Shahrukh Khan( SRK), This guy always leaves an impression when he talks , but what's he doing on blog about " great place to work" or "My Job sucks" ? . I heard him speaking " I always like what i do"
SRK on "loving my job"
"My responsibility is to entertain the audience. I take my job very seriously. But I don't take myself too seriously. I've never considered people's expectations to be a responsibility. I enjoy every film I do, and given the parameters we work in, I try to make each film as different as possible. I normally leave behind a film and start looking at the next one as soon as my shooting is over.
I've seen enough of what I thought were wonderful films falling. I may fall again. And again there will be talk about how I'm slipping"
SRK on Failure , "You haven't failed in three years!
"Well...there're people who'd say I'm just lucky. "Duplicate" didn't work. But I still love that film. I'm sure I got that right too. Sometimes my best isn't good enough. I know I am the best. But I don't say it any more. Because it was misinterpreted. I get up every morning and say it to myself, so I enjoy what I do. For the audience to believe in me, I've to believe in myself. People who have no knowledge of films are sitting in judgement over our cinema. It's okay. They're doing what they are because they don't know any better. They're doing their job. I'm doing mine. So far I've enjoyed it. And as long as I continue to enjoy it I'm sure my audience will enjoy watching me"
SRK on "Work life balance" , " What Next , SRK?
"But I think I should take a holiday to be with the kids every two-three months whenever the children have holidays. I'll also finish my book. It will be called "20 Years Of A Decade".
Do you like what you've written?
"I always like what I do".
Friday, December 29, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
GOOGLE - Great Place to Work
I was reading about Google itself and found this , really a good read to see what makes Google " great place to work"
Google's Misson:
Organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Google is an engineering company. The Google web site is powered by some amazing technology, most of it developed in-house. Yet people often ask us what we do here at Google Engineering. "What are you working on? Isn't search a solved problem?"
Glad you asked.
We're working on lots of interesting stuff and one of the main reasons is that search is far from a solved problem.
Let's say you used Google to search for the topic "Michelangelo's David". The results page would show "Results 1-10 of about 6,960,000" web pages. That's pretty helpful, but we could do so much more. Google prides itself on its algorithm for choosing the most relevant pages, but it's a work in progress; we're constantly finding ways to improve its selections. Plus, the top ten pages listed are all in English; surely there are some interesting web pages in Italian that we could translate for you, and chances are at least some of them deserve high ranking. Over at http://images.google.com you can find some helpful photos of the sculpture (plus some knock-offs), but there are video clips, museum guidebooks, historical articles, and many other sources of information about David that the web doesn't reach. And it's likely someone at the Galleria dell'Accademia has a 3-D scan of the sculpture you'd enjoy browsing. (From the search results, it's clear that Stanford has some 3-D data too.) So yes, Google is very good at searching the web for the most relevant pages for the query you type, but that's really only a minor subset of the true `search problem', which remains far from solved.
And consider this: We currently search billions of web pages. That's a lot of information, but even that's not the whole web. And even if it were, it's still only the web; what about all the other information out there? Google's mission is to make all the world's information accessible, not just a subset of the web.
So you see, we have our work cut out for us. Feel like helping?
You don't need to be an expert on searching; in fact, most of the people in our engineering group had little or no background in search technology before they came to Google. To implement a good search algorithm on the scale of the web requires ideas from just about every area of computer science, including information retrieval, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking, security, data compression, user interface design; the list goes on. Or look at it this way: a typical query to Google can touch thousands of machines before returning the answer. With all those machines and all that communication, the problems can be daunting and new ideas and new technologies can always be brought to bear.
You also don't have to be willing to move to the San Francisco Bay Area. We have engineering offices in Santa Monica; Kirkland, WA; New York; and other cities. We also have engineering centers outside the U.S., including Switzerland, India, Japan, China and many others. Each of these offices works on the same problems as in Mountain View. In fact, many Google projects have membership that spans engineering offices.
The Story So Far
The search problem is tough, but we've made significant progress. Besides constructing the world's most heavily used web search engine and a lot of other public web services (www.google.com, news.google.com, images.google.com, groups.google.com, catalogs.google.com, labs.google.com, maps.google.com, gmail.google.com, scholar.google.com, adwords.google.com), not to mention the Google Appliance and the Google Toolbar, Google Engineering has achieved a number of other milestones you may not be as familiar with:
We designed and built an advertising system that automatically performs hundreds of millions of automated auctions per day to determine the placement and prices of advertisements appearing on Google search result pages and non-search pages on dozens of other sites.
