8 �THE ECONOMIC TIMES | NEW DELHI / GURGAON | FRIDAY | 9 JUNE 2017Careers: The Fast Track

How do you keep your head when yousuddenly find yourself out of a job?It’s a problem an increasing num-

ber of people seem to be grappling with oflate, as they find themselves victims of lay-offs, automation or downsizing. Sreerad-ha D Basu gets you tips from experts onhow to best manage the transition till thenext opportunity comes knocking.

1. IDENTIFY SKILL GAPSIs cost-optimisation by companies the solereason or would you blame non-perfor-mance or redundant skills as well? Eventech disruption is rapidly automating va-rious jobs. At this juncture, all interim job-seekers could immensely help their causeby taking a long hard look at themselves.“Irrespective of the years of experience,every professional should periodically re-assess the marketability of their existingskillsets and identify their improvementareas by doing a skill-gap analysis,” saidRajeev Banduni, CEO, GrowthEnabler.

The most-in-demand skills by the end ofthis decade, as predicted by the World Eco-nomic Forum, are as follows: In 2020: Top 10 SkillsComplex problem solving

Critical thinkingCreativityPeople managementCoordinating with othersEmotional intelligenceJudgment and decision-makingService orientationNegotiationCognitive flexibility

2. ADD A NEW SKILLWith Industry 4.0 knocking at the door, thetopmost priority for CEOs is incessantgrowth despite competition. Thus it is ut-terly imperative for every professional toacquire new core skills that solve businessproblems such as increasing customer ac-quisition or boosting user confidence.“Doing a short certification course (quitea few online are free) or even pursuing anew hobby is a good idea,” said Kunal Sen,senior vice president, TeamLease Servi-ces.

3. ONLINE VISIBILITYThe world judges every book by its cover,and jobseekers are no exception, said Ban-duni. In today’s neo-digital age, to be so-ught after by the right people at the right ti-

me, it’s mandatory for all jobseekers to en-sure online visibility, accuracy and comp-leteness of their professional profile onnetworking sites such as LinkedIn and An-gelList, Sen said.

4. WORK ON YOUR PERSONAL BRANDBranding is a crucial component of orga-nisational success and it applies equally toindividuals. Do everything it takes to builda positive impression in the mind of poten-tial employers. “This includes updatingyour resume and updating your social me-dia presence to show off your latest workand skills,” said Sen.

5. NETWORKThis is the time to hustle; get out there andtalk to as many relevant people as possible,who may well be the ticket to your next job.“Speak with peers or seniors to get leads onjob opportunities as well as keep an eye onindustry trends,” said Sen.

6. STARTUP ADAPTABILITYWith the global startup ecosystem now dri-ving the dynamics of world business, cor-porate jobs are neither the sole beehive toswarm nor the most happening place to be,said Banduni. “Startups at various matu-rity stages are always looking for peoplewith corporate experience due to the de-arth of qualified talent in novel technolo-gies like data science, robotics, artificialintelligence, machine learning, etc,” he sa-

id. “Discounting the startup employmentoptions due to the risk of business conti-nuity and job stability is not something ca-reer experts would recommend.”

7. REMEMBER, THIS TOO SHALL PASSOften, situations such as these may triggersome bouts of self-doubt or depression,which may eventually lead to lack of confi-dence. Lohit Bhatia, business head-staf-fing at Ikya Human Capital Solutions, saidthat’s why professionals need to equate theunplanned breaks with those gaps in ga-mes wherein the coach makes one sit out afew games only to change the team. Duringthe period, the sportsperson is often askedto work on his or her style, talent or fitness.“Besides upgrading skills, spend some ti-me for fitness, sports, music – anythingthat interests you and allows positive tho-ughts,” said Bhatia. “Unplanned breakscould also be used to provide time for selfand family, which often takes a backseat inbusy careers. Use the downtime to get clo-ser to them.”

No matter how severe the situation mightseem today, with the support of family andfriends you will spring back to life andwork sooner than you realise, he said.

