Sunday, January 31, 2010

Organized crime targets Australian universities

Organized crime targets Australian universities

Australia’s foreign education sector worth $16 billion is becoming a hot target of organized crime, reveals a report by the Australian Immigration Department.
The report by the immigration consultants Ernst & Young to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) proved that bogus students are exploiting the tertiary education providers. Earlier too, fraud and crime were prevalent but the organized criminal gangs focused on small vocational institutes like independent language schools and private colleges.
The report clearly states that organized crime targeting higher education in Australia has reached a worrying stage in the recent months. It was revealed that 40 percent of the student visas fraud detected last year was targeted at universities and vocational colleges.
Findings of the report highlighted the fact that out of total student visas refused during the period from July 2008 till April 2009, 39 percent were aimed at fraud involving higher education. And to the surprise of not just immigrant officials but the university leaders in Australia, there has been a worrying increase in this percentage which moved up to 53 percent in a span of just three months by June end 2009.
The report calls for an immediate need to curb this growing menace of international criminal activity targeting the education sector of Australia. For this, the Australian administration needs to work in close association with their local governments as well as law enforcement agencies of foreign governments to check such frauds.
The increased trend of organized crime witnessed in Australia can be attributed to the stricter visa and immigration norms introduced by several European nations including United States.
Moreover, the problem needs an immediate attention of various leaders of universities to check its growing impact on higher education.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has already geared up to tackle any incidence of fraud by applying increased security measures to immigrants coming from countries including India, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Nepal and Mauritius.

Steps for study/work visa process

Steps for study/work visa process
Do you want to know about the steps to be followed for getting a student visa or work visa? Here comes all the information needed by you to help make the entire process easier.
• First of all, you will be required to submit an application for a study visa at the nearest embassy of the country where you like to immigrate for studying or the consulate that represents the country. For this, you need to pay a fixed amount for the visa.
• Also, you must provide evidence about your funds so as to convince the immigration officials that you will be able to afford your living and study costs in the country for which you need visa.
• And you must also confirm the place or the institute where you will be pursuing your higher studies abroad if applying for a student visa. However, if you are applying for a work visa, then you need to possess a job or an employment offer from the employer in the country you wish to work.
1. Canada Visas
The Canadian government has made the Canadian immigration policy very friendly. So, for those of you wanting to get student visa for Canada, you can look forward to receiving all the relevant assistance and vital guidance to help you with the steps involved in the entire Canada visa process.
Similarly, if you want to get Canada work visa, the process is equally simple and does not require any job offer from the employer in Canada.
2. US Visas
If you are one of the candidates applying for a US Visa, you need to have clarity about the various details in the application form for US visa. The reason is that the immigration officials scrutinize each and every detail mentioned in the application forms. So, any forms containing erroneous or fake information are likely to be rejected at the very outset.
Also, certain recent amendments have been introduced in the immigration policies by the American government resulting in tightening of visa rules for migrant workers and foreign students seeking immigration into the US. So, to increase your chances of getting your application processed faster and getting a US visa, you must provide clear and authentic details in the application form.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Choosing the right B-School

Choosing the right B-School


In this modern business world, it is very important to be an efficient manager to beat the competition all around. To sustain in this business world one should always upgrade him/herself to bring more business for the company for which one is working or managing the in-house people or making the right kind of strategies to grow with the organization. We can say that in almost every field and arena the role of a manager is not ignorable. To acquire such kind of business skill and strategies one should go for the respective MBA degree. MBA degree in present world is most sought after and recognized post graduate option. Those who have an urge to give new heights to business and management, should always go for an MBA. MBA is globally recognized professional course, and now it is being taught almost in every business schools and universities.

Now, the question arise in front of the aspiring student how to choose the right business school, so that you will get the value of time and money you invested to accomplish this course. Getting an MBA degree from on of the top most and reputed institution makes much of a difference itself to you’re your academic and professional career. Getting into a good B-School does not only mean that you will get the best faculty and infrastructure, but moreover it will give you a brand name which will stay with you throughout your professional career. Therefore, before stepping into an MBA institute its really important to evaluate it on few logical parameters.

