Wednesday, January 24, 2007

PLANNING HOLIDAYS - 2007

It always pays to plan your holidays in advance . Most of the organisations especially MNCs have a culture of mandatory leaves ( 10 -15 leaves in a stretch ) , otherwise also you always get around 25- 30 leaves a year . Plan wisely to make them look longer .

This would certainly help you , ( assuming five day week , saturday -sunday off )

Apply for Leave from 26-Dec-06 till 29-Dec-06 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 10 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 16-Jan-07 till 19-Jan-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 16-Jan-07 till 25-Jan-07 ( a total of : 8 days ) and you are going to get a total of 16 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 20-Mar-07 till 23-Mar-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 02-Apr-07 till 05-Apr-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 31-Apr-07 till 04-May-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 13-Aug-07 till 17-Aug-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 01-Oct-07 till 05-Oct-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 9 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 29-Oct-07 till 09-Nov-07 ( a total of : 4 days ) and you are going to get a total of 16 holidays.

Apply for Leave from 24-Dec-07 till 04-Jan-08 ( a total of : 8 days ) and you are going to get a total of 17 holidays.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

THE JOB OFFER

I must say that after doing jobs for a couple of years or more , we all realize that all that matters to make any place a “great place to work” is the job itself . What you are doing is what matters . If you get a job that entices you , even if it’s not exactly your hobby but you enjoy doing it , you’ll call any place a Great place to work.

Let me caveat this , do ensure that you check out for these things before you take up any new job.

Job Description
It’s the brief of your job containing your key responsibilities , key relationships and at times even authorities . It’s the brief which is given to the consultants by the organizations for hiring . Do ask for it , this is what would constitute your core job. Once you get this , make sure to discuss the same with HR or the Functional Managers to ensure that your understanding is correct. It’s never guaranteed that you’ll do exactly as the written thing but your job would certainly revolve around this.

Organization Structure
The corporate web you need to know . Ask clearly where do you fit in the organization chart . Be clear on your supervisor (s) , direct reports , indirect reports , people you need to have working relationship . Gather details about their scope of job & their grades

Designation / Hierarchy
Nothing is more confusing in life that this , there are internal designations , functional designations , bands , grades and what not .

Example : One person could be Deputy Vice President at Grade 3A and his business card reading as Director – Procurement .

Well you need to check what would be your functional designation ( usually what appears on your business card or to external world ) , your internal designation & your position in the hierarchy ( band or grade ).

Always consult people to find contacts in the organization you are planning to join , ask questions , ask more questions and then take your own call , All the best

Saturday, January 20, 2007

CEEEEE TEEEE CEEEE ( CTC ).. Myth you are living with

Cost to Company or CTC as it's popularly called , amazing word it is . Mere use of this word inflates your salary ( may be ego , status & respect also) . We love to flaunt this , be it ex - colleague , relatives , friends , family or any body on the street . How far this is from reality is known to ; your spouse ( it's difficult to hide your salary from them ) or your account where your salary is getting credited .

My idea of this post is that you may keep happily using this word till you are not fooling your self or getting fooled by your employer ( present or prspective ).

Actually when it comes to salary truth can be divided in two :

Monthly : Right side bottom of your salary slip i.e what get's credited
Annually / Half Yearly : Bonus as credited in your account .

What bloats CTC artificially ? Let's study some of these factors , you must know this . Check out your offer letter / appointment letter or promise of your placement consultant

House Rent Allowance ( HRA ) :
Check the finer print , it varies from location to location . You might get transferred to Indore and your package may mention your HRA as per Mumbai . See how your real salary reduces .

Interest on Loans :
You may be offered a subsidised loan and the difference would be added to your package aka CTC . Check out for :
  1. What's the difference in the rate of interest calculation ?
  2. When you'll be elligible for this loan?
  3. Any clause that says that in case you leave with 2/3/4 years this portion would be reversed
Bonus :
Biggest of myths , your package may include performance bonus at a certian rate , check out for :
  1. When you'll be elligible for this ?
  2. How this has been calculated ? Average , At least or Maximum Elligible

Allowances :

At times you may find whole lot of allowances included in your package , Beware and check out for :

  1. Whether payable monthly or annually?
  2. Any elligibility condition?
  3. Any expenditure proof required ?

These some of the artificial inflationers , do check out for the complete offer carefully ask questions ( as many times as you want ) and then decide .

Till then keep quoting your CTCs happilly to the world ( Indian government or thier employees are still happy quoting their basic salary scales and actually their take home is much more than that including DA etc )

Must say that some organisations have started simplifying this CTC concept and are quoting what can be actually called WYSIWYG.

What you see is what you get , Can you say this for your salary and appointment letter ?

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

TAG LINES - THEY SAY IT ALL

"Just Do it" or "Impossible is nothing" , they say it all about the organisation's attitude , thier products and the thought of the organisations..

Here are some interesting ones .

Electronics
"Buy it. Sell it. Love it." ~ eBay
"Challenge everything" ~ EA Games
"Connecting people." ~ Nokia
"Do you have the bunny inside?" ~ Energizer Max, since 2000s
"EA Sports. It's in the game" ~ EA Sports
"Get N or get out." Nintendo 64, late 1990s
"Hello Tosh, gotta Toshiba?" ~ Toshiba, 1984, Gold Greenlees Trott
"intelligence everywhere" ~ Motorola
"Is it live, or is it Memorex? " ~ Memorex video cassettes, 1970s or 1980s on
"It's a Sega Genesis, it's a SegaCD, and it's a Portable CD Player!" ~ Sega of America, marketing the Sega CDX console in 1994.
"It takes AGES to be as good as SEGA" ~ SEGA Saturn Console
"It's a Sony." ~ Sony
"Keeps going and going and going." ~ Energizer Batteries, began 1980s or 1990s
"Let's Make Things Better" ~ Philips
"Live in your world, play in ours." ~ Sony Playstation and Playstation 2 gaming consoles
"Make yourself heard" ~ Ericsson
"Neighbour's envy, owner's pride" ~ Onida TV (India)
"No battery is stronger longer." ~ Duracell Batteries, 1990s
"Now You're Playing With Power!" ~ Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, mid-1980s to mid-1990s
"One that Last" ~ Duracell Batteries ~ late-1980s
"See what the future has in store." ~ Future Shop
"Sense and Simplicity" ~ Philips
"Thousands of possibilities. Get yours." ~ Best Buy
"Touching is good" ~ Nintendo DS
"We bring good things to life." ~ GE (General Electric)
"You can't top the copper top" ~ Duracell Batteries, early to mid 1990s
"You've got questions, we've got answers." ~ Radio Shack
"Play It Loud". ~ Game Boy and Super Nintendo Entertainment System ~ 1994 to 1997
"Welcome to the Next Level". ~ Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Sega CD and Sega 32X
"PSP. Hells Yeah." ~ PSP
"Hello Moto" ~ Motorola
"Global Network of innovations" - Siemens AG
"Seamless mobility" ~ Motorola
"For a better world for you." ~ T-Mobile
"Play B3yond." ~ Playstation 3
"Wii would like to play." ~ Wii