A 7-Point Survival Guide for those Between Jobs

‘Be a Humble Listener & Forceful Leader’

AKSHAY SAXENACo-founder, Avanti Learning Centres

My First Year at Work

The brief I was given and what I did in the first 100 days at work

MY FIRST PROJECT WAS to help de-velop a pricing strategy for a major cement manufacturer. The first 100 days were largely about learning how

to do the job. One of the most important areas where consultants add value is by synthesising information. For example, on this project I had to interview several distributors and customers and understand how they looked at pricing. I then summarised these findings and combined this with primary research on pricing trends in the industry to come up with recommendations. I had to work very closely with my supervisor to learn how to communicate what I had found in a clear, concise and compelling way.

The best leader-ship lesson I learnt

I WASFORTU-NATETO work with people who were incredibly

humble. They always ap-proached problems with a desire to learn and listen. At the same time they trusted their own ability and were not shy of being forceful once they had formed an opinion. This balance between being a humble listener and a forceful leader was an im-portant lesson.

How I had fun at workI WAS FREQUENTLY ONthe road and living in small towns. I really en-joyed meeting the local community and spending time getting to know them. Some of my favour-ite memories are from evenings spent with truck drivers in rural Karnataka.

My biggestinnovation

ON ONE OFMY early projects, our team had built a complex mathe-

matical model to help the company manage product shipments and truck logis-tics. However, when we started to implement it, we realised that the solution and tool were too complex for the staff managing the process.I spent a few months work-ing with the staff to create a significantly simplified pro-cess (smarter queuing) that could be implemented by runners on bicycles and a simple pen-and-paper reg-ister on the site. This was really successful and was adapted to be used across the company. (As told to Varuni Khosla)

My first jobI WORKED AS A business analyst at the Boston Consulting Group. In this role I was expected to use data, stakeholder interviews and industry analysis to help

companies make better decisions, develop and implement new strategic initiatives.

Our Bureau

Mumbai | New Delhi: In a bid to bu-ild a culture of research much liketheir Ivy League counterparts, thecountry’s leading tech schools, ma-nagement institutes and universiti-es are stepping up their focus on a fa-culty pool oriented toward this keyaspect of academic life. The likes ofthe Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Kanpur, Indian School of Busi-ness (ISB), Indian Institute of Mana-gement (IIM) Calcutta along withnew-age institutes such as BennettUniversity, among others, are goingall out to encourage faculty mem-bers to pursue research across disci-plines on par with global standards.

“We tell our faculty that we have tocompete intellectually with theStanfords and Whartons of theworld to become a global brand. Wecan’t think about beating the systemlocally,” said ISB dean Rajendra Sri-vastava.

The institute thus expects its facul-ty to publish in leading global jour-nals while a reward system has beenset up to compete internally. Annualraises and other incentives at ISB

are driven by the quality of researchand teaching along with impact.

“Research is getting more impor-tant. Industry is ahead of academiain research and the pace of researchhas changed, ideas are generatedfaster and faster. Our research mustaddress issues related to the future,”Srivastava said.

Bennett University vice chancellorYaj Medury said research-orientedfaculty members are committed togenerating knowledge and ideas toenhance practices and learning inthe classroom.

“Faculty at top universities, suchas the Ivy League and others, gene-rally pioneer ideas with broad im-pact, using an interdisciplinary app-roach and, in the process, contributeto advancements and bodies ofknowledge. Indian institutes need tomove in sync with this process,” saidMedury. Bennett University is partof the Times of India Group, whichpublishes ET.

Bennett University has seen a re-cent influx of faculty from the IITs.The teaching load at the universityis lesser at about eight to 10 hours aweek, giving high-profile facultymembers time to work on their own

research. Older schools such as the IITs and

IIMs are encouraging faculty rese-arch in a big way as well. IIM Calcut-ta, for instance, has a research grantpolicy that runs on internally gene-

rated funds. Faculty members are gi-ven anywhere from .̀ 3 lakh to .̀ 50lakh to pursue specific projects.

IIM Calcutta faculty members aresent to international conferences sothat they are familiar with state-of-the-art research and teaching, bothnon-negotiable components of theacademic agenda.

“These measures have generated asignificant increase in the numberof publications and research-orien-ted work. It also helps in internatio-nal rankings and accreditation,” sa-id IIM Calcutta director Saibal Chat-topadhyay. “By today’s yardstick, ifa higher learning institute has tosurvive and move ahead, research isthe only way forward.”