We built a very large scale, distributed, fault-tolerant file system, called GFS, to help manage and process huge data sets. A paper in SOSP 2003 describes the file system.
We designed and developed a fully automatic news system (news.google.com), which has rapidly become a standard tool for human journalists. Custom algorithms group together articles about the same story from different news organizations from around the world, providing diverse viewpoints about the day's events. Heuristics judge the importance of each story relative to other stories in the news around the world to generate our headline summary pages automatically.
We built a searchable archive of millions of catalog pages by scanning and OCR'ing printed catalogs. This experimental service demonstrates the benefits of a searchable interface for information not previously easy to search or browse.
We're exploring large-scale machine learning as a means of improving search quality. Our spelling correction system is one excellent example (spehl korector? phonitick spewling? who needs a dictniary?). People searching for Britney Spears have clearly found it useful on many occasions. In more recent work, we have been working on algorithms and techniques to construct very large scale Bayesian network models to help understand the relationships between words.
We are building a large-scale public e-mail system capable of storing 2 GB of data per user, with a unique user interface that centers around search, scaling to many millions of users.
All this is achieved by connecting together tens of thousands of servers behind google.com and providing them with a lot of custom-built, cutting-edge, innovative software.
It should be clear by now that the search problem involves much more than just searching, and that some of the most exciting work at Google happens behind the scenes. We're also working on a number of interesting projects at the moment that are too preliminary to discuss here, and we're always looking for new and interesting ideas.
Who we are
Who did all this? A dedicated and growing team of smart, creative programmers and computer scientists -- but we just call them engineers. They come to Google with expertise in a large range of topics. And before they joined Google, some of them also built software, hardware, tools and other technology you might have used:
A Bug's Life
The Apache Software Foundation
Alpha CPUs and Alpha-based Multiprocessor Systems
Apple Lisa
Aspect-oriented Programming
ATOM (A Tool for Object-file Modification)
Cilk
CiteSeer
Cyrus IMAP
DCPI
Deep Space 1
The Digital Michelangelo Project
Epi Info
FLASH Project
FreeBSD
GIGAswitch/ATM (Autonet 2)
Gimp
Gnome
Gnumeric
GNU findutils
GNU coreutils
gtk
The Human Genome Project
Hyperbolic Browsing
ical
IEEE Std 1003.1, POSIX
Interlisp
Itsy Pocket Computer
Java HotSpot
The Java Virtual Machine Specification
JScheme
lex (by our CEO!)
Mars Exploration Rover
MIT/GNU Scheme
Perl
Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox
Plan 9
Python
Sather
Sequitur
SiByte SB-1250 Processor
The Self Language and Compilation System
Subversion
SUIF Compiler
Surfbot
Toy Story 2
Unix
UTF-8
Venti
Visual Threads
Vortex Compiler
WebTV
WINE
xscreensaver
A few of them wrote papers and books you might have read, on a fairly wide range of topics:
algorithms
artificial intelligence
bioinformatics
compiler optimization
computer architecture
computer graphics
computer security
data compression
data mining
file system design
genetic algorithms
information retrieval
machine learning
natural language processing
operating systems and distributed systems
profiling
robotics
search engine design
software engineering and design
text processing
user interface design
web information retrieval
various other topics
Not all the engineers have done such public work, of course, and their backgrounds vary enormously. Some started at Google right after college; others came after spending time in academia or industry. Some love thinking long and hard about difficult problems; others just enjoy getting their hands dirty building and deploying massive, real-world systems. What they all share, though, is an enthusiasm for the challenge of making the world a better place through the intelligent application of information technology. It's a blast.
Interested?
There is so much still to be done, so many hard (but fun!) problems to solve, so much information in the world, we'd like some of you to join us to help us in our task of making Google even better. The engineering challenges we face at Google are exciting and the perks of working here are wonderful, but the real reason most of our engineers came here is that Google Engineering is a great place to work. It's got lots of really smart people, amazing technology, fun problems, and a chance to make a real difference in the world.
Source : From "google search" only , hope google won't mind copying this .
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
MIS SELLING - CTC ( A BIG MYTH)
It's always a fashion to quote our remuneration packages in 'CTC' i.e the Mighty Cost to Company , gone are the days when people use to tell thier salary what they use to get . Now we tell our salaries as " CTC" , which is no way close to what we get , at times it's not even real cost to the company .