Computing
"On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984". ~ Apple Computer
"Buy Opera today... And make this banner go away" ~ Opera
"Can you hear me now? ...Good!" ~ Verizon wireless
"Do you... Yahoo!?" ~ Yahoo!
"Dude, you're getting a Dell" ~ Dell Computer 1990s
"e-business solutions" ~ IBM, 2000s
"on demand" ~ IBM, 2005
"Easy as Dell" ~ Dell Computer
"Everything is Easier on a Mac" ~ Apple Computer, 2000s
"GEO, the Logical Choice" ~ Geologix
"GNU is Not Unix" ~ Free Software Foundation
"In a world full surrounded by Windows, we're handing out rocks" ~ BeOS Radio
"Inspire me. Surprise me. AMD me." ~ AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)
"Intel inside" ~ Intel
"Invent." ~ Hewlett-Packard
"[It's] so easy to use, no wonder it's number one" ~ AOL
"It's better with the butterfly" ~ Microsoft (for MSN 8 internet service provider)
"It's the Internet that logs onto you" ~ SBC-Yahoo! DSL
"Jump in" ~ Xbox 360
"Multimedia You Can Use" ~ Apple Computer, 1990s
"Once you go Mac. You'll never go back" ~ Apple Computer
"Play More" ~ Xbox 360
"Power is Macintosh" ~ Apple Computer, 1990s
"Purely You." ~ Dell Computer
"Rip. Mix. Burn" ~ Apple Computer
"So powerful, it's kind of ridiculous" ~ 3dfx (for Voodoo 3 cards)
"The Network is the Computer." ~ Sun Microsystems
"The power to be your best" ~ Apple Computer, 1990s
"Think" ~ IBM, 1914
"Think different" ~ Apple Computer, Chiat/Day, 1997–
"Think outside the box" ~ Apple Computer, 1990s
"Welcome to the World Wide Wow" ~ AOL (play on World Wide Web)
"Where do you want to go today?" ~ Microsoft, 1996
"Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia" ~ Wikipedia
"Your Potential. Our Passion. Microsoft." ~ Microsoft
"The Browser You Can Trust" + "Rediscover the Web" + "The browser, reloaded" ~ Firefox,Mozilla 2004-present
"Do me a favor, plug me into a Sega" ~ Sega
"The Difference is Dell" ~ Dell
"Who are you?" ~ Nintendo in general


Recordings
"America's Best Record" ~ Puritan Records
"Comparison With the Living Artist Reveals No Difference" ~ Edison Records
"Each Record a Masterpiece" ~ Van Dyke Records
"Echo Around the World" ~ Edison Records
"First with the Hits" ~ Mercury Records
"Hear What You Like ~ When You Like" ~ Rex Records
"If it ain't Stiff it ain't worth a fuck." ~ Stiff Records
"If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly— If it's a Hillbilly, it's a King" ~ King Records
"Is it live, or is it Memorex?"
"Never Scratches" ~ Lyric Records
"His Master's Voice" ~ RCA Victor


Banking
"Another Way" ~ Natwest
"A Passion to Perform" ~ Deutsche Bank
"Advice you can bank on" ~ Dresdner Bank
"New answer in banking ~ West LB
"Ideas ahead" ~ Commerzbank
"The world's local bank" ~ HSBC
"The better we know you, the more can we do" ~ ANZ New Zealand
"One step ahead" ~ ASB Bank
"Redefining the Community Bank for a new century" ~ Sun National Bank
"There's opportunity here" ~ BB&T Corporation


Fashion
"A diamond is forever." ~ De Beers Consolidated Mines, 1948–present (invented by Frances Gerety)
"Between love and madness lies Obsession." ~ Calvin Klein, 1985
"Children's shoes have far to go." ~ Start-Rite Shoes, 1945, Stanley Studios
"Can't stop walking" ~ Titas Footwear India
"Create a storm" ~ Monsoon
"Makes fashion fashionable" ~ Beissel
"Every kiss begins with Kay" ~ Kay Jewelers
"Fcuk advertising" ~ French Connection United Kingdom, 1990s
"For successful living" ~ Diesel
"Hello boys" ~ Playtex Wonderbra
"Impossible is nothing." ~ Adidas
"It takes a licking and keeps on ticking." ~ Timex Corporation, 1956
"Just do it" ~ Nike, Inc. (foot wear), 1988-on, Wieden & Kennedy
"Lifts and separates" ~ Playtex Cross-Your-Heart bra, 1960s.
"Maybe she's born with it ~ maybe it's Maybelline" ~ Maybelline
"Rugs, It's what we do. It's all we do. And we do it better than anyone else. ~ H.A.G Carpets
"Scent to bed" ~ French Connection United Kingdom
"I am what I am" ~ Reebok
"Because you're worth it" ~ L'oreal Cosmetics
"Fuel your instinct" ~ Salomon footwear