Ranking of the B-School

To start the search one can first think about the ranks of the MBA institution. In the last few years many big organizations and media houses have conducted many surveys on B-schools in India and have rated the B-Schools in different criteria like: infrastructure, students teacher ratio, faculty, research conducted, practical exposure, placement and many other points. There are many organization which have gained good name and fame in quality education and other facilities. You can compare the past records of institutes and their present performance to find the right institute for you.


Subject to specialize in MBA

Today MBA is not only limited to marketing, finance or accounting. Apart from these traditional specializations there is lot more options in the field like: Foreign Trade, International Business, Rural Management, Information Technology, Hospitality, Retail and many more. Unfortunately, not all the institutes offer all kind of specialization. So while selecting a B-School always keeps this in mind that institute offer that specialization which you are looking for.

Placement Record


Analyze the last three years placement record of the institutes. The placement statistic of the B-Schools, the number of students placed, and number of companies visited for recruitment, top notch companies and their salary packages. Make a list of the companies that have selected the number of students for institute with whom you want to work with. You should always rank a recruiter on its global acceptance.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Most of the MBA programs are so expensive, but the financial issues should not stop you to pursue this course from a reputed B-School. The top ten management schools offer financial aid or bank loan facility to the students. There are many banks who offer education loan to the students and not required to be repaid till the student get a job. Some of the institutes offer scholarship to the students on merit or means basis.

Teaching Methods and Techniques

Faculties and teaching methods are main consideration of MBA institution and they pay a lot attention over it. The top B-Schools primarily focus on research and discuss the problem and try to solve it in putting the situation in the real world. The practical methods and techniques give you more exposure and knowledge to the students to face the real problem in the professional world. It gives you a first hand experience while studying.

International Focus

The business across the world is undergoing a big change as everyone want more global exposure. Therefore, the chances of a student to get recruited in an international company are high. The school having international focus will offers you more case studies and facilities up to the international standard.

These are few major areas on which one can concentrate and pay more attention while choosing the right kind of B-School to hone their business skills and to give their career the right direction.

Best of Luck!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Admission Requirements & Application Procedure -New Zealand

Admission Requirements & Application Procedure -New Zealand

Most of the New Zealand universities have established its own academic admission criteria for various courses of study. If you are planning to study full time in New Zealand, you must start the application procedure at least 8 to 12 months before the proposed date of admission.

Admission Requirements:

Undergraduate Degrees

New Zealand Universities offers bachelor degrees which is made up of a prescribed number of papers or courses and the students can get there degree after successful completion of course in three years. Every week students have to attend a certain number of lectures, tutorials or practice’s classes. Student assessments are based on the results from exams and practical work. The universities conduct final written exam every year in the month of October or November.

Postgraduate Degrees

The students can continue to study for a masters, Postgraduate Diploma, or Doctorate from New Zealand after being awarded a bachelor degree. Postgraduate degree involves more seminars and personal research for building up previous degree.

Graduate and Postgraduate Diplomas

The university offers graduate & postgraduate diplomas on a specific subject e.g. Diploma in Marketing and the course is covered in one year full time.

Masters

Students who have been awarded a bachelor degree can build their knowledge by continuing their studies and pursuing master’s degree. The degree is completed in one or two years’ full time. Many Masters include a thesis - which is a major piece of research on a specific topic.

Doctorate

In order to be considered for Doctorates program, the student must have a first or second class honors bachelor degree. Doctorates are two years’ full time courses. For getting PhD degree the students have to submit a substantial thesis using original research which is marked by a panel of judges.

Application Procedure:

Undergraduate Applications:

The students should sent enquiries related to the undergraduate Courses at least 8 to 12 months before the proposed date of admission. You can download application forms from the university website. The students can also fill the university form online.

Postgraduate Applications:

New Zealand universities accept the three years Indian bachelor degree like B.A., B.Com. B.Sc. or its equivalent for entering into postgraduate courses. Most of the courses require a bachelors (honours) degree from university of New Zealand. It is essential for students to have, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent.