Indian Government is coming up with a law for builders so that they quote thier apartment's area as real carpet , not as builtup or super built up , don't you think our organisations should also learn from this .
Recent article in the ET , endorses my views.
.............
LIFE may not be all that rosy for you as promised by an impressive "CTC" of the new company you would have joined after passing out of B-school . Well, the "cost to company" on offer for you is actually a way too high than the actual salary that you may take home, or for that matter, in some cases, even the gross package , on offer.
ET got an access to pay-slips of some young executives working in blue chip multinationals and domestic corporates and tried to demystify the jargons that go on in defining the cost to the company. Our conclusion: CTCs are misleading more often than not.
For instance, meet Saurav (name changed), who passed out of MDI Gurgaon to take up a lucrative job in a well-known Gurgaon-based FMCG multinational. Saurav was then promised an annual CTC of Rs 12 lakh. "It's been more than six months that I have been working here, but there's hardly been a month when I have pocketed more than Rs 60,000," he says.
While making salary offers, companies are increasingly harping on components that may not be of any use to an individual in the short run. Infact, some of these components, such as the super annuity scheme, are virtually impossible to leverage. Under this scheme, a professional is entitled to a one-time bulk amount, but only after he has completed 10 full years of service with the company. A slightly easier version is gratuity, that can be leveraged after a service of five years.
"Insurance policies like mediclaim are other vague terms that's counted a part of the CTC," an executive in a MNC financial institution says.
Interestingly, some companies are even counting EMIs for laptops given to executives as part of the CTC. "I happily felt that laptop was a goodwill gesture from my employer welcoming me into the company's workforce. But when I saw my first salary slip, it came as a shock of a lifetime. There was a head saying deduction as EMI for laptop," says Saurav. Add to it, club memberships offered to new recruits may appear attractive incentives, but at the end of the day, you are the one who pay every penny of it, via, of course the CTC promised to you.
Of late, deferred salary plan has also been forming part of CTC. Though companies say it's just another retention tool, according to this practice, incentives are not cleared along with monthly salaries and rather accumulate and are paid on half-yearly or annual basis.
At times, even the house rent allowance component can get a way too misleading. Some young engineers passing out of IIT Delhi were hired by a leading infrastructure company and posted in a small town in western UP. They were promised an HRA of Rs 10,000 at the time of recruitment, which was only reimbursable against actual costs incurred. However, during their posting in UP, they were provided company accommodation, where four young engineers were made to stay in one apartment, which obviously meant they had no claim to their HRA.
Experts say students expecting placement need to read between the lines. According to Sanjay Jog, VP(HR), Pantaloons, there are two things students should look out for in their CTC. Firstly, they should look out for discounts that companies can include in the package. These may not necessarily be used by the students. Secondly, at times companies may include a loan amount to the total salary stating that this loan can be availed at a lower rate of interest compared to the market.
Source - The Economic Times - Dec 20 , 2006
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/860933.cms?epaper
Indian Government is coming up with a law for builders so that they quote thier apartment's area as real carpet , not as builtup or super built up , don't you think our organisations should also learn from this .
Recent article in the ET , endorses my views.
.............
LIFE may not be all that rosy for you as promised by an impressive "CTC" of the new company you would have joined after passing out of B-school . Well, the "cost to company" on offer for you is actually a way too high than the actual salary that you may take home, or for that matter, in some cases, even the gross package , on offer.
ET got an access to pay-slips of some young executives working in blue chip multinationals and domestic corporates and tried to demystify the jargons that go on in defining the cost to the company. Our conclusion: CTCs are misleading more often than not.
For instance, meet Saurav (name changed), who passed out of MDI Gurgaon to take up a lucrative job in a well-known Gurgaon-based FMCG multinational. Saurav was then promised an annual CTC of Rs 12 lakh. "It's been more than six months that I have been working here, but there's hardly been a month when I have pocketed more than Rs 60,000," he says.
While making salary offers, companies are increasingly harping on components that may not be of any use to an individual in the short run. Infact, some of these components, such as the super annuity scheme, are virtually impossible to leverage. Under this scheme, a professional is entitled to a one-time bulk amount, but only after he has completed 10 full years of service with the company. A slightly easier version is gratuity, that can be leveraged after a service of five years.
