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Life at Delhi University: Bachelor in Commerce with Honours

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1. Sky-high cut-offs depreciate the value of your marks. Depreciation happens for real. Your score a decent 95% after all the hard-work in your board exams, and end up nowhere near the college of your choice. For a commerce student, admission to a DU college of one’s liking is perhaps harder than a ticket to the moon. Getting into SRCC is the litmus test for the toppers, and with the rocketing cut-offs, not many pass this test. Which means you land up in a college which wasn’t even on your list when you first set your foot in the admissions arena. Not just that, you’ll be reminded of this reality by your relatives and even your professors time and again.

2. B.Com is never enough alone.

Doing B.Com and learning about accounts, marketing, finance, advertising, laws and whatnot doesn’t seem to suffice as a curriculum. There comes a volley of questions, “Beta, CA bhi kar rahe ho?”, “Iske baad CS karoge ya CA?” you’ll be made to feel doing B.Com Honours alone is not enough and that you are wasting time if CA/CS/CWA is not in your things-to-do. And this is not it. If you come across questions that predict your career trajectory, don’t be bogged down by the stereotype. “Beta, B.Com ke baad MBA? Coaching le rahe ho?” No aunty, will you help me crack CAT?

3. You start reading business and commerce newspapers and journals

You either start reading these of your own accord, because frankly, things make less sense in class if you are not aware of the world of commerce, business and economics, or you have been advised to read these by your professors so many times, that you give in to their incessant goads. Whatever be the stimulus, pretty soon you are devouring the pages of Economic Times, or the Business section of magazines, and if you turn out to be a really big business geek, you’ll be found within the pages of a business/commerce journal, reading research papers, and writing your own. This knowledge also comes in handy when you participate in commerce fests: case study competitions, business challenges, business plan competitions, paper presentations… you get the drift.

4. Economics is a clingy sister.

You’re never asked about your next favourite subject after commerce. Reason? It has to be economics. Add them to the list of stereotypes, but this is sadly true. If the curriculum asks you to choose a minor subject, it is a farce because you don’t really have a choice. You’ll end up studying economics. It is that clingy sister who wouldn’t let go of you. Granted, economics as a discipline is the nearest to commerce and the subject matter is related, but lack of choice is just brutal.

5. Commerce students? Ruthless number-crunchers

One, people will think of you as future corporate honchos who pursue profits ruthlessly. Tell them you have a whole paper on Business ethics.  Second, commerce for them is almost synonymous with accounts. So your future should look like a bespectacled geek who is perennially glued to Tally. Only, we commerce students are spoilt for choice; and advertising, marketing, law are far more glamorous professions than they are made out to be. Also, they aren’t just about accounts, as is clear. Third, number-crunching is not the only thing that comes naturally to you. You are a multi-faceted personality and you might be a literature-lover or a music aficionado, or a food connoisseur. With so many diverse papers that this course encompasses, there are endless possibilities for your career trajectory. You get used to these stereotypes, and with your multi-hued personality, you ace it all, with or without a professional course- and end up in a variety of jobs, some of which don’t even have the word “accounts” in their job profile.   With inputs from Iresh Gupta Kritika Narula [email protected]]]>

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DUB Speak

Is DU doing enough to make its students employable?

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With placement season almost over in Delhi University, I can’t help but question the state of placements for most students. Yes, we do have certain companies offering competitive positions and packages to some colleges in DU, but by and large the scene is dismal. It then becomes important to see why the situation is such, and what the University as a whole, is currently doing about it. To clarify, I don’t think of colleges solely as employee-producing grounds. Of course, the idea behind a higher education is to foster academic curiosity, but who says it can’t aim to achieve both? Moreover, the University should strive to connect its students with as many opportunities as possible, and a good learning environment through a job out of college is one of them.

The current situation of DU’s Central Placement Cell

Delhi University does have a Central Placement Cell, which works at bringing companies for recruitment for the University as a whole, instead of specific colleges. While the profiles might not satisfy all students on campus, it does prove to be a good option for students whose respective colleges do not have strong placement cells. Every year, the CPC does its bit to put students in front of companies (primarily mass recruiters) like Wipro, HCL Technologies, Genpact, State Bank of India and Tata Motors. However, there are no training sessions to brief students about personal interviews, group discussions and aptitude tests–the most basic rounds every recruitment process includes.