Food and drink


General
"Amul, The taste of India" ~ Amul, a dairy co-operative movement (India).
"57 Varieties" ~ H. J. Heinz Company
"Beanz Meanz Heinz" ~ Heinz Baked Beans
"Beef. It's what's for dinner." ~ Cattlemen's Beef Board
"Betcha can't eat just one" ~ Lay's potato chips
"Bring out the Hellmann's(Best Food's West of the Rocy Mntns), and bring out the best" ~ Best Foods and Hellmann's Mayonnaise
"Bring out the Branston!" ~ (pickle)
"Every little helps" ~Tesco
"For mash get Smash" ~ Smash instant mashed potatoes, 1974, Boase Massimi Pollitt
"How do you handle a hungry man? The Manhandlers." ~ Campbell's Soup "Manhandler" product line
"An Interview with Richard J. Mercer", Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II, 1995-11-17 (accessed 2006-05-13)
ad image at From the Alamo City blog, 2006-05-05 (accessed 2006-05-13)
"I ate all the Frusen Glädjé!" ~ Frusen Glädjé
"Is it soup yet?" ~ Lipton Soup
"It's the way it shatters that matters" ~ Violet Crumble
"If you got the munchies, nothing else will do! ~ Hostess potato chips
"If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit join our Club" ~ Jacob's Club
"It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken." ~ Perdue, 1972, Scali, McCabe & Sloves
"King of good times." ~Kingfisher Beer, (India).
"Jazz it up!" ~ Zattaran's rice products
"The man from Del Monte, he says yes" ~ canned fruits
"M'm! M'm! Good!" ~ Campbell's Soup
My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R
My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R Oh, I love to eat it every day, and if you ask me why, I'll say, "'Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A." ~ Oscar Mayer Bologna song
"Nowt taken out" ~ Allinsons bread
"Once you pop the fun don't stop." ~ Pringles
"Only the best for the Captain's table" ~ Birdseye
"Ore-Ida! It's all-righta!" ~ Ore-Ida
"Pork, the other white meat."
"Shouldn't your baby be a Gerber baby?" ~ Gerber Products Company
"The incredible, edible egg."
The American Egg Board;
"There's always room for J-E-L-L-O", Jell-O
"They're waffly versatile" ~ Bird's Eye Potato Waffles
"You'll never put a better bit of butter on your knife" ~ Country Life butter
"More reasons to shop at Morrisons" ~ WM Morrison's
The slogan is intended to be read in a Northern English accent, which makes "More reasons" sound similar to "Morrisons"
"We answer to a higher authority." ~ Hebrew National hot dogs
"When it rains, it pours." ~ Morton Salt (1911)
"You don't have to be silly to drink TK, but it helps!" ~ TK minerals (Irish fizzy drinks)
" With a name like Smuckers....it has to be good ~ (Smuckers)


Beverages
"Got Milk?" ~ California Milk Processor Board (1993 - present)
"Milk. It does a body good." (pre '95)
"It's not just for breakfast anymore." ~ Florida Orange Juice Growers Association
"Pure Life" ~ Nestle Aberfoyle Natural Spring Water, 2002 or 2003?
"They drink it in the Congo" ~ Um Bongo
"Unleash the power of the sun" – Sunny Delight
"Watch out, there's a Humphrey about!" ~ Unigate milk


Beer and liquor
"Aldo knows what women like." ~ Asti Spumante
"A Double Diamond works wonders" ~ Double Diamond
"After Dark" ~ Tia Maria
"Australians wouldn't give a Castlemaine XXXX for anything else" ~ Australian Beer
"Brilliant!" - Guinness
"Don't be vague, ask for Haig" - Haig Scotch Whisky
"The cream of Manchester" ~ Boddington's
"For all you do, this Bud's for you" ~ Budweiser
"For great lager, follow the bear" Hoffmeister lager
"Fosters ~ Australian for Beer" ~ Fosters Australian Beer
"From the Land of Sky-Blue Waters" ~ Hamm's Beer
"Guinness is good for you" ~ Guinness
"Hey Mabel ~ Black Label" ~ Black Label
"I Am Canadian" ~ Molson Canadian beer
"It can only be Heineken" ~ Heineken
"It Starts Here" ~ Molson Canadian beer - 2005
"It's Miller time!" ~ Miller High Life
"It's Tankard that helps you excel - after one you'll do anything well!" ~ Whitbread early 1970s
"Keep Walking" ~ Johnnie Walker
"Tastes Great. Less Filling" ~ Miller Lite, 1974, McCann-Erickson Worldwide
"The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous" ~ Schlitz
"The Champagne of Beers" ~ Miller High Life
"The King of Good Times" ~ United Breweries
"There's no taste like Stones" ~ Stones Bitter
"Made from beer" ~ Carlton Draught
"My goodness, my Guinness" ~ Guinness
"No Nonsense" ~ John Smith's
"Old Milwaukee, tastes as great as its name" ~ Old Milwaukee, circa late 1970s
"Probably the best lager in the world" ~ Carlsberg
"Reassuringly expensive." ~ Stella Artois, 1981, Lowe Howard-Spink
"Red Barrel men say the same again to a fistful of flavour - first class beer!" ~ Watneys keg bitter 1970s
"Refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach" ~ Heineken lager, 1974
"Schaeffer's is the one beer to have when you're having more than one!" ~ Schaeffers Beer, Circa 1970s
"The right one" ~ Martini
"Tick follows tock follows tick follows tock" ~ Guiness (surfer advert)
"WASSSSSUP?!" ~Budweiser
"Watchin' the game, havin' a Bud. ~Budweiser
"We drink all we can. The rest we sell." ~ Utica Club, 1965, Doyle Dane Bernbach
"Weekends are made for Michelob" ~ Michelob Beer, circa 1980s
"Why ask why? Try Bud Dry" ~ Budweiser early 1990s
"What a refreshing change" ~ Woodpecker cider
"Your best bet for a fuller flavour" ~ Carlin Black Label lager (1980s)
"What we want is Watney's." ~ Watney's
"Red Stripe: It's beer. HOORAY BEER!" ~ Red Stripe Jamacian lager
"Probably the best beer in the world!" - Carlsberg
"The Beck's Experience" - Beck's
"Good. Better. Paulaner." - Paulaner
"Enjoyed by mates for 130 years" - Speights