"Insurance policies like mediclaim are other vague terms that's counted a part of the CTC," an executive in a MNC financial institution says.
Interestingly, some companies are even counting EMIs for laptops given to executives as part of the CTC. "I happily felt that laptop was a goodwill gesture from my employer welcoming me into the company's workforce. But when I saw my first salary slip, it came as a shock of a lifetime. There was a head saying deduction as EMI for laptop," says Saurav. Add to it, club memberships offered to new recruits may appear attractive incentives, but at the end of the day, you are the one who pay every penny of it, via, of course the CTC promised to you.
Of late, deferred salary plan has also been forming part of CTC. Though companies say it's just another retention tool, according to this practice, incentives are not cleared along with monthly salaries and rather accumulate and are paid on half-yearly or annual basis.
At times, even the house rent allowance component can get a way too misleading. Some young engineers passing out of IIT Delhi were hired by a leading infrastructure company and posted in a small town in western UP. They were promised an HRA of Rs 10,000 at the time of recruitment, which was only reimbursable against actual costs incurred. However, during their posting in UP, they were provided company accommodation, where four young engineers were made to stay in one apartment, which obviously meant they had no claim to their HRA.
Experts say students expecting placement need to read between the lines. According to Sanjay Jog, VP(HR), Pantaloons, there are two things students should look out for in their CTC. Firstly, they should look out for discounts that companies can include in the package. These may not necessarily be used by the students. Secondly, at times companies may include a loan amount to the total salary stating that this loan can be availed at a lower rate of interest compared to the market.
Source - The Economic Times - Dec 20 , 2006
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/860933.cms?epaper
Friday, December 22, 2006
DO YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND AT WORK?
http://justforchange.blogspot.com/2006/03/working-with-friends-friends-turn.html
I remember having written this post and was quite excited about this , today even an expert from Gallup endorsed this . Tom Rath , from Gallup who has authored " Vital Freinds" mentions about :
Eight vital roles that frinds play -
I remember having written this post and was quite excited about this , today even an expert from Gallup endorsed this . Tom Rath , from Gallup who has authored " Vital Freinds" mentions about :
Eight vital roles that frinds play -
Builders - Those who motivate you to achieve more
Champions - Loyalists who stand up for you
Collaborators - with similar interests
Companion - classic frinds who you call first with your news
Coonnectors - who introduce you to others
Energisers - who give you a boost when you're down
Mind openers - who expand your horizons
Navigators - who you go for advice
One friend might not be able to play all roles , but they all are needed . Remember , in spite of resistance from CEO's , Gallup insisted on having this question in thier famous Q12 surveys.
" Do i have a best friend at work ?"
Inspired from : the Corporate dossier - December 22 , 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS ?
WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS ? - Azim Premji, CEO- Wipro
Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile. Early this year, Mark, a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office,and the very best technology,even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Mark was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.
Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Mark walked out of the job.
Why did this talented employee leave ?
Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.
The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss ..Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he 's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge,experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.
"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
Mostly manager drives people away?
HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave,but a thought has been planted. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.
When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don 't have your heart and soul in the job."
Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious,too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.
Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.
"Jack Welch of GE once said. A company's value lies "between the ears of its employees".
Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile. Early this year, Mark, a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office,and the very best technology,even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Mark was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.
Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Mark walked out of the job.
Why did this talented employee leave ?
Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.
The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss ..Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he 's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge,experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.
"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
Mostly manager drives people away?
HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave,but a thought has been planted. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.
When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information. Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don 't have your heart and soul in the job."
Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious,too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.
Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.
"Jack Welch of GE once said. A company's value lies "between the ears of its employees".
Monday, December 18, 2006
MIS SELLING - Continued
Hi , I was surprised by this one. I got 7 mails on the subject from different parts of the country and 1 from London as well . I never though this to be common phenomenon . For the un initiated , we are talking about MIS SELLING by organisations / employers to thier prospective / current employees . I identified 2 very common areas :
Job Content
Perks
But getting mails that this is only tip of the iceberg , keep sending your thoughts / post comments about other common / un common areas of MIS SELLING to employees .
PS. have removed the restriction on posting comment , you may comment anonymously .
Job Content
Perks
But getting mails that this is only tip of the iceberg , keep sending your thoughts / post comments about other common / un common areas of MIS SELLING to employees .
PS. have removed the restriction on posting comment , you may comment anonymously .