A classmate of mine recently got placed at the start up Zostel through the CPC. When I talked to him about his experience, it was disheartening to hear that many students seemed unable to interact during group discussions, and some of them didn’t even know how to write a resume! A few of them had submitted hand-written resumes and unprofessional ones with coloured fonts, large text sizes and so on. Out of the 1000 odd students who had applied, my friend approximated that only 300 or so seemed to have decent presentation skills.

It’s not as though the other students were intellectually inferior, they just didn’t know how to present themselves, simply because no one had ever shown them how! Most students are involved in some campus activity, research project or internship during their three years, but are not able to muster the confidence to talk about them in front of a prospective employer.

Employers might just sympathise with such students, but are they not justified in expecting a certain degree of professionalism from students graduating from the so-called most sought after university in the country? I think they are. Surely, even a couple of sessions on resume writing, mock GD and PI classes could’ve better equipped those remaining students.

What employers expect from DU pass outs/freshers

My friend Soumya, whose Innovation Cell research project revolved around increasing student-corporate exposure was telling me about the expectations that employers usually have from freshers. Since our University mainly offers non technical courses, the number of “transferable skills” a fresher can bring to his or her first job is rather low. Most companies have on boarding and training programs in place; what they’re mainly looking at is a decent level of communication skills, comprehension skills and industry knowledge. Even when it comes to grades, employers can settle for an average record, if the other factors are met.

However, these do not magically appear overnight. You can cram for a paper at the last minute and pass the subject without even attending its classes during the semester, but hey, where’s the “Last 10 years solved papers” book on communication skills? DU constitutes of students who have stellar communication skills due to exposure during school years along with those who are much more reserved and unsure of their skills. It’s unfortunate that the University does little to bring all its students to a common level, in the three years that the average undergrad spends on its grounds.

The wide gap between students in the top DU colleges and the rest of the University

On one hand, you have the Big 4 consulting and audit firms recruiting from “best” colleges individually and on the other, you see students grappling at even making resumes when it comes to the remaining colleges. So what do these colleges do to ensure that students are ready to face corporate professionals? Swati, from the placement cell at College of Business Studies, shared that for second year students, ESS or Employability Skill Sessions are organised for mock GD and PIs.

Additionally, employees from various companies hold sessions with the students to talk about their experience. A docket, compiling case studies, frequently asked questions (broken down company wise) and other tips, is shared with all students ahead of the placement season. They also authenticate resumes to ensure uniformity and credibility, for which they’ve received good feedback from employers.

Sanchi, from LSR’s placement cell stressed on the importance of the case study workshops they organise for students hoping to crack the consulting industry. Apart from those, a lot of CV writing, and GRE, GMAT prep sessions are held.

SRCC, surprisingly, does not have an overt training session in place. However, given the intensity of its societies (which leads to stronger ties with seniors and the alumnus), and level of industry exposure through seminars, workshops and conferences, students are probably confident in their skills before placements begin.

If the supposed best colleges in DU, who get the “cream” of students right from day one of college, do so much to enhance the skills of students, then it is speaks volumes about the importance of such training programs. Apart from a handful of colleges, training sessions are ignored, even if the college has a relatively active placement cell. It’s important for such cells to understand that their work is not limited to simply getting recruiters on board, but also to make students feel prepared for the on campus recruitment process.

What other institutes in India are doing to train their students

When asked about the internship and placement process at IIT Bombay, a source told us about the compulsory personality development sessions that are organised for final year students sitting for placements following a few complaints made by companies some years back about some students having unsatisfactory or poor soft skills. Even for internships for second and third year students, resume writing workshops and information sessions explaining the recruitment process are held.

Another friend from school shared the idea of “The Buddy Program” in NMIMS where the placement cell linked groups of 5 students to an alumni member who could share personal advice on placements, industry inputs and so on. The introductory session was organised by the cell, after which it was the students’ responsibility to follow up and keep in touch.

