Aditya Sondhi, an alumnus, has written a good article on " Why to become a lawyer' in TOI of 20 June. She sums it with a very apt quote from her friend, Menaka Guruswamy, on why one should be a lawyer. As she writes, it is "to advocate, for those who cannot tell their own stories, to defend those whose freedom is in peril, to prod a nation to ask of itself: for whom am I, and for what was I created?"
More importantly, from the career viewpoint, course in Law offers all the four attractive options that can help you 'make' your career the way you want ( it has all the advantages that engineering option offers to students):
1. You can work both in back office ( corporate jobs) and front office jobs ( such as litigation)
R Venkata Rao, VC, NLSU, Bangalore in his interview on TOI of 19th june, says that 'Out of 80 students, 40 go to corporate, 20 go to litigation, 10 go for higher studies, and five to NGO's'. Depending on your fitment, you can chose either of the option.
2. It offers different subject area focus which one is interested in: You can focus on Social issues like pollution or child abuse, medical issues, insurance issues or corporate issues. This freedom enables you to make career in your subject of interest.
3. It offers jobs with different kind of employers: Corporate companies, NGO's ( they are called activist lawyers like Prashant Bhushan who is with Anna Hazare on Lokpal Bill) , Freelancers are some of the known options. Aditya Sondhi lists down some interesting options like radio jockey, IT entrepreneur, politics, theatre, art, (fiction) writing, and fashion. It offers jobs in justice delivery system, where you can make big impact.
4. It offers options to work part-time and full-time, working from home or office, because of internet. LPO's, like BPO's, are becoming quite popular because e-enablement of law. So you can work from your home, helping your client in US.
Like any other course that becomes popular, many colleges are mushrooming in India. It is therefore important to find the right college. The list of top ten colleges in the country, that appeared in TOI of 19th June, will help you find the best and also the required CLAT ( Common law Admission test) score that is required to get admission into it. Some interesting info on Law is also at this link.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
If Intelligence is not a good predictor of career success, then what is?
Explaining career success has been favourite topic for researchers. However, very few studies have been done to correlate intelligence with career success, because career success is measured with many measures. Although Income is one of the favourite measure of career success, other equally important measures are job satisfaction, healthy relationships and satisfied personal life.
For instance, no one has any doubt about Einstein's intelligence. That enabled him to achieve extraordinary results in his work, or job. But did that enable him to succeed in his career? Einstein had a tragic personal life. He lived apart from his family for many years,before he got divorced. Success in work may not have any corrrelation with personal life !
But studies show that even intelligence is not correlated strongly with job success, leave other measures. For instance, a meta analysis - a statistical summary of existing research - of 85 data sets from variety of countries shows that correlation between intelligence and income ( a measure of job success) is 0.2.
You may be thinking that business study grades could be correlated with income,if technical grades are not. A study of business school graduates found no correlation between grades and the eventual rise in jobs. In general, academic performance is a weak predictor of job-success, as measured by income. So the first link of intelligence to job success is itself weak. Why is this so?
Behavioural researchers believe this happens due to four reasons. One, high intelligence often causes intelligent people to believe that they know everything, causing them to be arrogant and rude. Two, it makes them difficult to understand why others behave differently and makes it difficult for them to carry others with them. They become loners. And in today's interdependent world, anything big can rarely be achieved with lone hand. Three, intelligence can be intimidating, which does not foster loyalty. Four, intelligence makes intelligent people insensitive and overconfident causing their own downfall. Enron's downfall is explained by this overconfidence, for instance.
This lack of correlation between intelligence and income ( which is one of the career success measure) has led to the idea of multiple intelligences that may be useful in accounting for other success measures. Idea of social intelligence, emotional intelligence therefore have sprung up to account career success. However instead of helping individuals to succeed in their career, this has only confused them, as this meant that they have to become Jack of all intelligences, instead of focussing on their strengths.