English expertise

Most of the universities conduct IELTS which is regularly administered by the British Council. The students who are not proficient in English, they may be required to take the IELTS. A minimum score of 6.5 is usually required by most institutes. The students, who are unable to obtain minimum IELTS score, will have to go for bridging course in English for a period of 3 to 9 month. Universities also admit TOEFL scores instead of IELTS score.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Student Accommodation in New Zealand

Student Accommodation in New Zealand

New Zealand’s colleges and universities offer a broad range of educational opportunities and are well respected globally. New Zealand welcomes international students who wish to study here at primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, both on a temporary and permanent basis.

Before going for higher studies, a question arises in mind where can I stay while I'm studying in New Zealand? How much is the cost of accommodation?

Students while studying in New Zealand have many accommodation options to choose from. Whether you are looking for hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, luxury lodges, apartments and many more, New Zealand has a great selection of quality lodgings. Following are accommodation options for students while studying in New Zealand:

Home-stay: If you want to experience New Zealand culture, spend at least a few months in homestay with a friendly New Zealand host family. The family with whom you are staying will provide you meals and helps you with day-to-day life in New Zealand. This is an excellent way to meet New Zealanders, and intermingle with people in English. Homestay in New Zealand costs between NZ$180~240 per week.

Dormitory, Apartment or Flat:

Students studying in New Zealand, who prefer to be independent during their stay can opt for New Zealand house or flat for long term stay. In flats you can live with as many people as you like. Flats range from one bedroom apartments to 4 or 5 bedroom homes. Flat accommodation is found in most city suburbs.

Motel, Hotel, or Backpacker: Those who prefer to stay in a motel/hotel or a backpacker; this can also be arranged and are more expensive. In that case students have to consider their laundry and food requirements.

Cost of Living & Studying in New Zealand:

Living Cost:

Student accommodation: NZ$120~190
Homestay(includes food): NZ$180~240
Room in flat/apartment: NZ$80~~190
Backpackers: NZ$180~250

Studying Cost:

Undergraduate Courses

Arts / Humanities / Social Sciences: NZ $ 10,000 - $ 12,000 per year
Commerce / Administration / Management: NZ $ 10,000 - $ 12,500 per year
Computing & Mathematical Sciences: NZ $ 13,000 - $ 15,000 per year
Engineering: NZ $ 16,000 - $ 17,500 per year
Science / Science Technology: NZ $ 14,000 - $ 16,000 per year
Technology: NZ $ 14,000 - $ 18,000 per year

Postgraduate Courses

Arts / Humanities / Social Sciences: NZ $ 14,000 - $ 16,000 per year
Master of Business Administration (MBA): NZ $ 18,000 - $ 24,000 per year
Engineering: NZ $ 18,000 - $ 24,500 per year

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Career in MBA

MBA Career Opportunities

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. For enhancing career prospects and better job opportunities the students go for higher degrees. MBA degrees are globally considered as the most valuable post graduate degree and have exciting career opportunities. In order to get a better job and make career in their current jobs students take MBA program. One can notice the difference in career while in current job as pre-MBA and post-MBA. With an MBA degree the employees are elevated to managerial positions with the knowledge gained through the program and have a whole new world opened up to them.

Most of us think several times before investing in higher education during hard economic times is a good or a bad idea. The students who are having MBA degree may be of a higher caliber than those with only a bachelor’s degree. MBA as a career provides springboard to your future dreams, but any thriving career requires much more than a degree alone.

Marketing:

The student who wants to build there career in marketing the goods or services of any organization desires to create effective marketing strategies and express their message to people resourcefully. Students should opt for MBA program which offers both theoretical knowledge as well as practical marketing skills.

Finance:

People who see there future in finance need to be quick thinkers, have a good knowledge of financial markets and top of all they should have patience to deal with clients. MBA degree is a great way to choose the right finance course to be successful in the field.

Government Jobs:

There are many people who are having a misconception that an MBA degree is good for business. It has a very good career prospects in government sector as well. Now, MBA degree holders have a great career in a government job and many of us choose to commit themselves to work with government agencies.

Personal Business:

MBA program is valuable for those who want to startup their own enterprise and make their own way in the marketplace. The degree can provide you with all necessary skills that are required to start a business endeavor by giving tremendous career opportunities as an entrepreneur.