Coffee
"Celebrate the Moments of Your Life" ~ General Foods International Coffees
"Coffee at its best" ~ Nescafé Gold Blend
"Good to the last drop." ~ Maxwell House coffee (1926 ~ present)
Coined by Theodore Roosevelt in 1907; adopted as Maxwell House's tagline in 1926
"Sanka...Everything You Love About Coffee" ~ Sanka
"The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup." ~ Folgers Coffee (Procter & Gamble)
"Get back your 'oo' with Typhoo"
"Like tea used to be" ~ Yorkshire Tea
"Time out for tiny little tea leaves in Tetley Tea"
"Typhoo puts the T in Britain, the T that stands for taste"
"It's all about you" ~ Nescafé
"What else?" ~ Nespresso
"America Runs On Dunkin" ~ Dunkin' Donuts
"Fill it to the rim...with Brim" ~ Brim


Carbonated soft drinks
"You don't have to be silly to drink TK, but it helps" red lemonade, Taylor Keith
"All the sugar, and twice the caffeine" (of regular cola) ~ Jolt Cola, 1980s
"Barq's has bite" ~ Barq's root beer
"Do the Dew" ~ Mountain Dew, 1990s, 2000s
"Drink Barq's. It's Good." ~ Barq's sarsaparilla drink
"Drink Canada Dry ~ Canada Dry
"Taste the Thunder" ThumsUp
"Every bubble's passed its fizzical" ~ Corona, 1970s
"Get busy with the fizzy" ~ Soda Stream
"I'm a secret lemondae drinker" ~ R. White's
"It's a red thing" ~ Tizer
"It's frothy man" ~ Cresta
"Made in Scotland from girders" ~ Irn Bru
"Make mine Moxie"
"Obey your thirst" ~ Sprite
"Schhh! You know who?" ~ Schweppes, 1962
"The totally tropical taste" ~ Lilt
"The Uncola" ~ 7-Up, 1973, J Walter Thompson
"What's the worst that can happen?" ~ Dr Pepper
"Who's your soda?" ~ Red Fusion soft drink, Dr Pepper, 2002
"You know when you've been Tango'd" ~ Tango soft drink, 1994, HHCL
"It Gives You Wings" ~ Red Bull
"Make 7-Up Yours! ~ 7-Up
"Be a pepper, Drink Dr Pepper" ~ Dr Pepper
"World Famous in New Zealand" ~ L&P, 1990s


Coca Cola
"11:30, Diet Coke break..."
"Always Coca Cola" ~ 1990s
"It's the real thing" ~ 1941
"Just for the taste of it...Diet Coke"
"Life is Good" ~ 2001
"The pause that refreshes" ~ 1929
"The real thing" ~ late-1980s
"Real"-2005 & early 2006
"Thanda matlab Coca Cola" (in Hindi, an Indian language). It means "If its a cool drink, Its a Coke"
"Its your Heimspiel" ~ coca cola (for the FIFA Soccer Worldcup 2006 in Germany)
"Have a Coke and a Smile" -1979
"Coke is it!" -1982
"Live on the coke side of life" - 2006
"Enjoy"


Pepsi Cola
"Ask For More" ~ 2000, mainly in much of Europe.
"All the taste, 1/3 of the calories", Pepsi Max, 1993
"Lipsmackin' thirstquenchin' acetastin' motivatin' goodbuzzin' cooltalkin' highwalkin' fastlivin' evergivin' coolfizzin' Pepsi" ~ 1973, Boase Massimi Pollitt
"Pepsi ~ for those who think young"
"Same time tomorrow?" ~ Diet Pepsi, 1990s
"Uh-Huh! (You got the right one!)" ~ Diet Pepsi, 1991
"The Joy of Cola" ~ 1999
"Nothing official about it" [during cricket world cup 1996]
"Yeh Dil Maange More" (in Hindi, an Indian language). It means "My Heart wants More"
"Pepsi. The Choice of a New Generation"[1984]
"Have a Pepsi Day" [1977]


Breakfast cereals
"Apples, hazlenuts, bananas, raisins, coconuts, sultanas" ~ Kellogg's Fruit'n'Fiber
"Because four is better than one." ~ Cheerios (Australia, 2000s)
"Breakfast of Champions" ~ Wheaties, 1935, Blackett-Sample-Gummert (later "The Breakfast of Champions" into the 1990s)
"Bet you can't eat three" ~ Shredded Wheat
"Can't Get Enough of That Golden Crisp"
"Central heating for kids" ~ Ready Brek porridge
"Cocoa Wheat, Cocoa Wheat, can't be beat!It's the creamy hot cereal with the cocoa treatTo be big and strong, have lots of funEat Cocoa Wheat everyone!" ~ Cocoa Wheat
"I'm Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs"
"Everyone loves my Cocoa Krispies" ~ Kellogg's
"Gotta have my pops!" ~ Corn Pops
"Have you had your Weetabix?"
"I'd rather have a bowl of Coco Pops"
"Just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy" ~ Coco Pops
"Kid tested. Mother approved." ~ Kix
"Makes Red Blood!" ~ Grape-Nuts
"Mikey likes it" ~ Life cereal
"Nobody can say no to the honey nut Os in Honey Nut Cheerios"
"Not too heavy, not too light, its just right!" ~ Kellogs Just Right
"Race for the taste, the honey sweet taste!, the honey-nutty taste of Honey Nut Cheerios"
"Shot from Guns!" ~ Quaker Puffed Rice
"Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids"
"Snap, Crackle, and Pop" ~ Kellogg's Rice Krispies
"Tell them about the honey, mummy" ~ Sugar Puffs
"The One and Only Cereal that Comes in the Shape of Animals" ~ Crispy Critters
"They're grrreat!" ~ Kellogg's Frosted Flakes/Frosties
"Thery're Magicaly Delicous" [Lucky Charms]
"They're tasty, tasty, very very tasty / They're very tasty" ~ Kellogg's Bran Flakes
"Kiwi kids, are weetbix kids" ~ [Weetbix]