Every individual has a different strength. A cricketer is different than a chess player who is different than a software engineer. Each one faces therefore a different challenge in life. One has to have the specific intelligence to find and address specific challenge one faces. We call this intelligence as Career making Intelligence - CMI. CMI is an intelligence that will help you first identify the specific challenges of your career and then negotiate these challenges. As we go ahead, we believe that CMI will be able to predict career success better than any other intelligence.
For instance, no one has any doubt about Einstein's intelligence. That enabled him to achieve extraordinary results in his work, or job. But did that enable him to succeed in his career? Einstein had a tragic personal life. He lived apart from his family for many years,before he got divorced. Success in work may not have any corrrelation with personal life !
But studies show that even intelligence is not correlated strongly with job success, leave other measures. For instance, a meta analysis - a statistical summary of existing research - of 85 data sets from variety of countries shows that correlation between intelligence and income ( a measure of job success) is 0.2.
You may be thinking that business study grades could be correlated with income,if technical grades are not. A study of business school graduates found no correlation between grades and the eventual rise in jobs. In general, academic performance is a weak predictor of job-success, as measured by income. So the first link of intelligence to job success is itself weak. Why is this so?
Behavioural researchers believe this happens due to four reasons. One, high intelligence often causes intelligent people to believe that they know everything, causing them to be arrogant and rude. Two, it makes them difficult to understand why others behave differently and makes it difficult for them to carry others with them. They become loners. And in today's interdependent world, anything big can rarely be achieved with lone hand. Three, intelligence can be intimidating, which does not foster loyalty. Four, intelligence makes intelligent people insensitive and overconfident causing their own downfall. Enron's downfall is explained by this overconfidence, for instance.
This lack of correlation between intelligence and income ( which is one of the career success measure) has led to the idea of multiple intelligences that may be useful in accounting for other success measures. Idea of social intelligence, emotional intelligence therefore have sprung up to account career success. However instead of helping individuals to succeed in their career, this has only confused them, as this meant that they have to become Jack of all intelligences, instead of focussing on their strengths.
Every individual has a different strength. A cricketer is different than a chess player who is different than a software engineer. Each one faces therefore a different challenge in life. One has to have the specific intelligence to find and address specific challenge one faces. We call this intelligence as Career making Intelligence - CMI. CMI is an intelligence that will help you first identify the specific challenges of your career and then negotiate these challenges. As we go ahead, we believe that CMI will be able to predict career success better than any other intelligence.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Thinking competency unfolds in unpredictable ways
Graduate in Physics. Post graduate in Biology. Won Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2009. Do you know the name of this individual? Yes, it is Venkataraman Ramakrishnan.
When he was asked, in an interview, about these changes in his career,he said this is not at all surprising. He said " Science has no watertight compartments". He further added that if one looks at the list of Nobel Laureates in Chemistry, one will find that many are graduates in Physics. In other words, this is a norm, not an exceptional phenomenon.
Of course, scientists provide us an example of an individual, who changes discipline, because he sees some 'answer' which he is not finding in his existing discipline. He is driven by gain, so to say.
Most of individuals in normal life are driven to move from one discipline to another due to Pain. I met a IIT student last week. He is third year of IIT in Mumbai. He went to Kota for two years, studied hard, and got an admission in IIT. But he feels he is stifled by what he is seeing in Engineering. He was asking me if he could move to 'Management'.
During my coaching, I meet many students, who move to Engineering out of their own desire, but soon realise that they are not finding Engineering 'exciting'. Their growth has stopped for some reason. More often than not, they are unable to dive deeper in 1000 feet zone in their Engineering subjects. They feel like a fish out of water. On the other hand, they see some other students who are enjoying 'Engineering' and are doing exceedingly well with seemingly little effort. They realise that 'Engineering' is not for them. ( More often than not, they are right.)
Articles and commentators often jeer at these students and make them feel guilty. Some big leader also claims that 'if someone wanted to do management after IIT, why do students take up IIT'. However, for individuals who are making careers with their thinking competency this is absolutely normal.