MBA is an investment in yourself and your career. As far as MBAs career opportunities are concerned this is just an iceberg tip. After completing an MBA degree, one can get countless job opportunities, mostly in top level positions, and can help to further your career immensely. MBA programs help students to fabricate management and leadership skills that will help them work in higher level positions.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Distance Learning MBA

Distance Learning MBA

An MBA is highly honored as the most admired business qualification nowadays, not only in India but across the globe. Distance learning has speedily engulfed modern society as a choice for traditional schooling. The student who wants to study further without hampering their professional life can pursue it through distance learning. Now students can easily opt for MBA degree by simply logging onto the internet. The students who are not able to pursue a full-time classroom course can now get into it through distance learning MBA programme. MBA degree pursued via distance learning through reputed university/institute holds significant value. The students are provided with exhaustive study material, regular practice tests and interactive sessions by “The Centre of Distance Education”. For putting your front foot forward towards distance learning MBA is to choose a school that offers an MBA program. Before applying to any university, student must ensure that the university is recognized by the All India Centre for Technical Education (AICTE) and the study material quality is sourced from credible texts. Many students who understand their economic advantage and receive the same education through distance education than other students who attend regular schools. MBA degrees are now very beneficial in all aspects of the business world, and the easier to achieve one, the better. MBA degrees are usually expensive to attain, but distance learning schools offer a cost efficient alternative. As per the convenience of the students most of the universities offer tailor-made study material. The average duration of Distance Learning MBA ranges from 3-4 years, depending upon the rules and regulations of the particular University. Some universities give plain text lessons and then give timed text quizzes and tests sessions to their students. While other universities provide you with video feeds from a live classroom. Some universities offer online chatting facilities to the students to discuss and work on assignments together.

Eligibility for Distance Learning MBA

The eligibility criteria for distance learning MBA courses may differ from institute to institute. Candidates with graduate degree in any discipline from recognized University with a good percentage. Students who are having diploma in management can also apply, depending upon the rules and regulations of the particular University

Institutions offering Distance Learning MBA

Distance Learning MBA degrees offered by reputed institutions in both India and abroad.

Distance Learning MBA, Institutions in India includes:

• ICFAI University
• NMIMS
• MATS School of Business and IT
• XLRI, Jamshedpur
• TASMAC
• Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning,
• Tamil Nadu Open University
• Annamalai University
• Pondicherry University
• IGNOU and many more

Distance Learning MBA, Institutions in United States includes:

• University of Phoenix
• Walden University
• Capella University
• Liberty University
• Champlain College
• The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
• California State University, Monterey Bay
• University of Liverpool and many more


MBA Placements Assistance

Every year many students who did distance MBA get placed at top-notch Multinational companies. Many institutes provide placement assistance to the students. An MBA degree opens up a gamut of job opportunities for the students.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Cost Of Living & Studying In Canada

Cost Of Living & Studying In Canada

Canada is known for its excellence in education with excellent value and lots of choice. Canadian universities preserve a high standard of academic excellence. They are at the prominence of information technology. Many campuses have fine research facilities; ensuring that students are equipped for the 21st century. A degree from a Canadian school is considered equivalent to an American degree. Canadian schools also offer some of the safest campuses anywhere.

Accommodation

Hostelling is a provisional and economical way to stay in major cities. Accommodation is basic but easy on the pocket, and primary facilities (toilets, baths and kitchens) are shared. Rates are calculated daily, and costs are less than other accommodation choices.

Dormitory:

Many schools provide accommodation to students located on or near their campus. There is usually an option of having either a shared or private room. Many dormitories have shared kitchens, toilets, showers and laundry facilities. Rooms can vary in size and in quality. In some cases, cafeterias and meal plans that can be included in the cost of the room.

Home stays

Homestay is an ideal option for those who desire to learn about daily life in Canada, and meet new, friendly people. Home stays also offer a more stable and secure environment for younger people coming to study in Canada.

On Campus Accommodation

The students who love to socialize and interact can reside at On-campus accommodation. The residence halls and dormitories can vary in size and quality.

Off-Campus Housing

An option open to students of other countries is renting, but price, quality and availability vary greatly. In the major cities and places the rents are quite high. For maintaining accommodation cost the students share the rooms and usually find places to meet their needs and preferences. An off-campus housing service is provided by many schools, where students can find affordable listings that are near the campus.

