.

Why I am sharing this is because 4 years ago all the 4 categories of my friends were made to realize that they are missing something in life. I know that they have faced embarrassment from the society.

My friends who were unplaced during Campus have struggled more than me but now they are at par with others who were placed during campus selection. 

I am proud on my friends who have created their success story from scratch and I have a sense of respect for them.

When people who work hard and struggle get success then they inspire many people. I got selected during campus but that can hardly inspire someone. But, the success of my friends is special as they have crafted it on their own after struggling a lot and it makes it inspiring and beautiful.

PS- I have got many queries related to career guidance and so have provided links to some of my articles or answer that may help on the webpage  Career Advice & Guidance

 

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A True Story - Ek Cup Chai ( One Cup of Tea)

Chotu...ek cup chai lana ( Chotu, Please bring one cup of Tea)

When Raju was 13, he came to Mumbai to support his family. In Mumbai, he used to serve tea in offices. One day, one of the companies where he served tea, hired him as an office assistant. 

He was a class 6th dropout so they assigned him works like serving tea and coffee in the office, opening the office, cleaning and other odd jobs. But, Raju got a spark to learn and improve his life. He studied after his work hours and gave exams for clearing Class Xth. He failed in first attempt but didn't lose hope and cleared the exam in 2nd attempt. After that he cleared 10+2 through distance education. 

Not only this, side by side, he also learned about web development and the company made the wise decision of promoting him as a Web Developer.  Now, he is pursuing his graduation in commerce from Mumbai University. He is happily married and has a one-year old son. He wants to give his son a better education. So, he still has the fire to keep learning and improve his quality of life.

This is the story of Mr. Raju Yadav who is a web developer for Shaadi.com. I read about him few months ago and you can find news articles about him by googling " Raju Yadav Shaadi.com"

This story has inspired me to encourage two of our office boys to continue their education. They were also inspired from his story. Let's hope we get many more Raju. It has been rightly said that

"Jinke honslo mein udaan hoti hai wo aasmaan ki uchayion se nahi darte  "

( Those who have strong determination are not afraid of the challenges ahead of them)

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Career Advice: An Electronics fresher looking for off-campus job

(Note- This question was asked to me on a social network and the response was given there. I feel that it will benefit many people and hence I am sharing it here)

Question: I'am a B.Tech Graduate in Electronics and Instrumentation and I finished my Course this year in 2015 May.  I somehow missed out on the campus placements in my college and getting a job off campus is very difficult now as there are very less openings for freshers. Moreover getting a IT placement for and electronic graduate is quite difficult nowadays. I've written amcat and am trying for that as well but now at this stage even amcat is asking for experienced candidates. My financial situation stopped me from going for Higher studies, right now only getting a job is on my checklist. Please advice me on what to do and is it too late because its been 6 months I passed out and am taking this very seriously. I feel like am good for nothing and I go into depression.M basically from Goa, when I go there I feel distracted and good but when I return to Hyderabad I again feel that world is coming to an end. I definitely need support and advice because am really tensed about this and I'am the only one who has to support my family and there are many financial problems also.

Answer: You have made my job easily because you know what you want to do. Here are a few tips that will definitely help.  

1. You have read about my brother. So, will not repeat that campus placement is over-hyped. There is nothing to be depressed about it. Just chuck the negative thoughts.

2. Your communication skills is really good. It's a big advantage.

3. There are cheap coaching institutes in Hyderabad that teaches java/ other programming languages and make you a master within months. Don't panic. Learning is the only viable solution and best way and that's why I have made my brother do that in Bangalore.

4. Read on my blog about campus placement (just search campus on the right sidebar search option and u will love the articles. It will make u accept that your placement don't define who you are.

5. The struggle you do today will pay off someday . Nothing is wasted ever. And you are not good for nothing. You are equally blessed as those who are placed in campus.

6. Stay optimistic, keep learning and keep reminding yourself that all is well. You are not alone. You are going to shine soon. Don't feel ashamed. Tell people that you are looking for a job.

7. Don't feel burdened by family commitments. All will be alright, you have to work for 35-40 years.. It really doesn't matter if someone join workforce 6 months or 2 years later than their peers. Life is a marathon. Keep reminding yourself. The struggle is part of your journey. It is for some good cause.

8. Look for startups. Update your Nakuri and LinkedIn profile, brush up resume, cover letter.etc. 

9. Initially, as a fresher look for roles where you can learn and grow professionally. Don't bother much about the pay. Because after a year or so, when you have the right skills then people would be willing to pay more and hire knowledgeable candidates like you.