They cannot find what they can do better before hand. ( No one really can!)And when they encounter an obstacle, they find another path. Infact, that is one of the great benefits of making career with thinking competency. Unlike doing competency individuals ( in sports, music and entertainment), thinking competency individuals change their professions and careers to find their calling. Only difference is that some individuals reach it through pain, while others reach it through gain.
When he was asked, in an interview, about these changes in his career,he said this is not at all surprising. He said " Science has no watertight compartments". He further added that if one looks at the list of Nobel Laureates in Chemistry, one will find that many are graduates in Physics. In other words, this is a norm, not an exceptional phenomenon.
Of course, scientists provide us an example of an individual, who changes discipline, because he sees some 'answer' which he is not finding in his existing discipline. He is driven by gain, so to say.
Most of individuals in normal life are driven to move from one discipline to another due to Pain. I met a IIT student last week. He is third year of IIT in Mumbai. He went to Kota for two years, studied hard, and got an admission in IIT. But he feels he is stifled by what he is seeing in Engineering. He was asking me if he could move to 'Management'.
During my coaching, I meet many students, who move to Engineering out of their own desire, but soon realise that they are not finding Engineering 'exciting'. Their growth has stopped for some reason. More often than not, they are unable to dive deeper in 1000 feet zone in their Engineering subjects. They feel like a fish out of water. On the other hand, they see some other students who are enjoying 'Engineering' and are doing exceedingly well with seemingly little effort. They realise that 'Engineering' is not for them. ( More often than not, they are right.)
Articles and commentators often jeer at these students and make them feel guilty. Some big leader also claims that 'if someone wanted to do management after IIT, why do students take up IIT'. However, for individuals who are making careers with their thinking competency this is absolutely normal.
They cannot find what they can do better before hand. ( No one really can!)And when they encounter an obstacle, they find another path. Infact, that is one of the great benefits of making career with thinking competency. Unlike doing competency individuals ( in sports, music and entertainment), thinking competency individuals change their professions and careers to find their calling. Only difference is that some individuals reach it through pain, while others reach it through gain.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Computers have misdirected career paths
I often speak and write how computers have created many new options in career paths. Being in a software industry, i have often seen the rosy side of the computers more than the dimmer side. In a recent meeting with parents, however, i realised how computers have also misdirected parents and students.
Parents and students often get attracted to careers in IT industry, because they see all the positive picture of working in computer industry : Availability of jobs at the campuses, air-conditioned offices, postings in foreign countries, travel in exotic places and 'white collar jobs'. Like in any other real-life situation, this is just one side of the coin.
When i meet an individual who has worked in software industry for 8-10 years, though, i often see the negative picture of choosing this career path. For instance, if they fit in the typical growth path offered by companies ( Programmer>Project leader> Project manager), they love their job and grow at a rapid rate. This category is however a minority. These are the individuals who combine programming skills with man-management. For them, the companies in this industry offers opportunities to nurture & grow their skills & promotions if you can grow in them. ( As is normal in any industry, Individuals who deepen their programming skill, instead of combining it any other skills, are also better off.)
Individuals, who combine programming skill with other skills, however face tough challenges. For instance, architecting a solution requires a combination of programming skill with 1000 feet knowledge of technologies. Although this skill is recognised as important in this industry, it is not offered similar opportunities of nurturing, neither the rewards of successful growth. Even though you may be acknowledged as a good 'architect', you still have to follow the path of 'Project manager' which is not your cup of tea !
Similarly, many other skill-combinations that require a different skill in combination with programming skill, are not rewarded in these companies. For instance, domain skill of a subject say telecom with programming skill. Or positions that require combining a different thought, say about Human resource management, with programming skill.
If you happen to belong to one of these skill-combinations you are better off in working in some other industry other than computer. In other words, computer industry is as good or as bad as any other industry in terms of nurturing the growth of your skills, except when you fall in that small minority. Instead of getting tied with a 'golden cuff' in computer industry, if you have such combinations of skills, you could be better off working in a different industry.