Candy (sweets, lollies)
"A glass and a half of milk in every pound" ~ Cadbury's Dairy Milk
"Earth; What you'd eat if you lived on Mars" ~ Mars Bar
"A hazelnut in every bite" ~ Topic
"A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play" ~ in the United Kingdom and Canada
"A Milky Way Today. At work, rest and play!" (Milky Way is also made by Mars)
"A minty bit stronger" ~ Trebor Mints
"A taste of paradise" ~ Bounty
"All because the lady loves Milk Tray" ~ Cadbury's Milk Tray chocolates, 1970s
"Break out of the ordinary" ~ Nestle's Butterfinger
"Do you eat the red ones last?" ~ Smarties, 1970s or 80s on until the early 90s, revived around 2002 or 2003
"Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo" ~ Rolo confectionery
"The freshmaker!" ~ Mentos
"Full of Eastern Promise" ~ Fry's Turkish Delight
"Give me a break! Give me a break! Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!"
"Have a break, have a Kit Kat"
"Hungry? Graba a Snickers"
"The longer lasting snack" ~ Twix
"Made to make your mouth water" ~ Opal Fruits
"Ambassador, with these Ferrero Roché you're really spoiling us"
"Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!" ~ Nestle's Butterfinger (featuring Bart Simpson and other characters from The Simpsons)
"Not going anywhere for a while? Grab a Snickers."
"One two many and you might turn Bertie" ~ Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts
"Only Smarties have the answer"
"See the face you love light up with Terry's All Gold" ~ chocolates
"Snickers satisfies"
"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't." ~ Peter Paul Almond Joy & Peter Paul Mounds, 1953, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample
"Riiiicolaaaaa" ~ Ricola
"The lighter way to enjoy chocolate" ~ Maltesers
"The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand." ~ M&Ms (1954)
"The sweet you can eat between meals without losing your appetite" ~ Milky Way
"There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's." ~ Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
"Too good to hurry mints" ~ Murry Mints
"Two For Me! None for you"- Twix
"What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" ~ early 1990s, early 2000s
"Where's the cream filling?" Hostess cakes
"WotalotIgot!" ~ Smarties, 1961, JWT
"Skittles...taste the rainbow" Skittles
"How will you eat yours?" ~ Cadbury's Creme Egg
"Need a moment? Grab a Snickers."
"When you've got a snack gap, Twix fits."
"makes a nice light snack" coffie crisp


Fast food
"Have it your way." ~ Burger King
"You're the boss." ~ Burger King
"If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face" ~ Carl's Jr.
"Jack's back" ~ Jack in the Box fast food restaurant
"Nobody does chicken like KFC" ~ KFC, 2000-Present
"Finger lickin' good!" ~ KFC, 1980's
"Pizza! Pizza!" ~ Little Caesars restaurants
"The burgers are better at Hungry Jack's"
"Think outside the bun." ~ Taco Bell, late-1990s, early 2000s
"Where's the beef?" ~ Wendy's Restaurants, 1984-, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample
"Yo quiero Taco Bell" ~ mid-1990s
"You've always got time for Tim Hortons" ~ mid-to-late-1990s-on
"In-N-Out, In-Out, That's what a hamburgers all about." In-N-Out Burger
"Quality you can taste." In-N-Out Burger
"It's jack-a-licious!" ~ Jack-in-the-Box fast-food chain (coined by RuPaul)

McDonalds
See: McDonald's TV campaigns and slogans
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. ~ Big Mac sandwich
"I'm lovin' it" ~ in a 2003 international campaign
"It's the things that make you go Mmmmm."
"Did somebody say...McDonald's?"
"Smile."
"Put a smile on, put a smile on. Everybody come on, put a smile on" ~ (advertised to children)
"Put a smile on." Happy Meal, 2001-2002
"We love to see you smile"
"You deserve a break today"
"Have you had your break today?"
(nah, nah, nah) ~ sung non-sense words, 2003
I'm loving it - India, 2005


Pet food
In tests, eight out of ten owners said their cats preferred it. ~ Whiskas
Quoted in the title of a television programme as "8 out of 10 cats", a reference to the original rendering of this slogan ("8 out of 10 cats prefer Whiskas") which was subsequently changed to the above.
Meow Mix, tastes so good cats ask for it by name.


Recreation, entertainment, and travel
"Live your myth in Greece" ~ Greek National Tourism Organisation, 2006
"... throw another shrimp on the barbie ..." ~ Australian Tourist Commission, 1984 Often joke-quoted as "Throw another Kanga on the barbie..."
"Don't just book it. Thomas Cook it." ~ Thomas Cook, 1984, Wells, Rich, Greene
"Get away!" ~ Lunn Polly
"Get out there" ~ Royal Caribbean cruise lines
"The happiest place on Earth" ~ Disneyland
"I'm going to Walt Disney World!"
"I love New York" ~ New York City, 1977–, Wells, Rich, Greene
"It's so bracing" ~ Skegness
"Naruwan, Welcome to Taiwan"
"Serving All our Community. Brampton's Arts Group." ~ Visual Arts Brampton, 2003, Alphie and Bette
"Touch Your Heart" ~ Taiwan
"God's own country" ~ India
"We love having you here" ~ Hampton Inn
"Where wonders never cease" ~ Alton Towers
"Your perfect trip" ~ Expedia
"Incredible India!" ~ India
"So where the bloody hell are you?" ~ Australian Tourist Commission, 2006
"New Advertising Campaign Working: Tourism Australia", Tourism Australia press release (via Yahoo! Finance), 2006-04-10
"Don't leave home without it" w:American Express American Express
"More than the usual" ~ WOW Philippines~ Department of Tourism, Philippines
"If it is from SEIKO, It must be Good" - Seiko Films, Philippines
"Malaysia, Truly Asia", Malaysia Tourism Board
"Enchanting Tamil Nadu" ~ Tamil Nadu, India
"Experience Yourself" ~ Tamil Nadu, India
"Vietnam. A Destination for the New Millennium" ~ Vietnam Tourism Promotion Campaign ¹
"Where Else But Queensland Beautiful one day, perfect the next" ~ Queensland, Australia²
"Pure. Natural. Unspoiled. Iceland. The Way Life Should Be." ~ Iceland Tourist Board ³
"It happens at the Hilton." Hilton Hotels
"100% pure New Zealand" - New Zealand Tourism Promotion Campaign
"Spain is different" - Slogan coined by Manuel Fraga (Minister for Tourism of Spain during Franco's dictatorship).
"Great Deals,Always..!" -(http://travelguru.com/) India