10. I know, I might have missed your concerns, they might be addressed in my articles. Go through it. Take your time and let me know if it helps or not. Also feel free to ask more specific questions.

Have a nice day!

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18 things not to do, if you are a budding entrepreneur ( startup founder)

Based on my personal experience with different companies of all sizes, in the capacity of a customer or a potential customer, I learned a lot about the traps which every budding entrepreneur must avoid to get successful in their venture. So, here I am offering the list of 18 things which you shouldn’t do, if you are a budding entrepreneur.

1. Don’t compromise with principles and ideals- It is highly recommended to write down your principles and ideals. A vision document will help you to stay focused all the times. But the world is changing fast and you have to keep evolving to keep pace with the needs of the society. Be flexible without compromising your principles and ideals so that you can adapt to any situation and come out with flying colours.  
2. Do networking and learn from others- Don’t shy away from building your contacts with all the people who can provide you valuable insight about your business. Learn to know people from the Industry you are trying to carve a path for you. Meet and Know people who can be a potential employee, co-founder, customer, adviser, brand ambassador, promoter, Investor and so on. Do something good for the society. Invest in your learning and share your knowledge- go to seminars, network with like minded people online on LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, etc or offline at Workshops, Conferences, Fairs, etc.
3. Don’t ignore your competitors- Keep a tab on what your competitors’ are doing.  You can learn from their success and failures. But, don’t try to copy them or you will end up being an inferior version of your competitor. Beat the competition by offering better products and services at a lesser price. Focus on the strengths and weaknesses of all the other players and carve a market for yourself where you can capitalize on the weaknesses of your competitors.
4. Don’t lose your loyal customers and employees- At the end of the day, business is all about people. (Learn from the mistakes of Flipkart), Rather than following benchmarks create benchmarks. Give more than one reason for your employees and customers to be loyal. Although, even by following the best practices, you cannot avoid attrition, but by being conscious about the needs of your employees and customers, you can manage the attrition within manageable limits.  You can recognize your employees and regular customers by giving them special privileges, doesn’t matter, how small it may be. They will appreciate your efforts and will be your lifelong admirer.
5. Don’t be afraid to try something new- It may be scary to take the road less travelled but it will yield outstanding results. Explore the possibilities and expand the market itself rather than fighting for one’s share in a smaller pie. You will always get an early mover advantage and by doing so you will do more good for yourself, your competitor, the customers and the nation at large.
6. Don’t forget to learn from your mistakes-   When we do new things, sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. We should neither get arrogant about our success nor should we get disappointed by our failures. You will gradually realize that the seeds of success are hidden in your failures. So, you must learn from your failures and keep trying till you are not getting success. . Failures are learning opportunities. Never get disappointed with Failure, learn from them and evolve yourself and transform your company.
7. Don’t get too excited about booking profit or getting acquired- At the outset, focus on building your company step by step. Don’t try to be a one-stop solution provider, all of a sudden. Money should be the by-product of your hard work and dedication. It can be anything but not the ultimate goal if you truly want to be successful. You must put your best efforts on building trust, and reputation.  Cheer someone without any reason. I was reading an article on Yourstory where Mr. Gaurav Munjal (CEO of Flat.To) asked his readers to go and fill their address at the end of the article if they want a book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone” as a gift. I did that without any expectation and was delighted to get that book with a personal message from him. Such kindness is amazing and really wins people. In this life, I will definitely do something that will pleasantly surprise him.
8. Don’t ignore your Family – You have to make a fine balance between your career and your family. At your deathbed, you will cherish more about the meaningful relationships that you cultivated. So, like you have planned to focus on growing your company. In the similar fashion, you must focus on taking your relationship with your parents, wife, children, relatives and friends to the next level. Sometimes, while truly enjoying what you do, you unknowingly offend your loved one by ignoring them; if you want to be a long term player then don’t be overenthusiastic. Balance your passion, aggression, risk taking ability, family, friends and employees. Always starve to be a better human being with each passing moment.
9. Don't ignore your USP- Where the market needs meet your passion then that is the right opportunity for you to bank on. It is very important to identify your USP and build your business around it.  You have to communicate about your USP to your customers so that they give you a preference over other established players while buying products or services.
10.  Don’t ignore the importance of mentor- You are here to play a Test Match and not a 20-20 Match. Getting a mentor will be a tough task but it will prove to be a game changer because the mentor will bring his/her specialties and experience with them. Also, be a mentor yourself for your employees.  Not only this, you can hire interns and train them. This will provide you better talent at affordable price and the trainee will gain from the experience of working on a live project. It will also help you appreciate your mentor more like a son understands his father after becoming a father himself.