Parents and students often get attracted to careers in IT industry, because they see all the positive picture of working in computer industry : Availability of jobs at the campuses, air-conditioned offices, postings in foreign countries, travel in exotic places and 'white collar jobs'. Like in any other real-life situation, this is just one side of the coin.
When i meet an individual who has worked in software industry for 8-10 years, though, i often see the negative picture of choosing this career path. For instance, if they fit in the typical growth path offered by companies ( Programmer>Project leader> Project manager), they love their job and grow at a rapid rate. This category is however a minority. These are the individuals who combine programming skills with man-management. For them, the companies in this industry offers opportunities to nurture & grow their skills & promotions if you can grow in them. ( As is normal in any industry, Individuals who deepen their programming skill, instead of combining it any other skills, are also better off.)
Individuals, who combine programming skill with other skills, however face tough challenges. For instance, architecting a solution requires a combination of programming skill with 1000 feet knowledge of technologies. Although this skill is recognised as important in this industry, it is not offered similar opportunities of nurturing, neither the rewards of successful growth. Even though you may be acknowledged as a good 'architect', you still have to follow the path of 'Project manager' which is not your cup of tea !
Similarly, many other skill-combinations that require a different skill in combination with programming skill, are not rewarded in these companies. For instance, domain skill of a subject say telecom with programming skill. Or positions that require combining a different thought, say about Human resource management, with programming skill.
If you happen to belong to one of these skill-combinations you are better off in working in some other industry other than computer. In other words, computer industry is as good or as bad as any other industry in terms of nurturing the growth of your skills, except when you fall in that small minority. Instead of getting tied with a 'golden cuff' in computer industry, if you have such combinations of skills, you could be better off working in a different industry.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Weight handicap is as big as other handicaps in career
I met a school-friend of mine last week. I had gone to his home after a long time of 10 years. I remembered his daughter, Priya, as a smart, intelligent and lively kid. She was good in academics and also was active in other fields like dance. But when i met Priya this time, i was shocked.
Priya had become completely different this time. She had left her college. Did not appear for her Higher secondary exam. Did not want to join us for a movie, of which she was very fond of. Had no friends to chitchat in the evenings. Instead sat in front of the computer chatting with net friends. Watched TV all day. Her change had occurred due to one handicap: weight handicap. She was overweight.
That had triggered the entire vicious pattern. Because she was overweight, she was picked by her class friends for barbs and snide remarks. She started avoiding friends. She had changed three schools in last four years. She avoided neighbourhood friends because of the same reason. As she became reclusive and immobile, she kept on putting more weight. More stress added to more eating which further aggravated the vicious cycle. That brought her to net. When my friend told that she has fallen in love with a net friend at 18, i was not surprised. It is so logicial!
Weight-handicap is as serious as other handicaps ( what we saw as speech handicap of Hrithik Roshan) in creating such vicious patterns. And like other handicaps, it requires much more than willpower to tackle it. Like in speech handicap, it requires support of the groups ( in this case overweight kid groups) who have traveled on a similar path. And once the trigger is sparked, it requires other supporting elements and your love to sustain on that new pattern, until a threshold level is reached. The dynamics remain same.
Priya had become completely different this time. She had left her college. Did not appear for her Higher secondary exam. Did not want to join us for a movie, of which she was very fond of. Had no friends to chitchat in the evenings. Instead sat in front of the computer chatting with net friends. Watched TV all day. Her change had occurred due to one handicap: weight handicap. She was overweight.
That had triggered the entire vicious pattern. Because she was overweight, she was picked by her class friends for barbs and snide remarks. She started avoiding friends. She had changed three schools in last four years. She avoided neighbourhood friends because of the same reason. As she became reclusive and immobile, she kept on putting more weight. More stress added to more eating which further aggravated the vicious cycle. That brought her to net. When my friend told that she has fallen in love with a net friend at 18, i was not surprised. It is so logicial!