What DU can do through its Central Placement Cell

The basic moves include resume writing sessions, presentation and communication training. If the University has the infrastructure to organise a placement drive with thousands of students, it can hold these sessions too. The officials recently launched a MOOC on “India in the 2st century”; if it can use such forms of teaching, why can’t we have such workshops through a MOOC?

Why can’t we have compulsory communication building classes across all courses for first year students, like the Environmental Studies subject we have right now? Why can’t summer vacations be used to regularly hold sessions with DU alumnus, many of whom are now CEOs in large companies? Why couldn’t the laptops distributed during the FYUP come preloaded with videos on such areas? If absolutely nothing else, the CPC site should at least list resources online on these topics.

What students can do on an individual basis

While this piece primarily states that the University should be taking more responsibility to train its students and make them workforce-ready, it is not solely the duty of the officials. I’m a big believer in taking responsibility for one’s college life and that includes making oneself more “employable”. So what can students do to prepare themselves for placements? For starters, there is a wealth of knowledge online covering resume formats, dos and don’ts during interviews and so on.

A simple Google search does the trick! Then, one can harness the power of peer support. Imagine a group of students who stay back an hour after their classes every week to hold a mock GD among themselves. Or interview each other and observe areas of improvement. Or maybe share articles they found online and discuss news events. By the end of the semester, they are far more confident and prepared.

In conclusion, there is a lot that needs to be done on a consistent and regular basis by students, the college placement cells and the Central Placement Cell. Maybe one day we can get a Big 4 company signing up for placements through the CPC and find itself spoilt for choice with the level of preparedness shown by students, but there’s a long way to go before that happens. The current situation for a majority of students is disheartening at best. The question that we started off with initially, about whether or not the University is doing enough to make its students employable, should perhaps be reframed to ask whether the University is doing anything at all.

Priyanka Banerjee
[email protected]

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Offbeat

Offbeat careers: Private Detective

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Problem-solving, digging deep into mysteries, investigation, meticulous attention to details and courage – if all this comes naturally to you, coupled with the belief of treading the less-travelled path, private investigation might be your calling. Add to it a strong sense of integrity and a taste for adventure and risk-taking, and you know for sure what you are meant to do.

If you have always loved the adventures and cases of Sherlock Holmes, Byomkesh Bakshi, Hercule Poirot, Feluda and the likes, it is an added bonus and it means you have your theory right. All that needs to be done now is the application of your knowledge into situations which demand speedy inferences and investigations.

Job profile

No wonder Hercule Poirot, Inspector Dalgleish, Inspector Clouseau, Cordelia Gray, our beloved Sherlock Holmes and his Indian counterpart Feluda have brought glory and glamour to the profession of investigation, we need to get to the nitty-gritties. This is a job similar to and different from that of a policeman.

As a detective, you are supposed to investigate spurious events (mostly of a criminal nature), and other such suspicious activities. The work encompasses digging facts by putting your communication skills to the best use: making enquiries using various techniques, without the knowledge of the person being pursued, or in other words, undercover investigations. The job may take the form of an independent detective solving a case on his own, or assisting lawyers, businesses, insurance companies, investors and the public.

Projects include surveillance, fraud investigation, tracing missing persons, investigating commercial piracy, private matrimonial/business alliances’ preliminary investigation, among several others.

Qualifications and Institutes

Apart from working knowledge of the law, computer skills etc, a graduate degree is taken as basic qualification. The following combinations of courses provide the requisite skills:

  1. Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra — MSc Forensic Science (www.dbrau.ac.in)
  1. University of Mysore — MA in Criminology and Forensics (www.uni-mysore.ac.in)
  1. National Institute of Criminology — Master’s in Criminology (www.nicfs.nic.in)
  1. The Indore Christian College, Indore (www.indorechristiancollege.com)
  1. The National Institute of Private Investigation, New Delhi
  2. Lancers Network Limited, New Delhi
Detective Agency | Source: www.cheyennepd.org
Detective Agency | Source: www.cheyennepd.org

Remuneration

In a private investigation agency starting salary would be somewhere between Rs. 6,000 to Rs.15,000 per month or between Rs. 1,25,000 to Rs. 2,50,000 per annum. An experienced private detective with repute may earn higher and have unlimited perks. Corporate Investigations can fetch Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh per annum.