Cost of Living & Studying in CANADA:

The international students pursuing higher education in the various educational institutions faces major issues with the cost of living in Canada

Living Cost:

Dormitory: $3,000 - $7,500 CDN per school year
Home stays: $400 - $800 CDN per month.
Hostelling: $10 - $20 CDN per night.

Studying Cost:

Tuition fees have a striking effect on a student's cost of studying in Canada. The tuition fees for undergraduate programs incur average yearly cost that ranges from $4000-$17,000. Students studying postgraduate programs are required to give tuition fees that range from $4500-$20,000 a year. Tuition for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Canada varies with the territory, university and course/program chosen.

Career in MBA in Marketing

Career in MBA in Marketing


As consumer have become more prominent and gained more control in the market place, Marketing and Market Research have become more important while making critical business decisions. Many companies head or top management now demanding their organizations keep an eye on consumer behavior and gain knowledge for an advantage over the competitors. As a result, the demand for good marketing strategies has grown.

Marketing trends have changed now, so do the behavior of the consumer. Marketing helps to distinguish public perceptions of the products from toothpaste to cars and everything in between. Companies who need to connect with the relative consumer now totally depend on marketing professionals to make the path. This market trend has made the MBA marketing graduates highly sought-after. The companies now prefer more professional people to perform the job strategically. To build up the relationship with the consumer as well as the retails they totally rely on marketing people. Companies now invest lot of money and time over these professionals, so that they can bring good business for the company.

Going for an MBA Marketing program is the best and only way to attain big success in this field. You can climb the ladder of the success more confidently after doing this professional study. This high level demanding and competitive job requires same level of talent, skills and qualification to excel in the field. For an aspiring candidate it’s really essential to acquire these professional skills to enhance their chances of getting a better position. For those already working in the field of marketing and looking to improve their position, a Marketing MBA is the one-stop answer.

By successfully acquiring this MBA in marketing degree, you are going to get numerous career opportunities. With an MBA in Marketing, you can work as a market research analyst, marketing researcher, marketing manager, new product manager, brand manager, area manager, field manager, or event manager. Individual with a good financial background can also make a career in strategic planning. Some organizations gives preference to individuals with a specialization in Marketing while filling up the corporate positions like marketing communications manager, PR director, advertising manager and sales manager.

In marketing agencies, you will find tremendous opportunities there for marketing graduates in direct marketing and advertising. Consulting firms also hire marketing graduates as customer segmentation specialists, market developers and market strategists. To get entry level jobs in the field of product management, you must possess an MBA in Marketing.

Roles and responsibilities related to the nature of the work

Product Managers

Working as a product manager you have lots of responsibilities, but majorly you have to make sure that the company sees the market growth. If a particular product is not perform well than is the responsibility of the product manager to take appropriate steps, so that the product can attain the success in the market. They are given different type of responsibilities like coordinating with the variety of the consumers, departments, people and clients. While a number of product managers handle international and domestic market also. With and increase in experience, the product manager get promoted to next level of Vice President of Marketing.

New Product Development Specialists

To handle the work as a new product development specialist, you need to have good marketing and communication skills. A new product can only do well if the company has applied the good marketing strategies. It is the responsibility of the Product Development Specialist to plan the right business and marketing strategy to capture the market with a big boom.

Marketing manager

The responsibilities of a marketing manager is to focus on serving and managing the ongoing relationships with the old and existing customers and trying to develop new clients for the company. He should utilize his skills in international marketing, customer satisfaction and retention, market strategy, and emerging technologies. This position requires lots of market research and customer management.

Brand manager

The scope of MBA marketing graduate in Brand management is that he/she is responsible for promotion and positioning activities that include advertising, media, market research activities such as collecting the information about area of consumers, display brand at target place and the like.

This area of work requires lots of field work and good sense and knowledge of advertising strategies. The work responsibilities involve advertising, media management, market research, and finding out the target audience for the product, preparing the right marketing strategies.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Study in Germany

STUDY IN GERMANY:

Germany is one of urbanized countries in the World. Germany has a long tradition in education, science and research. There are more than 300 universities that are featured on Campus. Germany institutions are offering classical gamut of subjects such as Medicine, Law, English and German to pioneering new institutions of higher education with inter-disciplinary study programs. German educational Institutes at the time of designing or blending their educational program of study and all other related agenda always keep international students in their mind. German government constantly takes steps to support the updated quality education, especially, in higher studies. German Universities are known for the stupendous choices of courses that are internationally recognized.