Saturday, December 16, 2006
MIS SELLING
Hope you all are familiar with this word " Mis selling" , in banking parlance it's mis communication about your product. Very often the over enthusiastic sales men would tell you much more than the product actually offers. Well unfortunately it's not limited to products , rather more often it happens in job offerings . It happens every where but few of the common mis sellings are :
Job Content/Job description :
The most common and most painful one , typically you'll get "JD" , job description from your consultant , it will look very glamourous as if after CEO you would be the most powerful person in the organisation . When you actually join you end up doing some thing else .
So watch out for those fancy JDs.
Perks
Loan component , you are told you are elligible for 2000K of loan at 2% rate of interest , sound good . You readily join. ALAS , after joinig you realise you are only elligible after one year. Even that's OK then you decide to quit after 2 years 8 months . Your accounts department hands you over a letter asking for dues . Well you get a shock of your life when you are told that this " interest subsidy " is reversed if you leave with in 3 years of joining.
Check out the finer prints of "Subsidised Loans".
Is there any regulator to check this " MIS SELLING" ?
Job Content/Job description :
The most common and most painful one , typically you'll get "JD" , job description from your consultant , it will look very glamourous as if after CEO you would be the most powerful person in the organisation . When you actually join you end up doing some thing else .
So watch out for those fancy JDs.
Perks
Loan component , you are told you are elligible for 2000K of loan at 2% rate of interest , sound good . You readily join. ALAS , after joinig you realise you are only elligible after one year. Even that's OK then you decide to quit after 2 years 8 months . Your accounts department hands you over a letter asking for dues . Well you get a shock of your life when you are told that this " interest subsidy " is reversed if you leave with in 3 years of joining.
Check out the finer prints of "Subsidised Loans".
Is there any regulator to check this " MIS SELLING" ?
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
SHOULD YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION INCLUDE A JOB CHANGE ?
With the start of a new year, you may be among the millions of people thinking of making an important change in your life. If one of the changes you are considering is your career, here is some advice to help you decide whether to make the move.
Most job changers leave because they no longer enjoy their work. If your job is a source of dissatisfaction, the signs are probably clear.
A feeling of dread may start creeping over you every Sunday evening as the work week approaches. While you once bounced out of bed on Monday mornings eager to get to the office, you may now find yourself hitting the snooze bar as many times as possible. The thought of calling in sick may cross your mind. In fact, going to work may actually make you sick. (More heart attacks occur on Monday mornings than at any other time of the week.)
If your job is no longer something you enjoy, you are not alone. A Wall Street Journal-ABC News poll found that half of all workers polled would choose a new line of work if they had the chance. So why don't more people quit their jobs?
According to John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley, authors of The Social Psychology of Groups, some people will stay in an unsatisfactory situation because they do not see themselves as having alternatives.
Even so, many employees are held back by "golden handcuffs," meaning they are so well compensated - through salary, company stocks, pensions, or other benefits - they believe they cannot afford to quit their job. Faced with a mortgage, other financial commitments, and people who depend on them, an employee shackled with golden handcuffs may fear leaving their job will lead to financial loss.
Of course, if you are close to retirement, it may be better to stick it out so you can collect your pension. However, for many people a new job often goes hand in hand with a higher salary, which could make up for lost benefits. And even if a new job means taking a step back financially, it may be worth it.
Given the choice, your loved ones would probably prefer to have more time with you, and see you less stressed, even if it meant scaling back your lifestyle.But before you march into your boss's office and announce "I quit," there may be other options. If you enjoyed your job at one time, but have become dissatisfied with it lately, you may be able to boost your job satisfaction without leaving your current employer. For example, one reason people decide to change jobs is because they have become bored with their work. Yet boredom can be a natural consequence of mastering your job. When you first started your job, you probably found your work challenging and interesting as you were learning how to do it. As you learned more, your challenge was to become an expert. Once you became an expert, the challenge was gone.
Instead of moving, why not see if you can take on new challenges in your current workplace. Most employers realize it is costly to replace good employees, and will do what they can to keep them. Talking with your boss about why you are dissatisfied may lead to a solution. You may be able to move to a new position in your organization, or take on new tasks in your present position.
If the problem isn't a lack of challenge, but exactly the opposite (too much stress and too little family time) you may want to consider a completely different type of career change - moving down. For example, if you loved the frontline job you had before becoming a manager, you may be able to reduce your stress and resume working regular hours by returning to a frontline position.