IIT Kanpur director Indranil Man-na agreed, adding that there are pri-marily three kinds of professionalsengaged in research—academics,R&D labs and industry.

“Industry thinks of providing solu-tions for today; R&D for tomorrowand academia for the distant tomor-row. We need all three,” said Manna.“Without research, we cannot createnew knowledge. Unless we innovate,in tomorrow’s market we will be ren-dered redundant.”

India’s Top Schools Intensify Focuson Research-Oriented FacultyIIMs, IITs, Bennett University among those stressing the importance of research

WAYS TO

We are all faced with situations that can make us lose our cool on a daily basis. But staying calm and chalking out the right course of action is the key when your boss is a bully. Varuni Khosla finds out five ways by which you can overcome a bully boss.

Deal with a Boss Whois a Bully

3 Be Professional‘Stay Calm’ is the mantra, yet it is easier said than done. Yet, in a professional environment, one needs to maintain a neutral de-meanour. Professionals should curb their urge to react, especial-ly when dealing with bullying bosses. Not all statements require a retort. At no stage should one appear unprofessional due to emotional instability. This leaves a negative impression among col-leagues and managers alike. “Also, one must keep a neutral tone when interacting with such bosses in public and not engage in slanging matches,”says Kapoor.

Avoidance is Key1Some people can’t progress with-out pulling people down, they are bullies by nature, so you must avoid giving them an excuse to lash out at you. Such people can-not be avoided, so tact comes to play here. When needed, confront them and be completely prepared with data and follow-ups, so you don’t seem accusatory without ev-idence. Bullies require fuel (or ex-cuses) to get fired up, so always be on your guard. To avoid any con-troversial conversations especial-ly in public meetings, viewpoints can be shared individually, says Rohit Kapoor, chief operating of-ficer-South Asia at EFS Facilities Services.

Have Calm Talk2If your boss’s behaviour is nega-tive and is affecting your confi-dence, alongside the ability to perform, try and express your discomfort in a private conversa-tion, preferably over a coffee at a non-official place. Put your point across firmly without being accu-satory. Discuss the actual prob-lems of any given task/assign-ment with your boss and ask him/her to give his inputs. If you show your genuine intent in achieving your goals and have valid reasons for being unable to achieve it, people do understand. Don’t go and have a conversation with him if he is simply unaware of how his comments are affect-ing you, you will naturally be less bellicose, says Rajiv Kumar, CEO, StoreHippo.

No Personal TalkNever divulge or discuss matters which are personal/family related with your bullying boss. This can provide them an undue advan-tage to emotionally exploit your vulnerabilities. Avoid unneces-sary complications in the office and keep it all about work, al-ways, said Kapoor.

5

Speak to a MentorUsually, mentors are trusted col-leagues and will guide you in the right direction whenever you face a problem. You could also reach out to the HR. Owing to their prior experience in dealing with such situations, they can help you effectively as they are reasonably far removed from the situation, said Kumar of StoreHippo.

4

ANIRBAN BORA

LVB AppointsPart-Time ChairmanNew Delhi: Lakshmi Vilas Bank onThursday informed the stock ex-change that subsequent to approvalgranted by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI), the board of directors of thebank at their meeting have co-optedBK Manjunath as additional directorin the category of non-executive andindependent director. At its meetingheld on June 6, the board also appoin-ted BK Manjunath as part-time chair-man for a tenure of three years. Man-junath is a member of Institute ofChartered Accountants of India anda practicing charted accountant forthe last 25 years. He has experienceand knowledge in project financing,business administration and mana-gement. ANI

San Francisco: Micro-blogging web-site Twitter has hired Emily Horne asits new communications director tohandle policy and user safety issues.

Horne will start from June 19 as glo-bal policy communications directorand report to Kristin Binns, senior di-rector of comms, Twitter. “Hornewill oversee Twitter’s messaging andcommunications for all things rela-ted to Twitter policy, including issuesof abuse, hate speech and user priva-cy,” ReCode reported on Thursday.

Horne was associated with the Na-tional Security Council as assistantpress secretary where she handledmessaging around anti-ISIL counter-terrorism initiatives and also briefedgovernment security officials. IANS

Twitter Hires Emily Horneto Foresee Policy Issues