Quality Education:

German universities offer balanced academic training required for a professional career. The series of study opportunities covers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degree
Courses. Practical experience in regional companies is often part of the curriculum. Many universities offer balanced academic training necessary for successful professional career. Scholarships and finance are available for international students and native qualified students.

Education Section:

Germany Universities welcome students from almost all over the countries.

Bachelor's Programs: After completion of the bridge program, students from foreign countries are required to pass an evaluation test in order to get admission into a German institution for the same of the Bachelors degree.

Master's Degree Programs: The duration of postgraduate course in Germany lasts for two years generally and is sometimes finished in one year, depending upon the nature of the course series. A second-degree program completed from the German universities can be very helpful in the international job market, most important in the technical, scientific and arts subject areas.

PhD Programs: Doctorate or PhD degree programs are the third-level degree programs in Germany's education system. PhD students who carry out their research work in 'graduate colleges' at universities under a rigid time schedule.

Internship Programs: Internship programs in Germany provide benefits other than mere professional development. An internship granted by Germany to the students from other countries, provides an opportunity to blend with the culture and work environment of Germany. Internship programs in Germany are broadly classified into two sectors namely General and Education like other well-known countries.

Studying in Germany (Basic Entry Requirement/ Application Procedure):

Entry Requirement

Bachelor's Programs:

Students, who are willing to study in Germany, will also have to submit authenticated copies of certificates confirming their understanding of German, if required. Admission criteria for undergraduate programs in Germany consist of of:

• Students who are engrossed to take up full time study in Germany are required to apply and get a student visa in time, before the start of the curriculum.
• For various Engineering programs, GRE score is required.
• TOEFL is a regular test required for study-programs that have English as a medium of instruction.

Master's Degree Programs:

The international students must avail 4 years bachelors’ degree for obtaining master’s degree course from German universities. A part from four years degree course there are various universities in Germany that also accept 3 years bachelors’ degrees. The postgraduate programs, necessitate that the students should hold an academic degree

PhD Programs:

The bare minimum educational eligibility conditions for doing a PhD program in Germany is a Master's degree in the subject area. However, in some exceptional cases with excellent academic results, students may be allowed to take up a PhD program with a Bachelor's honor degree.

Application Procedure

Bachelor's Programs:

Students have to submit an application form to the German Universities directly for in quest of admission. The filled applications have to be sent back to the university along with the mandatory documents.

Master's Degree Programs:

Students can avail admission forms for postgraduate programs in Germany at the international offices of the individual universities. The filled applications have to be submitted with valid copies of certificates and other important credentials attached to them. Students applying for management courses should put forward their GMAT scores and those applying for engineering courses should submit their GRE scores.

CAT Retest for few

CAT II a second chance of Hope

The Common Admission Test (CAT) was held from November 28 to December 8, 2009. CAT was conducted in major cities of India and during these 11 days. Around 2.4 lakh candidates applied for the test of which 2.15 lakh took the test successfully in the first phase, the IIMs and Prometric said. “Over the course of 11 days in the first phase, tests were administered over 17,000 computers in 361 temporary testing labs at 104 centres in 32 cities throughout India.

But, this time CAT was different from the previous CAT Exam because that was the first time when CAT went online. CAT was conducted online, so due to the first attempt many students faced many problems. During all these eleven days news of glitches in the exam reported from different places. The aspiring students who were unable to give the exam due to the technical problems were given another chance. Many students those who miss the first attempt now feeling a bit relaxed and anxious about the exam.

The IIM have announced that the second phase of CAT will be held on 30th and 31st January, 2010. In this second phase the candidates identified for a re-test will receive a notification about the same from Prometric by January 10, many are uncertain about how the second phase will play out. The website has also given detailed information on those who are eligible to take the test. CAT takers, who experienced technical glitches like frozen computer screen, blank screen, and improper display of data or graphic elements and were not given a second chance, will also be eligible to complete their test. The website also pointed that in case of students faced disruptions and could complete the test in more than 140 minutes of clock-time (actual test-taking time), should also get their tests re-scheduled.