If the problem is not the work itself, but the people you work with, start by looking at whether this is a common pattern. If you have had serious problems with your boss or co-workers in almost every job you've had, chances are you will eventually experience the same problems no matter where you move.
Office politics or personality differences exist in virtually all organizations. It may be easier to learn more effective ways of dealing with these issues, rather than trying to find a workplace where they don't exist. Furthermore, most employers prefer candidates with a stable job history, so changing jobs too often can affect your future career prospects.
If compensation is the main issue, consider asking for a raise or additional benefits. It's a good idea to research salaries for similar positions in your industry, so you have some concrete data to show your boss. Even more important is quantifying the value you bring to your employer (for example, showing how much revenue you have brought in or how much you have saved the company).
If you are not able to find a solution with your current employer, then it may be time for a change. Assuming you work an average of 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 50 years, you will spend 100,000 hours at work. You deserve to spend most of that time doing something rewarding and meaningful.
Adapted from ; http://www.fabjob.com
Most job changers leave because they no longer enjoy their work. If your job is a source of dissatisfaction, the signs are probably clear.
A feeling of dread may start creeping over you every Sunday evening as the work week approaches. While you once bounced out of bed on Monday mornings eager to get to the office, you may now find yourself hitting the snooze bar as many times as possible. The thought of calling in sick may cross your mind. In fact, going to work may actually make you sick. (More heart attacks occur on Monday mornings than at any other time of the week.)
If your job is no longer something you enjoy, you are not alone. A Wall Street Journal-ABC News poll found that half of all workers polled would choose a new line of work if they had the chance. So why don't more people quit their jobs?
According to John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley, authors of The Social Psychology of Groups, some people will stay in an unsatisfactory situation because they do not see themselves as having alternatives.
Even so, many employees are held back by "golden handcuffs," meaning they are so well compensated - through salary, company stocks, pensions, or other benefits - they believe they cannot afford to quit their job. Faced with a mortgage, other financial commitments, and people who depend on them, an employee shackled with golden handcuffs may fear leaving their job will lead to financial loss.
Of course, if you are close to retirement, it may be better to stick it out so you can collect your pension. However, for many people a new job often goes hand in hand with a higher salary, which could make up for lost benefits. And even if a new job means taking a step back financially, it may be worth it.
Given the choice, your loved ones would probably prefer to have more time with you, and see you less stressed, even if it meant scaling back your lifestyle.But before you march into your boss's office and announce "I quit," there may be other options. If you enjoyed your job at one time, but have become dissatisfied with it lately, you may be able to boost your job satisfaction without leaving your current employer. For example, one reason people decide to change jobs is because they have become bored with their work. Yet boredom can be a natural consequence of mastering your job. When you first started your job, you probably found your work challenging and interesting as you were learning how to do it. As you learned more, your challenge was to become an expert. Once you became an expert, the challenge was gone.
Instead of moving, why not see if you can take on new challenges in your current workplace. Most employers realize it is costly to replace good employees, and will do what they can to keep them. Talking with your boss about why you are dissatisfied may lead to a solution. You may be able to move to a new position in your organization, or take on new tasks in your present position.
If the problem isn't a lack of challenge, but exactly the opposite (too much stress and too little family time) you may want to consider a completely different type of career change - moving down. For example, if you loved the frontline job you had before becoming a manager, you may be able to reduce your stress and resume working regular hours by returning to a frontline position.
If the problem is not the work itself, but the people you work with, start by looking at whether this is a common pattern. If you have had serious problems with your boss or co-workers in almost every job you've had, chances are you will eventually experience the same problems no matter where you move.
Office politics or personality differences exist in virtually all organizations. It may be easier to learn more effective ways of dealing with these issues, rather than trying to find a workplace where they don't exist. Furthermore, most employers prefer candidates with a stable job history, so changing jobs too often can affect your future career prospects.
If compensation is the main issue, consider asking for a raise or additional benefits. It's a good idea to research salaries for similar positions in your industry, so you have some concrete data to show your boss. Even more important is quantifying the value you bring to your employer (for example, showing how much revenue you have brought in or how much you have saved the company).
If you are not able to find a solution with your current employer, then it may be time for a change. Assuming you work an average of 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year, for 50 years, you will spend 100,000 hours at work. You deserve to spend most of that time doing something rewarding and meaningful.