Acquiring a leadership managerial position or setting up one’s own agency becomes viable after a few years only, once you have established an array of clients and contacts. That said, this profession did feature in Forbes’ list of “surprisingly low-paid jobs”.

Why is it offbeat?

This is one profession that never loses its charm, whatever the era be. The element of uncertainty and adventure only enhances its challenges as sophisticated technology enters the picture and makes it even more complex.

Another factor that makes this profession unusual is that there are no defined contours to which the job profile is confined. A private detective handles many cases of burglary, extortion, theft, suicide, kidnapping, fraud, murder, rape, forgery, molestation, eve teasing, family cases, undercover operations, copyright infringement cases, cyber-crime, so on and so forth.

Scope

As pointed out earlier, setting up one’s own agency becomes viable after a few years only, once you have established an array of clients and contacts. So, for starting out by working for some agency, a list of potential employers can be found on the websites of the Association of Private Detectives and Investigators, Council of International Investigators and World Association of Detectives.

Featured Image Credits: www.telegraph.co.uk

Kritika Narula
[email protected]

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Interviews

Interview: IndiaCollegeSearch CEO Anirudh Motwani

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IndiaCollegeSearch.com is one of India’s most successful online educational portals providing aggregated information about colleges and applications, so that students can evaluate both quantitatively and qualitatively and choose the best option for themselves. Already a million-strong community, it is still expanding. Our correspondent recently interviewed the Founder and CEO of IndiaCollegeSearch.com, Mr. Anirudh Motwani.

Ayesha: How did the idea of IndiaCollegeSearch.com come to you?
Anirudh: When we were looking for colleges, we faced the same problem of inadequate levels of information. It is very common among Indian students that they don’t have many choices as to which colleges to go to. We started with a Classifieds model in 2008, but we did not find it fit for education sector, rather it worked for jobs better, because students need a lot more than just the contact details of the college, like teaching faculty, placements etc. Through our existing model, we are trying to do so.

Ayesha: How does IndiaCollegeSearch.com garner the high quality information for and from both colleges and students?
Anirudh: Initially, in 2010, we did a lot of research, looking up into college websites and field work, but now we have almost 5000 colleges that are updating their own profiles. Our job is mainly now to keep a tab as to which profiles are out-dated, and keep updating them.

Ayesha: Did you face any problems while incorporating in your website such a large plethora of career options and institutions, more so with the advent of new off-beat career choices?
Anirudh: IndiaCollegeSearch.com was started mainly for Engineering and Management courses, which are quite similar in their professional structure. In every course, there are a lot of factors that matter, like for Medical, it is not the college really, but the attached hospital that is important, and also for Vocational courses, the campus ceases to matter, but the infrastructure. So, we do try to provide a standard level of information, but it is difficult.

Ayesha: Just like IndiaCollegeSearch.com, do you feel that there lies any potential in the growing online education sector?
Anirudh: Of course. Our specific arena is mainly admissions, but we also have a backhand software which about 1000 colleges use to manage their applications in one place, including some DU colleges. Infact, we processed around 2 lakh applications from our website last year. So yes, all this is definitely going online, and it does have a bright future, with more and more procedures switching to online.

Ayesha: Any further development you are looking forward to in IndiaCollegeSearch.com?
Anirudh: Yes, what we are looking to do in the upcoming months is social selection of colleges, like where are people from your city have applied in the past, which colleges or courses, where your friends have applied, which possible colleges have received most number of applications, what are your chances of getting in, what is that college’s acceptance rate or average response rate. This will make the whole application procedure much simpler.

Ayesha: What is the significance of your website’s Review Section?
Anirudh: Whatever general data is available, cannot tell you how life is like in the college. What the canteen is like, how are the lecturers, how far it is; that is the softer aspects of a college that you can only get to know from an alumni or a current student.

Ayesha: What, in your opinion, makes IndiaCollegeSearch.com stand out?
Anirudh: We have always focused on the students, to give them basic information and not try to give publicity to any college or course. We prefer to keep the power of information in the user’s hands.