Tobacco
"Anyhow... Have a Winfield" ~ Winfield Cigarettes
"Camels Soothe Your T-Zone" ~ Camel cigarettes
"Doctors Recommend Phillip Morris" ~ Phillip Morris tobacco products
"Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet" ~ Hamlet cigars
"I'd Walk a Mile for A Camel" ~ Camel cigarettes
"It's that Condor moment" ~ Condor tobacco
"Just What the Doctor Ordered" ~ L&M Cigarettes
"More Doctors Smoke Camels than any other Cigarette" ~ Camel cigarettes
"Not a Cough in a Carload" ~ Old Gold Cigarettes
"Reach for a Lucky instead of a Sweet" ~ Lucky Strike Cigarettes
"Taste Me! Taste Me! Come on and Taste Me!" ~ Doral Cigarettes
"You're never alone with a Strand" ~ Strand Cigarettes
"You've Come a Long Way, Baby" ~ Virginia Slims Cigarettes
"Winston tastes good like a cigarette should" ~ R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company


Giving up
"It needn't be hell, with Nicotinel"
"You guys suck"
"Tobacco is wacko if you're a teen"
"Nicorette, nicorette, you can beat the cigarette!" - Nicorette Australia


Transport
"A better bus service all round" ~ Carousel Buses
"Getting There Is Half The Fun" ~ Cunard Line
The Fun Ships... Carnival Cruise Lines..
"InterCity makes the going easy." ~ British Rail
"Leave the driving to us" ~ Greyhound Lines
"See what brown can do for you" ~ UPS
"We're getting there" ~ much ridiculed British Rail slogan
"We're number two. We try harder." ~ Avis Rent-a-Car
"When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" ~ FedEx
"The business to business class." ~ Lufthansa Cargo
"The best way to get around New Zealand." ~ InterCity Coachlines

Airlines
"your pal in the sky" --- AIR INDIA
"The airline network for the world" - Star Alliance
"Now you're really flying" ~ Cathay Pacific Airways
"A whole different animal" ~ Frontier Airlines
"Because you were born to fly" ~ TAM Brazilian Airlines
"Catch Our Smile" ~ PSA
"Enjoy our company" ~ Sabena
"Fly the friendly skies" ~ United Airlines, 1966–1997, Leo Burnett
"It's time to fly" ~ United Airlines
"We never forget you have a choice" ~ British Caledonian
"Singapore Girl, you're a great way to fly" ~ Singapore Airlines
"Where the World Unwinds" ~ SILKAIR
"THAI - Smooth As Silk" ~ Thai Airways International
"Going beyond expectations" ~ Malaysia Airlines
"Now everyone can fly" ~ Air Asia
"To the heart of Seoul and beyond" ~ Asiana Airlines
"Something special in the air" ~ American Airlines
"The top banana in the West" ~ Hughes Air West
"The Wings of Man" ~ Eastern Airlines
"The world's favourite airline" ~ British Airways
"There's no better way to fly" Lufthansa
"We love to fly and it shows" ~ Delta Air Lines
"We really move our tail for you" ~ Continental Airlines
"Western Airlines ~ The only way to fly" ~ Western Airlines
"When you got it, flaunt it." ~ Braniff Airlines
"World class, worldwide" ~ Air Canada
"You and I were meant to fly" ~ Air Canada, 2004
"[Ding] You are now free to move about the country" ~ Southwest Airlines
"Fly the Good Times" ~ Kingfisher Airlines
"A symbol of freedom" ~ Southwest Airlines
"Simplifly" ~ Air Deccan, Indian low cost Airline, 2005. (http://airdeccan.net/)
"The Spirit of Australia" - QANTAS, ([1])
"Shining Through" - Philippine Airlines ~ PAL,([2])
"The New Filipino Time" - Cebu Pacific ~ Cebu Pacific,([3])
" The Joy Of Flying ! " - Jet Airways
"Making the sky the best place on earth" - Air France
"Being there is everything." ~ Air New Zealand
"Your Island in the Sky." ~ Air Pacific
"Fly high, pay low." ~ Germanwings
"Where the journey begins." ~ Air Tahiti Nui
"Fly Euro Shuttle!" ~ Air Berlin
"Don't just book it, Thomas Cook it" - Thomas Cook


Automobiles
"AAMCO. Double A, , M-C-O" ~ AAMCO Transmissions
"An American Revolution" ~ Chevrolet, Campbell-Ewald
"Ask the Man who Owns One" ~ Packard, 1925, Austin Bement
"Bigger in Texas, Better in a Dodge"
"Bloody Volvo driver" ~ Volvo, 2003
"Born to lead" ~ Yamaha
"Créateur d'Automobiles" ~ Renault
"The car in front is a Toyota"
"The Best Built Cars in the World" ~ Toyota
"The Drive of your life." ~ Peugeot
"Drivers wanted." ~ Volkswagen, 1995, Arnold Communications
"Escape from the ordinary." ~ Oldsmobile, 1970
"Everything we do is driven by you" ~ Ford
"Eye it, try it, buy it" Chevrolet, 1940s
"Fahrvergnügen" ~ Volkswagen, early 1990s
"Ford is the Best in Texas"
"Grab life by the horns" ~ Dodge
"Have you driven a Ford lately?" ~ Ford
"I have good news...I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to GEICO." ~ GEICO
"If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen"
"It's a Skoda. Honest." ~ Skoda, 2000, Fallon
"Aus Liebe zum Automobil" ~ Volkswagen
"Like a rock" ~ Chevrolet Trucks
"The lion leaps from strength to strength" ~ Peugeot, 1980s
"Moving forward." ~ Toyota
"Oh what a feeling" ~ Toyota
"Once driven, forever smitten" ~ Vauxhall Motors, 1980s
"Papa?" "Nicole?" ~ Renault Clio
"Pay me now or pay me (i.e. the auto mechanic) later." - Fram filters.
"Passion for the road" ~ Mazda, 1990s
"The power of dreams" ~ Honda
"Put the fun back into driving." ~ Vauxhall Motors
"Quality is job one" ~ Ford
"The Real Thing" ~ Ford Australia, 1970s
"Right service. Right price." ~ Meineke
"See the USA, in your Chevrolet" ~ Chevrolet
"Sheer driving pleasure" ~ BMW
"Sooner or later, you'll own Generals" ~ General Tires Corp.
"State of Independence" ~ Saab 2000s
"Think Small" ~ Volkswagen, 1962, Doyle Dane Bernbach
"Time to Re-Tire" ~ Fisk tires
"The ultimate driving machine" ~ BMW
"Va-va-voom" ~ Renault
"Vorsprung durch Technik" ~ Audi
"Never Follow" ~ Audi
"We are professional grade" ~ GMC Truck
"You can with a Nissan"
"Zoom Zoom [Zoom]" ~ Mazda, 2000s
"You're the fuel" ~ Maruti Swift, India 2005
"Welcome to the big world" ~ Maruti Esteem, India 2005
"Let's go" ~ Maruti Alto, India 2005
"The Josh Machine" ~ Ford Ikon, India
"Reclaim your life.." ~ Tata Safari Dicor