Adapted from ; http://www.fabjob.com
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
TOP 25 GREAT PLACES TO WORK FOR IN INDIA - 2005
The Top 25 - 2005
1 Federal Express
2 Sapient Corporation
3 National Thermal Power Corporation
4 Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab Pvt. Ltd
5 RMSI Pvt Ltd
6 JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai
7 Computer Sciences Corporation
8 Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd
9 Mindtree Consulting Pvt. Ltd
10 Dabur India Ltd
11 Aztec Software and Technology Services Ltd
12 Godrej Consumer Products Limited
13 Aviva Life Insurance Company India Pvt Ltd
14 Philips Innovation Campus
15 Adobe Systems India Pvt Ltd
16 Classic Stripes Pvt Ltd
17 Forbes Marshall Pvt Ltd
18 Intel Technologies India Pvt Ltd
19 Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd
20 American Express Service Centre - India
21 Infosys Technologies Ltd
22 Cadbury India ltd
23 PSI Data Systems
24 Ajuba Solutions India Pvt Ltd
25 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited
Courtesy : http://www.greatplacetoworkindia.com/GPTWListing/top25_2005.asp
1 Federal Express
2 Sapient Corporation
3 National Thermal Power Corporation
4 Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab Pvt. Ltd
5 RMSI Pvt Ltd
6 JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai
7 Computer Sciences Corporation
8 Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd
9 Mindtree Consulting Pvt. Ltd
10 Dabur India Ltd
11 Aztec Software and Technology Services Ltd
12 Godrej Consumer Products Limited
13 Aviva Life Insurance Company India Pvt Ltd
14 Philips Innovation Campus
15 Adobe Systems India Pvt Ltd
16 Classic Stripes Pvt Ltd
17 Forbes Marshall Pvt Ltd
18 Intel Technologies India Pvt Ltd
19 Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd
20 American Express Service Centre - India
21 Infosys Technologies Ltd
22 Cadbury India ltd
23 PSI Data Systems
24 Ajuba Solutions India Pvt Ltd
25 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Limited
Courtesy : http://www.greatplacetoworkindia.com/GPTWListing/top25_2005.asp
ADOBE - Great Place to Work
Adobe Systems Incorporated has a long and proud history of innovation. We create groundbreaking technology platforms that help our customers express their creativity, save time and money, and run their businesses more efficiently. Behind every Adobe product and solution is a team of smart, highly motivated self-starters: Adobe employees.
At Adobe, we recognize that hiring the best and brightest talent is a big part of what makes us a successful company. We understand that our greatest asset is our employees. We take pride in creating an environment where the company shares its success with the innovative thinkers who have helped us achieve-and exceed-our goals. We offer our employees a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, which includes tangible and intangible benefits that extend beyond the typical paycheck, vacation days, and insurance benefits.
We invite you to discover why Adobe is a great place to work.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/careeropp/benefits.html
“Great Place to Work” or “My Job Sucks” , What say ?
At Adobe, we recognize that hiring the best and brightest talent is a big part of what makes us a successful company. We understand that our greatest asset is our employees. We take pride in creating an environment where the company shares its success with the innovative thinkers who have helped us achieve-and exceed-our goals. We offer our employees a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, which includes tangible and intangible benefits that extend beyond the typical paycheck, vacation days, and insurance benefits.
We invite you to discover why Adobe is a great place to work.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/careeropp/benefits.html
“Great Place to Work” or “My Job Sucks” , What say ?
Monday, December 04, 2006
GREAT PLACE TO WORK!!!
Why Join Google ? Great Place to work !
This is what Google claims that you should join Google for , As per Google they are a great place to work . These are their 10 reason for the same . Similarly every organization claims the same , but we need to know what actually the people who are working there have to say , hence the need of this place. Let’s join hands to voice really why our organization is great ( or not so great ) .
Top 10 Reasons to Work at Google
1.Lend a helping hand. With millions of visitors every month, Google has become an essential part of everyday life—like a good friend—connecting people with the information they need to live great lives.
2.Life is beautiful. Being a part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling.
3.Appreciation is the best motivation, so we've created a fun and inspiring workspace you'll be glad to be a part of, including on-site doctor and dentist; massage and yoga; professional development opportunities; on-site day care; shoreline running trails; and plenty of snacks to get you through the day.
4.Work and play are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to code and pass the puck at the same time.