Ayesha: Especially for our readers, do you offer any placements or internships for students?
Anirudh: We have hired DU alumni, though not on-campus. And, we are also planning to start internships and appoint Campus Ambassadors for ICS, because after all its they who are in the system and our best information source.

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DUB News

Frequently asked Questions- Editorial Department

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1. Do I have to be a student in Delhi University?
Yes. The newspaper is based in Delhi University and hence all our correspondents are from one of the colleges.

2. Is it a paid job profile?
No. It is an unpaid position like every other in DU Beat.

3. Do I have to be excellent in English?
While we do not necessarily look for a Shakespeare we do require a certain level of command over the language.

4. What kind of writing samples do you need?
Anything from a report of an event to a review of a book/movie/TV show. It would be advisable if you could go through our website and make yourself familiar with the kind of content before applying. Please avoid sending poetry and fiction.

5. How many hours of my week will I have to give?
Allotments of stories are done once a week but news reports can be assigned at any point. Enough time is provided to complete them though.

6. My CV got selected, what now?
Congratulations! You are one step closer. We will have another session of conversation with you which could be from an Interview to a group discussion.

7. Can I be terminated at any point?

Definitely. There is a probation period once you join in which you can choose to leave or we can ask you to leave.

Reasons for termination:

If you are lacking in your work and do not complete your assigned reports or submit them late.
You refuse to take up assignments a number of times.

We are not satisfied with your stories and your writing.

8. That sounds harsh! 

Don’t worry, we’re nice people. As long as you laugh at our jokes, of course.

9. I’ve applied before. But haven’t heard back/wasn’t selected. Can I re-apply?

If you think you match all our criteria, then sure, go ahead!

10. What does an ideal candidate look like, for you?

Some one who:
-Has a good command over the language
-Is well versed with DUB’s usual content and likes the kind of work we do
-Is ready to bring their A game and contribute to the team’s effort
-Wants to develop a writing style and experiment with various types of pieces (news stories, opinions, review, event coverage and so)
-Has a good sense of humor and work ethic

 

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Campus Central

Beyond the cliché – Economics Honours

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Beyond the Cliché is increasingly difficult to write from a general perspective considering the dynamic nature of the subject, so we’ll discuss it in a way that we can break out of the Delhi University stereotypes of the subject. Students today largely get divided into two sets – Masters in Economics and Placements. These placements are generally consulting, finance and business analyst profiles. So let’s delve into a few possible alternatives that stem from the subject Environmental Economics This subject/profession requires individuals to study the impact of our species on the environment in economic terms. They combine the use of economic knowledge like data analysis and mathematical models with environmental science and management.

  Public Policy This can in turn be linked to the idea of political economics as well at some level as it involves the study of public policy on economics and vice versa. It requires individuals to pursue a Masters in Public Policy after pursuing their degree in Economics.
  Healthcare Economics majors abroad often pursue courses that provide them with the necessary skills to apply economic theory in the field of medicine. This involves working on healthcare policy, administration or pharmaceuticals. There exist multiple avenues for this in the government sector, academia as well as in the industry.
  Real Estate and Urban Planning Working in real estate and urban planning isn’t simply the domain of architects. There exist multiple points of entry for economics due to the large number of financial necessities that come into construction and sale of property.
  Business Analytics Apart from the fact that the Harvard Business Review called it the sexiest job of the 21st century, McKinsey Global Institute sighted a growing demand for individuals that can work with large amounts of data. This is a field where it is possible to work with technology giants like Google, finance companies like Vodafone and banks like Capital One.
  These are just some of the possible options that are available to students of Economics. With individuals like Daniel Kahneman and Thomas Piketty constantly pushing the borders, one cannot help but be inspired by the endless potential of the subject. ]]>

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Arts & Culture

PVR bluO: Of bowling, beverages and gaming

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Are you looking for a place that treats you with a opulent menu, unprecedented deserts and a miscellany of cocktails and mocktails along with games like bowling and foosball with relaxation offered by a spa massage? PVR bluO at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon is the right place providing you with a perfect setting for get-together, quality family time or an unofficial business meeting.