Petroleum
"A Leading of Oil and Gas Multinational of Choice" ~ PETRONAS
"Beyond Petroleum" ~ BP
"Go well. Go Shell" ~ Shell Oil
"Put a tiger in your tank" ~ Esso/Exxon
"Pump your money back into Canada" ~ Petro Canada, early 1980s
"The spirit of '76" ~ Unocal
"You can be sure of Shell" ~ Shell Oil, 1982
"You can trust your car to the man who wears the star" ~ Texaco Service Stations
"Go further with Shell" ~ Shell Oil


Government, military
See also political slogans
"The few, the proud, the Marines" United States Marines Corps
"An army of one" ~ United States Army, 2001
"Be all you can be" ~ US Army, 1981-2001, N. W. Ayer
"Be the best" ~ British Army
"Forward as one" ~ British Territorial Army
"99.9% need not apply" Royal Marines commandos
"I want YOU for the US Army" ~ World War I and World War II
"Loose Lips Sink Ships" ~ World War II
"Only you can prevent forest fires" ~ United States Forest Service
"The Army National Guard, You Can" ~ US Army National Guard, in use around 2001-2003 if not more years than that
"The toughest job you'll ever love" ~ Peace Corps
"There's no life like it" ~ Canadian Armed Forces
"The Army. The Edge" ~ Australian Army
"We Fly High" - Republic of Singapore Air Force
"Accelerate Your Life." - US Navy
"Do you have it in you." - Indian Army
"Britons (a picture of Lord Kitchener) 'wants YOU' join your country's army! GOD SAVE THE KING"- British army released in late 1914 (first year of world war 1)
"Full speed ahead." ~ US Navy
"Army Strong." ~ US Army
"Aim high." ~ US Air Force
"Cross into the blue." ~ US Air Force
"Strength for now, strength for later." - United States Army (GOARMY.COM)


Social, public service
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste." ~ United Negro College Fund
"Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" ~ United States Department of Transportation
"Give a hoot, don't pollute" ~ United States Forest Service
"Heart to God, hand to man" ~ The Salvation Army 1865 to present.
"Klunk! Klick! Every trip" ~ UK Public Information Film for seat belts
"It doesn't take a minute to bag it and bin it" Uk public advertisement for not littering from cars
"Parents who use drugs have kids who use drugs" ~ The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
"Take a bite out of crime!" ~ National Crime Prevention Council
"Think once, think twice, think bike" ~ UK Public Information Film
"This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" ~ The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
"You could learn a lot from a dummy. Buckle Up." ~ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
"Getting Things Done." ~ AmeriCorps national service program
"The toughest job you'll ever love." ~ United States Peace Corps
"If you drink then drive, you're a bloody idiot" ~ Australian road safety campaign [4]
"WITH YOU FOR YOU ALWAYS" - Delhi Police (http://www.delhipolice.nic.in/)
"Don't be a tosser" - New South Wales anti-litter campaign (http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/index.cfm?L2=20&L3=761)
"Don't mess with Texas" - Texas Anti-Litter campaign
"Vote for Me" - Bantay Bata 163 Election Campaign for Children's Future (ABS-CBN, Philippines)
"If you're going to drive drunk, maybe you should say goodbye." 2006 Spanish Campaign (Spanish Traffic General Office).
"Hi mum, I'm about to drive back home and, if something happens, I want you to know that... I love you and that you've been a wonderful mother, say dad I'm sorry".
"Darling, I'm going there just in a minute. I love you... and, please, tell our children I'll miss them."


Source : Wikiquote

Monday, January 15, 2007

T.G.I.A.F

While five day week is still catching up in India ( recently Bihar government announced 5 day week) , let me introduce to you what's called "Thank God It's Almost Friday" being lived at our best place to work for - The Google .

Every Thursday afternoon there is a gathering with wine and beer called Thank God It's Almost Friday (originally it was a T.G.I.F. event, modeled after one in Mountain View, but Googlers in New York didn't want to stick around late on a Friday).

Are Indian employers ready for this ?????

Thursday, January 11, 2007

WHAT MAKES IT SO GREAT?

Ok , You might say Google is exceptional and it’s stock at $500 is one of the reasons to make it No. 1 but what about others?

Surprisingly , if you look at the Top 10 “ Great Places to work for in 2007-Fortune ) , most of them care for their employees in their own ways and high salaries is not the only reason to keep them on TOP .

So what makes it so great :

Paid sabbaticals
Friendly timings
Upper Cap in salary ( CEO’s would hate this )
Benefits for families
Discouraging long working hours
Promoting diversity
Preference to existing employees for promotions
Investing in training & development
Offices with amenities & luxuries
Freedom of communication ( Blog/ Q&A forums)
Unusual Perks like valet parking , free grocery delivery
All employees to be stock owners

TOP 10

2. Genentech
Biotech leader has uncommonly loyal staffers. "Wild horses could not drag me away," says one employee. Last year 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.