The students those who are going to take this exam second time have some doubts in mind related to the exam. Some students feel that there were several questions which were repeated in the first phase. If the second phase contains similar questions, it will be an advantage for those students, and prove totally unfair for others.

The results, which were to be announced on January 22, have now been pushed back to the third week of February, thanks to the second phase of tests. “If the final results are announced by February-end, then the final selection after Group Discussions and Personal Interviews (GDPI) will happen only by mid-May.

Several management institutes, which conduct admissions before this date, will now be forced to wait for the CAT result. In this regards, many students may miss the opportunity to get admission in other management institute too if he/she miss to score a good rank for IIMs. Due to this rescheduling of the exam some students may get advantages and at the same time some may face disadvantages. But at the end of this we all wish that all should went well this time and the aspiring students who got the second chance to try their luck for IIMs will get success this time.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Career in Retail management

Career in Retail Management

Today, the world is changing very fast. Now, the living standard of every individual is different and so do the shopping style. But, in present situation one fact is that now people love to shop a lot and they spend lots of time and money on it. Shopping becomes a hobby for most the young people. People shop with different reasons like some for fun, to avoid depression and loneliness, some for time pass. We can say that the whole concept of shopping has altered with the time, in terms of format and consumer buying behavior. To satisfy these new buying concepts and different demands, we should always give credit to urbanization and sprawling shopping centers, big malls and huge complexes that emerged at every small and big city. Due to this present scenario the retail industry has grown into one of the largest economic sector in the global economy and capturing the big chunk of the market.

Retailing can be defined majorly as the buying and selling of the goods and services. It can also be defined as the timely delivery of goods and services demanded by the consumer at prices that are competitive, reasonable and consumer friendly.

Retailing process involves a direct interface with the customer and the coordination of all the business related activities from the design stage to a products delivery and post-delivery service. Generally, this business can be categorized into several types depending on product’s size, amount of products, services, offers related to that product and the prices they charge for that particular product. Some of them are supermarkets, supply chain, factory outlets, malls, stores, discount stores and house hold appliances etc.

As a career option this field offers a dynamic and plenty of employment opportunities to the young and talented people. This industry offers around 2 million job opportunities to the aspiring professionals worldwide. As this profession is directly related to the customers and in other word public at large, so it required some qualities like good communication skills and analytical mind, presentable personality and more importantly customer friendly attitude. This field is related with the store and selling, but all the jobs in this field are not in store and outlets themselves. Career in retail sector can be developed as store manager, retail buyer, retail design/visual merchandise, merchandise planning and product developers.

A career in this sector can be very rewarding, as in this sector you can earn well. Before entering into this field you need to be well prepared in advance, so that you can understand the minute requirements related to the job. There are many institutes in India which are offering this course as MBA in retails management and PG course in Retail Management. A retail management course is about departmental store retailing and shopping mall retailing business. A course in this field from a reputed institute can help you to capture a good job in this industry. A candidate opting to enroll for a MBA course in Retail Management should have passed the Graduation Examination at least. Some of the institutes which offer this course are: National Institute of Retail Management (NIRM), Welingkar Institute of Management, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mudra Institute of Communications, Indian Retail School, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Birla Institute of Management Technology
, New Delhi, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management & Higher Studies.

Companies like Reliance India, Pantaloons, RPG Group, Titan, Raymonds, Westside, Barista, Bata, Caffe Coffee Day, Crossword, Food World, Nilgiris and Trent are some of the big Indian companies who have opened their retail chains in India. This has created huge employment opportunities for trained retail management professionals. Jobs of department managers, assistant store managers, buyer trainee, merchandising assistant, customer service representative, and management trainees are available in the retail sector.

Some big companies like Reliance India, Pantaloons, RPG Group, Titan, Raymonds, Westside, Barista, Bata, Caffe Coffee Day, Crossword are some of the Indian companies who have opened their retails chains in India. So you can try your luck in one of the big names or even you can start your career with small scale industry. You can work there at different levels like department manager, assistant store managers, buyer trainee, merchandising assistant, customer service representative, and management trainees are few position on which one can work.