DU Beat team recently visited their premise. The team enjoyed a hearty meal, a terrific bowling set, engaging video gaming trials, relaxing Spa sessions and much more. Our correspondents – Ishaan Gambhir, Iresh Gupta, Ishani Rajkhowa and Ishaan Sengupta share their experiences at PVR bluO!

PVR bluO, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon
PVR bluO, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

Start with the tikkas and explore the drinks menu
– Starters and beverages at bluO

BluO offers a wide variety of alcoholic beverages along with a few regular non-alcoholic ones like ice-tea, aerated drinks and the mocktails with which we, the DUB team, started our tasting expedition. The drinks were a combination of innovation and flavour which were refreshing for our taste buds. The star of the lot was certainly “Sunday Morning” with its sudden bursts of sweetness and the right balance of mango. Trailing just behind was “Alaska Apple” which was quite unique for an apple drink. Do not judge it by the look though, behind the questionable appearance is a taste that will surely appeal to the taste buds.

The vegetarian appetizers ranged from Paneer tikkas (Chef’s recommendation) to Sandwiches and Chilli Paneer. The Garlic Bread basket contained four different types of toppings – Mushrooms, Tomato, Corns and Zucchini while the tikkas were quite savoury too. However, the plating itself takes the cake! The average price of the vegetarian appetisers’ section is Rs.249, the cheapest constituent being Quesadillas for Rs.199.

We started off with Californian Fish Fingers and Murg Malai Tikka. The malai tikkas, marinated in cream and cheese were juicy and tender and were easily passed as the tastiest dish we had during our time spent there. They were still on our minds while we were tasting other dishes making us desirous of ordering another portion (but we dropped the plan as we already had much on our platter!)
Fish fingers, the beer battered golden fried fish served on the bed on french fries took a back seat here as they didn’t complement the dip it was served with. The quality of fish and the way it was cooked forced us not to leave behind anything on the serving plate, but for a Rs.399 dish, we were’t satisfied. A standard non-vegetarian appetiser can be ordered here for Rs.349, fish appetisers naturally being the most pricey ones.

T20 : Cricket :: bluO : Bowling
-Gaming at bluO

The Manager introduced the DUB team to the USP of bluO with a quote –  “What T-20 has done to the sport of cricket in India, bluO has done the same to the sport of bowling!”


Welcome starters at Blu-O were accompanied by the vehement eagerness to bowl at India’s renowned bowling alley. Right after the chef’s savories, we moved towards the alley area to have a game of bowling. Accompanied by the right kind of music, bowling at Blu-o was the right activity to rejuvenate. With assisting staff and trainers right by the side of fresh bowlers and food delivered right at your bowling tables, Blu-O ensures its guests have a great time.

bluO's Bowling Rate Card
bluO’s Bowling Rate Card

Our team also ordered the main course food at the bowling tables, which we enjoyed partially with the game of bowling and then watching the ongoing T-20 matches. With the live screening of the ongoing games on AV screens, the ambience of the venue suits perfect to host all kinds of get together parties. However, the music collection may not suit the small number of people who just come to dine in at Blu-O as the peppy music just synchronizes well with the mood of gaming.

Apart from the 24 bowling alleys, Blu-O also offers Foosball gaming, Dart games, Air Hockey and Snooker, which makes it an ideal destination to de-stress and bond.

 You must be hungry again!
– World Cuisine and Dessert at bluO

For the main course, we decided to take the Italian route with Veg Alfredo White Sauce Pasta flavoured with Parmesan Cheese and 3 Cheese Pizza along with tasting the Chinese flavour of  Honey Chilli Potatoes, the honey and chilli proportions of which can be customized. BluO’s main course dishes are cheaper than its appetisers – the spread costed us Rs.1100, which in our opinion is reasonable. The food was satisfactory and the servings pretty generous as compared to other high-profile restaurants. The triple decker Chicken Classic Club Sandwich, again served with French Fries, was also our perfect companion at the bowling alley table when we were waiting for our respective turns. What made the dishes stand out was the beautiful presentation of the food. Portions were liberal.