Headquarters: South San Francisco
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: South San Francisco, Vacaville , Oceanside
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 6,633
Website:
www.gene.com


3. Wegmans Food Markets
Private grocery chain gets thousands of letters every year from shoppers coveting a Wegmans in their neighborhood. The chain, founded in 1916, now operates in 71 stores in five states.
Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y.
Top 3 (of 93) U.S. locations: Rochester, Buffalo Grove , Syracuse
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 3,820
Website:
www.wegmans.com


4. Container Store
Storage retailer pays sales employees 50% to 100% above industry average. Nearly one-tenth of all employees take advantage of "family friendly" shift, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing for school dropoffs and pickups.
Headquarters: Coppell, Texas
Top 3 (of 38) U.S. locations: Coppell, New York , Houston

5. Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods has long had a salary cap limiting pay of top execs, currently at 19 times average full-time pay. But founder and CEO John Mackey went further, reducing his salary to $1 and forgoing all future stock options.
Headquarters: Austin
Top 3 (of 223) U.S. locations: New York, Austin , Washington
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 5,607
Website:
www.wholefoods.com

6. Network Appliance
Data-storage company climbed 21 spots as employees cheered enhanced benefits for parents of special-needs children, widespread use of flexible schedules (95% of employees), and a soaring stock (up 50% in 2006).
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Top 3 (of 50) U.S. locations: Sunnyvale, Research Triangle Park , Mclean

7. S.C. Johnson & Son
This household-products company subsidizes hotel stays for employees who live 25 miles or more from work and offers discounts at its newly expanded child-care center for families making under $60,000 a year.
Headquarters: Racine, Wis.
Top 3 (of 15) U.S. locations: Racine, Bay City , Fresno
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 7,000
Website:
www.scjohnson.com

8. Boston Consulting Grp.
Employees working more than 60 hours a week at this management consultant are placed in a "red zone" and advised by a career mentor. A push to hire more women resulted in a 25% rise in female consultants from 2004.
Headquarters: Boston
Top 3 (of 14) U.S. locations: Boston, Chicago , New York
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,505
Website:
www.bcg.com

9. Methodist Hospital Sys.
As gas prices soared last year, Methodist sent employees (everyone except top execs) a $250 gift card for use at Chevron stations, prompting more than 500 staffers to e-mail thank-yous to CEO Ron Girotto.
Headquarters: Houston
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: Houston, N.A., N.A.
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,413
Website:
www.methodisthealth.com

10. W.L. Gore & Associates
Great ideas (Gore-Tex, Glide dental floss) come from all corners at this nonhierarchical Delaware company, which prefers to promote from within. (CEO Terri L. Kelly joined Gore as a process engineer in 1983.)
Headquarters: Newark, Del.
Top 3 (of 28) U.S. locations: Elkton, Flagstaff , Newark
Industry:
2005 revenue ($ millions): 1,984
Website:
www.gore.com

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

GOOGLE - BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN 2007

Fortune declares Google - Best company to work for in 2007 .

Why ?

Is it free gourmet cafeteria , 20% own time , laundry , stock options , perks for being environment friendly , $2000 for employee referral , subsidy for exercise classes

Want to join Google , you are in queue as Google recieves 1300 job applications a day .

Google is considering starting a sabbatical program and thinking of new career opportunities within the company for the restless.

Want to know more , Must click on the links:

Life Inside Google

Perks of being Googler

See the complete list of 100 companies : Fortune's List of 100 best employers-2007

Thursday, January 04, 2007

THERE ARE TWO INDIAS IN THIS COUNTRY

Well you must have seen the "India Poised" campaign by Times of India .. If not click

http://www.indiapoised.com/

"one India gives me a chance and I'll prove myself.The other India says , prove yourself first and maybe then you'll have a chance"

Do read the complete anthem ..You'll feel good
........................................................................................
"There are two Indias in this country.

One India is straining at the leash, eager to spring forth and live up to all the adjectives that the world has been showering recently upon us.

The other India is the leash.

One India says give me a chance and I'll prove myself. The other India says prove yourself first and maybe then you'll have a chance.
One India lives in the optimism of our hearts. The other India lurks in the skepticism of our minds.
One India wants. The other India hopes.
One India leads. The other India follows.

But conversions are on the rise. With each passing day more and more people from the other India have been coming over to this side. And quietly, while the world is not looking, a pulsating, dynamic new India is emerging.

An India whose faith in success is far greater than its fear of failure. An India that no longer boycotts foreign-made goods but buys out the companies that make them instead.

History, they say, is a bad motorist. It rarely ever signals its intentions when it's taking a turn.

This is that rarely-ever moment. History is turning a page.

For over half a century, our nation has sprung, stumbled, run, fallen, rolled over, got up and dusted herself and cantered, sometimes lurched on. But today, as we begin our 60th year as a free nation, the ride has brought us to the edge of time's great precipice.

And one India - a tiny little voice at the back of the head - is looking down at the bottom of the ravine and hesitating.

The other India is looking up at the sky and saying it's time to fly.

INDIA POISED

Our time is now"

Monday, January 01, 2007

HE LEFT A SUCCESSFUL CAREER....

It takes gut to follow your heart , people do it . They say it's easier said than done to leave your job and follow your heart .. hear from the person who did it.
Source : Times of India
..............................................................
RAMESH RAMANATHAN
No desh like swadesh

Bangalorean Ramesh Ramanathan followed his heart from NY to Bangalore. He left a successful career heading a $100 million business at Citibank in New York and later in London as Managing Director and European Head of Corporate Derivatives, returned to his hometown and started an NGO, Janaagraha

Never give up on hard work. I live by the adage ‘I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the luckier I get.’ When I was working in the corporate sector, I missed my target at times, but never gave up on hard work. This saying always lifted my spirits and made me try harder to meet the next target.
Stand by your beliefs. In an hour of crisis, I always ask myself – does my stand reflect my beliefs? My belief in learning grew when, four years ago, we started a water supply project with no idea of what to do. We made mistakes and faced criticisms, but stood by our beliefs. We heeded suggestions, corrected our flaws and saw the project through. But never, ever did we doubt our beliefs.
Keep going. One of our board members always says, ‘God give me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.’ When we came back to our hometown and started Janaagraha, convincing people was a challenge. At that time, I kept this saying to myself and kept going.
There is no end to personal growth. To grow and evolve as a person, you need to live on the edge of your comfort zone and be on the lookout for new frontiers. This realisation came when I left my job and returned to Bangalore. We weren’t sure of what lay ahead, but today when I look back, I am a far more balanced person.
Take your job, not yourself seriously. Once, a friend of mine gave me a piece of advice, ‘Always take your job seriously, but never yourself.’ Those who work in public life sometimes get carried away by their passion to do something new. I am no exception, but at such times, I remind myself of what my friend told me and it helps add humour to the situation and put things in perspective.