11. Don’t try for Customer Satisfaction- No, I am not telling you to ignore your customers. In fact, I want you to delight your customers with your impeccable products and services. If they are delighted, then they will act as your brand ambassador. You must keep your Prices reasonable and engage your customers in the some of the decisions of the company through their feedbacks. It will give you an idea about the expectations of your customers.  Must read what this E-commerce company did to cheer up an unhappy customer.
12. Don’t expect everyone to respond positively about your initiatives- Enjoy the process of building and growing your business. Never let anything prevent you from the joy of living the life you chose for yourself. There may be difficult times but life is all about challenges and opportunities. Always remember that the journey is as beautiful as the destination. Learn to face apathy, neglect, failures, negative criticism and sudden attention when you get limelight.
13. Don’t let anyone steal your ideas- Learn about laws regarding copyright, patents and Intellectual Property rights. It is recommended to take expert advice for these things. Ignorance about these may spoil your hard work. You have to be tight-lipped about the key moves you are planning to make. So, protect your ideas from getting copied, launched and patented.
14. Don’t offer the same wine in different bottle- Aspire to create something which solves a current problem.  Don’t hope for immediate success; build your product & services- Day and Night. After all, Rome was not build in a day. Keep patience and keep working towards your goals. Keep doing your best and learn from your mistakes to improve the product or service you have to offer. Answer the question, why should people buy from you?
15. Don’t spend on Marketing- Rely only on word of mouth publicity at first, create a blog/social media profile and keep posting interesting articles which may or may not be promotional. Engage your audiences; no one will enjoy getting only promotional updates. If you can get the attention of your readers then they will do the rest. Also, get your website and app ready as soon as possible. Because, unless and until it is done no one takes you seriously. Once you have made substantial progress then launch a teaser on YouTube. Content is King. Good things will get free publicity and someday any influencer can promote it to larger audience and then there will be no looking back.
16. Don’t run behind big investors- It is a temptation to get investors early on. But getting them onboard very early may prove fatal as they are not here for love or passion like you. They want quick money and you may lose your freedom. So, it is very important to choose your investors wisely. It is recommended to build something good on your own first with your personal fund and here a co-founder is required. They will bring in with them an additional support system. Rely on your family and friend to generate first round of funding as they will not interfere in whatever you do. The timing of bringing in investors decides a lot about the trajectory of a company. Let your judgment prevails and you chose investor who don’t interfere with what you are doing. I am literally talking about sleeping partners, in a partnership, who are not keen to take up active roles in the company. For them, it will be like investing in Share Market where they can’t do much. So, those kinds of investors are preferred.
17. Don’t ignore your health- Don’t work 18 hours every day. It can be an exception but it should not be a norm. Bring discipline in your life else you will burn out. We are human; in fact, even sophisticated machines need rest and get wear and tear if not used with proper care. Nobody generally gives this advice to an entrepreneur but it is truly important for them. I have seen companies lose order when the founder got some prolonged illness after a heart attack. He lost goodwill and reliability as everyone thought that the Founder has stopped responding to calls and emails because he was unable to fulfill his contractual obligation. I have felt that many a times, customers don’t understand that such tragedy can also occur.  People may sympathize later but they will not give you jobs knowing that you are a one man army with a terrible heart condition. It’s so because, unfortunately, everyone is busy achieving their own targets and they don’t want to mess it up as we work in a eco-system where failure of one company has a knock on effect on the overall project.
18. Don’t ignore your moral and social responsibility- Do something selflessly for the society, country and the marginalized. Nothing can give you more satisfaction than bringing a smile on the face of people who are neglected and marginalized. If you can do something for them once in a while then you will feel more complete and blessed. Just few days ago, I was discussing with a Founder of a company and eventually came to know that he had brought 50 raincoats for all the people who work for him on a salary less than 20K. It was a nice gesture and he told that people were really nostalgic on getting this special treatment. His maid was so touched that she almost broke down telling that even her son has never brought any rain coat for her.  Another founder has taken the initiative to solve the problem of the illiterate people in villages by education them about all the government schemes available for them. This is a wonderful thing that he is doing for many years but he never spoke about this with us. But one day, when he realized that I am inclined towards volunteering then he shared this with me, I was just touched by his humble act.  

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Norway is beautiful, Isn't it?

Note- Click to view the pictures in full size. Enjoy!

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