Weight-handicap is as serious as other handicaps ( what we saw as speech handicap of Hrithik Roshan) in creating such vicious patterns. And like other handicaps, it requires much more than willpower to tackle it. Like in speech handicap, it requires support of the groups ( in this case overweight kid groups) who have traveled on a similar path. And once the trigger is sparked, it requires other supporting elements and your love to sustain on that new pattern, until a threshold level is reached. The dynamics remain same.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Willpower is not enough to change big handicaps
I was seeing the interview of Hrithik Roshan in the Farah Khan's show of 'Tere Mere Beech mein'. The story of Hrithik Roshan came out as a very poignant story of a child who has emerged from all his handicaps to achieve something of significance.
Hrithik Roshan suffered from Dyslexia. He used to stammer and could not utter a single line in a flow. He was therefore bullied & hackled by classmates and became a loner. As he said ' I used to get scared of getting up in the morning' because of the fear of going through another day. He used to bunk 'oral exams' using different justifications like stomach ache, fever and others. With no 'platform' to practice 'speech', his speech had no chance to improve. He was caught in a vicious cycle.
As he said, very hesitantly, during the interview, the support and help from the home is not useful at such times. Because they keep on insisting 'Keep trying, and you will succeed'. Their love sometimes get transferred into anger when repeated attempts lead to failures. It does not work. Love and support, instead of facilitating the change, perhaps begins a constant source of nagging which one starts avoiding.
An unexpected event changed the pattern for Hrithik. Once, when he went to beach, he saw kids of his age doing 'somersaults'. He asked them to teach them. He fell down. But with their support, he kept on working on it. And suddenly, one day, he did 'somersaults'. For him, this was a pattern-changing event. As he commented in his interview ' I was zero in this. If i could learn to do somersaults after some attempts, why can't i do it with my speech'. This new lucky 'sensemaking' helped him start afresh.
Every day he started practicing speaking words and paras alone loudly in his room.(He still follows this practice for an hour every day.) That practice allowed him to 'build' the confidence to speak in public. And as he spoke, he must have got 'positive feedback' from it. With positive 'feedback' from speaking, he must have practiced more and more. His earlier vicious cycle got changed into virtuous cycle. It is not will-power alone that is enough in such instances to change the pattern. Neither is love enough.
For children who stammer, this is an important lesson. They need to find their own 'virtuous' pattern. They must take help from such 'groups' which help. For instance, Hrithik Roshan offered one child in the audience his phone nos so that Hrithik can help him with tips. At such times, a help from a person who has gone the same path is very important, because that person can exactly 'second-guess' what is happening and guide better than other 'normal' advisors. Such 'groups' exist. If you can connect with them, they offer important guidance that is crucial. Now your job is to help fill the gaps and help your child move into a 'virtuous' pattern.
Hrithik Roshan suffered from Dyslexia. He used to stammer and could not utter a single line in a flow. He was therefore bullied & hackled by classmates and became a loner. As he said ' I used to get scared of getting up in the morning' because of the fear of going through another day. He used to bunk 'oral exams' using different justifications like stomach ache, fever and others. With no 'platform' to practice 'speech', his speech had no chance to improve. He was caught in a vicious cycle.
As he said, very hesitantly, during the interview, the support and help from the home is not useful at such times. Because they keep on insisting 'Keep trying, and you will succeed'. Their love sometimes get transferred into anger when repeated attempts lead to failures. It does not work. Love and support, instead of facilitating the change, perhaps begins a constant source of nagging which one starts avoiding.
An unexpected event changed the pattern for Hrithik. Once, when he went to beach, he saw kids of his age doing 'somersaults'. He asked them to teach them. He fell down. But with their support, he kept on working on it. And suddenly, one day, he did 'somersaults'. For him, this was a pattern-changing event. As he commented in his interview ' I was zero in this. If i could learn to do somersaults after some attempts, why can't i do it with my speech'. This new lucky 'sensemaking' helped him start afresh.