Expect Servdeep Singh Malhotra, Executive Chef at PVR bluO, Gurgaon, to drop by at your table and ask for your opinion as well as help you choose your spread. The celebrity chef has been associated with Masterchef India and has an experience of 14 years.

Executive Chef, PVR bluO - Servdeep Singh of MasterChef India fame
Executive Chef, PVR bluO – Servdeep Singh of MasterChef India fame

Chef Servdeep, on discovering us clueless about our choice of dessert, presented us with fried Mexican Churros with chocolate sauce.  Churros is not a difficult dish to make, thus our focus was on the little efforts that go into cooking it and to our delight, we realized the little efforts had been emphasized on. The Churros were perfectly shaped and the amount of cinnamon and caster sugar was well balanced.

Would you like a  massage?
– Spa at bluO

After a lot that bluO offered us, we were really looking forward to try out the Spa. With no sound audible from the sold out crowd outside, the Spa Room was completely serene. Dimly lit with candles around, the place has a calm aura. The masseurs seemed exceptionally skilled in their ‘art’ of neck and back massage that we opted for. The room was well equipped with the customized seats for different kind of massage and hygiene was of top priority.

Looking for a personalized area?
– Lounges at bluO

Play Station Lounge
The premise also accommodates recently added Play Station Lounge in collaboration with Sony where one can experience latest games in the most suitable environment with closed space. The lounge also witnesses launch of new games which attracts a lot of crowd.

Customized Play Station Lounge at bluO
Customized Play Station Lounge at bluO

Platinum Lounge
With its high premium private areas, Platinum Lounge serves its special customers at Blu-O by providing spaces separate from the crowd with comfortable couches which  signifies embodiment of luxury.

Karaoke Lounge
Unlike other karaoke’s in Delhi, bluO offers a strictly sound-proof room and has a variety of sound tracks to offer ranging from Bollywood to western rock music. The spacious seats inside the room can accommodate up to eight people. The microphone and the sound system is of premium quality and the television provided us with lyrics in high definition. There is also an option of receiving food orders inside the karaoke room. We jammed to some Backstreet Boys while we munched on spicy potatoes with honey.

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DUB Speak

The complete guide on preparing for your summer internship

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After weeks of pursuing various contacts, sending out polished cover letters and resumes, and juggling multiple interviews, you’ve finally found yourself the perfect summer internship. Needless to say, you’re excited about the upcoming opportunity, and can’t wait to get a glimpse of the ‘real world’. Plus, the difficult part is over, right? Surely the actual internship won’t be as difficult as getting the HR department of your dream company to open your emails, right? Well, as tough as it might be to bag an ideal internship, the main part of the experience can be slightly challenging too, especially if it’s your first internship! That’s where this guide comes in! Whether you’re taking up a marketing internship or a tech based one, these are some pointers that should help across most departments and industries!

tumblr_inline_mr8cxpB9Ak1qz4rgp

Follow industry related news
Chances are, you already keep an eye out for the important pieces of news around the field you’re planning to intern in. If not, take a look at some of the sites mentioned below:

Interning as an Editorial intern or at a public policy based firm? You may want to check out Kafila.
Working as a tech intern? Say hello to TechCrunch and The Next Web.
Interning at a startup? Head over to YourStory and Trak.in.
Working in the marketing department? Mashable and Mad Over Marketing  might interest you. Also, follow Seth Godin’s blog; just do it.

Reading up on industry related news will help you strike up conversations with your peers and seniors, (and participate in them, too!)  They’ll also give you a better idea of the issues relevant to the company you’re interning at. You might pick up some ideas and tips while you’re at it, too!

It is of course, imperative to follow the social media profiles of the company you’re about to join.

Make use of LinkedIn (Yes, the site you’ve been avoiding all this while)

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Now, most of us made a LinkedIn profile very enthusiastically in our first semester in college, and haven’t logged in since. It’s time to search through your inbox for your LinkedIn password, because this site can help you out immensely (if you know how to make use of it, that is!). Take a look at a few ways of using LinkedIn to prepare yourself for your internship:

  • You probably know who you’re going to be working under this summer. It’s a good idea to look him/her up on LinkedIn to make a note of their career trajectory. This will help you to gather a few conversation topics and have a few questions about their work experience and educational background in place.
  • Using the ‘People Also Viewed’ section on the right side of the profile, you could check out the profiles of other people who work at the department. You might not be working under them, but you’ll probably see them around, and hence taking a lot at their profiles isn’t a bad idea at all.
  • By searching for people who have already interned in the department or company you’re joining this summer, you could connect with a few of them and talk to them about their experience. They might have some handy ‘been there, served coffee’ (just kidding!), tips to give you. Their profiles might also give you ideas for places you could intern next year or during the winter break. Early bird and all that jazz!