5.We love our employees, and we want them to know it. Google offers a variety of benefits, including a choice of medical programs, company-matched 401(k), stock options, maternity and paternity leave, and much more.
6.Innovation is our bloodline. Even the best technology can be improved. We see endless opportunity to create even more relevant, more useful, and faster products for our users. Google is the technology leader in organizing the world’s information.
7.Good company everywhere you look. Googlers range from former neurosurgeons, CEOs, and U.S. puzzle champions to alligator wrestlers and former-Marines. No matter what their backgrounds Googlers make for interesting cube mates.
8.Uniting the world, one user at a time. People in every country and every language use our products. As such we think, act, and work globally—just our little contribution to making the world a better place.
9.Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring. You'll have the opportunity to develop innovative new products that millions of people will find useful.
10.There is such a thing as a free lunch after all. In fact we have them every day: healthy, yummy, and made with love.
"Great place to work" or "My job sucks" , what say?
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Real Work Culture
Well , If you are looking for a new job for reasons other than salary , then this space is for you . I was wondering there's no space where we can find some info about the so called work culture in the organisation we are going to join . You just got through an interview and got an offer letter, salary seems ok , grade suits you , job nature is more or less discussed , company reputaion is damn good , office ( you went there for an interview ) was extremely good, HR lady was pretty and seems to be caring .
So here you are , ready to join and be happy for rest of your life .
Six months later , your cell phone caller tune is " My job Sucks" . But what went wrong ? You checked all you can possibly check , but still unhappy . You sat , and try to find out what went wrong or why you are not satsfied ( remember it's not salary ) .
1. Your Boss
The only time he was good to you last when he interviewed you .
2. You Job Objectives
What the hell ? you were told some thing else and doing some thing else ?
3. The Culture
Well , it just sounds good in your organisations' advertisement
4. Your colleagues
All looking for change
5. Human Resources
All they do is hire humans and forget them , pretty lady in HR doesn't even smiles at you .
Is there any way we could have some idea about this , .. Yes does not sound that difficult , all you need is to have some contacts in this company .
But you had , one of your "Distant friend" ( Your batchmate's spouse's friend ) was working with this company , and was happy and gave you good feedback .
Well my idea is let's have a community which can help you reach to an extent to the people who work or associated with:
Your would be Boss
Your to be Department
Your to be colleagues
Trust me , it's not that difficult and aleast can help us acclimatise with the people we are going to work with .
I am working to develop a website for this community and would like to have volunteers ( anonymous or Bindaas ) ready to provide insights about their ' Real work culture'.
I being in Financial Services would love to have a community of people spread accross locations in India working with CitiBank , GE , ICICI , HDFC , ABN Amro , Deutche , StanC , HSBC and many more .
Post your comments , write to me at vikaspgoel@rediffmail.com.
"Great Place to work" or "my job sucks" ?
So here you are , ready to join and be happy for rest of your life .
Six months later , your cell phone caller tune is " My job Sucks" . But what went wrong ? You checked all you can possibly check , but still unhappy . You sat , and try to find out what went wrong or why you are not satsfied ( remember it's not salary ) .
1. Your Boss
The only time he was good to you last when he interviewed you .
2. You Job Objectives
What the hell ? you were told some thing else and doing some thing else ?
3. The Culture
Well , it just sounds good in your organisations' advertisement
4. Your colleagues
All looking for change
5. Human Resources
All they do is hire humans and forget them , pretty lady in HR doesn't even smiles at you .
Is there any way we could have some idea about this , .. Yes does not sound that difficult , all you need is to have some contacts in this company .
But you had , one of your "Distant friend" ( Your batchmate's spouse's friend ) was working with this company , and was happy and gave you good feedback .
Well my idea is let's have a community which can help you reach to an extent to the people who work or associated with:
Your would be Boss
Your to be Department
Your to be colleagues
Trust me , it's not that difficult and aleast can help us acclimatise with the people we are going to work with .
I am working to develop a website for this community and would like to have volunteers ( anonymous or Bindaas ) ready to provide insights about their ' Real work culture'.
I being in Financial Services would love to have a community of people spread accross locations in India working with CitiBank , GE , ICICI , HDFC , ABN Amro , Deutche , StanC , HSBC and many more .
Post your comments , write to me at vikaspgoel@rediffmail.com.
"Great Place to work" or "my job sucks" ?