Every day he started practicing speaking words and paras alone loudly in his room.(He still follows this practice for an hour every day.) That practice allowed him to 'build' the confidence to speak in public. And as he spoke, he must have got 'positive feedback' from it. With positive 'feedback' from speaking, he must have practiced more and more. His earlier vicious cycle got changed into virtuous cycle. It is not will-power alone that is enough in such instances to change the pattern. Neither is love enough.
For children who stammer, this is an important lesson. They need to find their own 'virtuous' pattern. They must take help from such 'groups' which help. For instance, Hrithik Roshan offered one child in the audience his phone nos so that Hrithik can help him with tips. At such times, a help from a person who has gone the same path is very important, because that person can exactly 'second-guess' what is happening and guide better than other 'normal' advisors. Such 'groups' exist. If you can connect with them, they offer important guidance that is crucial. Now your job is to help fill the gaps and help your child move into a 'virtuous' pattern.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Which students are using computer?
Tata Consultancy Service recently announced a survey results of students ranging from 12 to 18 age, living in metros and mini metros, of about 14000 students. The findings can be seen on the website of the company.
Some of the findings are notable. 63% of urban students spend over an hour online daily, which is quite a significant number. Most of them access internet at home as 62% have a personal computer at home. Usage of computers is therefore quite significant in metros and mini metros.
The more interesting part for us is about the choice of careers of these children. IT and engineering remain overwhelming popular career choices, perhaps because it is talked about the most. With the proliferation of Engineering colleges, especially private colleges, this should not be a surprising choice. More importantly, engineering offers many options and is not a niche stream like say 'medical'.
However, an unexpected choice has been the foreign destinations for higher studies. This seems to have become increasingly popular. This is surprising because the best graduation is perhaps offered in India while the best post-graduation courses are in other countries. We should perhaps find out which students are really going out and why. My guess is that these students who wish to go at 'graduate' levels are the ones who do 'education' to have a degree against their name. It would be interesting to find the list of serious 'careerists'. I know of a friend whose child went to US because she wanted to graduate in a rare subject like mathematics. Choices of basic sciences like physics and chemistry still make it very attractive choice to go to western universities.
I must however say that i was most enthused to learn that some other careers are coming in the forefront. Careers such as Media & Entertainment, Travel and Tourism are emerging career options. There are lot others which have not gained public visibility such as careers in ecology. The rate of adopting these careers is slow because most of them are not aware of these options. And this is where internet can really play a big role. If students ( and their parents) learn to use internet creatively, they could find many more career options for their children.
Some of the findings are notable. 63% of urban students spend over an hour online daily, which is quite a significant number. Most of them access internet at home as 62% have a personal computer at home. Usage of computers is therefore quite significant in metros and mini metros.
The more interesting part for us is about the choice of careers of these children. IT and engineering remain overwhelming popular career choices, perhaps because it is talked about the most. With the proliferation of Engineering colleges, especially private colleges, this should not be a surprising choice. More importantly, engineering offers many options and is not a niche stream like say 'medical'.
However, an unexpected choice has been the foreign destinations for higher studies. This seems to have become increasingly popular. This is surprising because the best graduation is perhaps offered in India while the best post-graduation courses are in other countries. We should perhaps find out which students are really going out and why. My guess is that these students who wish to go at 'graduate' levels are the ones who do 'education' to have a degree against their name. It would be interesting to find the list of serious 'careerists'. I know of a friend whose child went to US because she wanted to graduate in a rare subject like mathematics. Choices of basic sciences like physics and chemistry still make it very attractive choice to go to western universities.
I must however say that i was most enthused to learn that some other careers are coming in the forefront. Careers such as Media & Entertainment, Travel and Tourism are emerging career options. There are lot others which have not gained public visibility such as careers in ecology. The rate of adopting these careers is slow because most of them are not aware of these options. And this is where internet can really play a big role. If students ( and their parents) learn to use internet creatively, they could find many more career options for their children.
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