 

Make sure you ask the HR these questions before hand
Before your internship actually starts, it’s important to clear out a few details with the HR department of the company. If you’re working with a small company or start up, they might not have a segregated HR department, in which case, you could talk to the person who handled your application and took your interview. Make a list of questions in advance, so you don’t have to keep sending out emails when you realise that you forgot to ask whether Saturdays are working! It’s important to know your working hours, number of working days in a week, dress code (especially important for larger companies), who you’ll be reporting to on your first day and so on. It might also be a good idea to approach the matter of an internship stipend (tactfully, of course!), just so you’re clear and aren’t left disappointed when you get to know, at the end of your internship, that a certificate and ‘experience’ is all you’ll be getting!

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Brush up on your skills
You could use the time between your last exam and the first day of your internship to brush up on a few skills that are bound to come in handy during your internship. Some common tools include Microsoft Excel (yes, you mentioned that in your resume, but do you actually know how to make Pivot Tables?), knowing your way around content creation platforms like WordPress, social media and analytics tools and so on. You’ll find tons of tutorials on Youtube for any tool or platform you may need to use during your internship, so get going!

Be prepared to learn, unlearn and make the most of the experience
This is perhaps the most important step. You might have heard tales of evil bosses and ‘useless’ internships from your seniors, while also coming across those who gushed about how amazing their internships turned out to be. At the end of the day, everyone has varying experiences, and it’s important to take the summer as it comes. You might be saddled with dull work on some days, and be given exciting brainstorming projects on other days; it’s all a part of the experience. Always keep in mind that the main thing you’ll be talking away from the internship is probably the people you’ll meet and interact with. So don’t forget to give your best smile, mingle and learn from others!

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Still looking for your dream internship? Take a look at our guide to secure internships this summer!

Image courtesy: troll.me, tumblr.com, theeye.org

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Admissions 2014

DU Open Day VI: NCWEB a viable option for women who want to work and study simultaneously

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Day six of the DU Open Day Program organised by the Dean of Students’ Welfare Association, held at the Conference Centre, North Campus saw a room full of class twelfth students aspiring to become a part of the University of Delhi, along with their parents.

After an introduction by Mr. J. M. Khurana (Dean, Students’ Welfare Association), student volunteers, Anam and Kuldeep, presented a slide-show which informed the aspirants about the courses provided by the University, the admission process, criterion and eligibility, entrance tests, hostel facilities, reservation and the documents required in the admission process.

Dr. Anju Gupta, Director of Non Collegiate Women’s Education board (NCWEB) addressed the gathering and informed the aspirants about the NCWEB and the service it does to women who want work to support their family and also study side-by-side. The Board has thirteen centres a over Delhi, such as Bharti College in Janak Puri, Hans Raj College in North Campus and Jesus and Mary College in the South Campus. Courses provided by the Board are B.A. Programme and B. Com. She also mentioned how one of her students is a University topper, despite working as a teacher in a government school and supporting her family. NCWEB classes are held only on Sundays and the students have the rest of the week off to work. The students, however, cannot pursue another degree alongside their NCWEB course, which is a three-year annual system course.

The Principal of Aditi Mahavidyalya, Dr. Kalpana Barara spoke to audience about her college, the courses it offers and the facilities it provides. Apart from the college profile, she also advised the aspirants to choose the course over the college.

Kalindi College’s Principal, Dr. Anula Maurya also talked about her college and its upcoming hostel and sports complex facilities.

All the speakers pressed the fact that all colleges of the University are at par regarding the education and the opportunities they provide.

The session was a success and ended with the answering of queries put up by the aspirants and their parents via chits.

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