How Political Decisions Change the Job Market

Whether it’s a society or an individual, families or an organization, large or small businesses, political trends can have its impact at any level. Government agencies and leaders can set certain trends in policies that can affect the legal framework within which businesses operate. It is therefore an essential part to know the political trends at local or national level for planning and strategy development for business development.

Enactment of policies by different political parties shape national and local economies to prosperity founded on their own economic ideologies. Therefore impact on taxes levied on businesses or jobs could be laid due to these political trends.

Alteration in labor laws can be expected by keeping track of political trends. Political candidates are often outspoken about their rationalized mental attitudes regarding minimum wages, insurance requirements, labor-related taxes and regulation on the terms of employment. Any alteration in labor laws can mean a modification in expenses for a business and these expenses can be important for small businesses without large cash reserves. A switch in the minimum wage, for instance, can cut directly into a small company's profitability.

Does politics have an impact on job creation in general or during recessions? Yes, it matters most. Governors and other political bodies are recipients of any jobs benefits from these initiatives, and not originators. There is a business cycle expansion which includes a demand growth, income growth, consumption and investment growth, etc. Politicians and governors during such times do not have much to do except for taking credits for a job growth.

Governments are the primary control points for free markets. Resultantly, the fiscal and monetary policy has a deep bearing on the financial marketplace. Any increase or decrease in government spending impacts unemployment and stabilization of prices. By altering interest rates and the volume of funds available on the open market, governments can modify the flow of investments in and out of the country. Good investments can also mean better scopes of employment for the common people.  

Job growth, however, may not be directly related to the existing political trends. While the cumulative quantity of job progression in a nation is largely driven by macro and global trends, there’s a lot sub-national officials can do to try to boost the number of jobs that are created in their states and cities.

The government can, for sure, make modification in developments, primarily by watching out for and preventing market failures. It helps if fiscal policy is designed such that budget deficits that developed during the recessions shrink in the expansion. And there’s always ample amount of work to be done in ensuring that export markets are open to more businesses and workers are adequately trained. Recessions are always tough times for any country’s work force. Those with jobs are shown the door and those who are freshers in the job market face a dead end!

What matters most to thriving businesses and a successful workforce is the quality of public goods. That could include physical infrastructure and the quality of the workforce. The youth plays a vital role in the formation of a government with expectations of better job opportunities. Thus, it is up to the government to play a vital role in developing the job market. With relevant reforms and policies, the government can surely be the driving force behind a successful workforce and economy.

Efficiency Test – Practical V/S Theoretical Education

“An ounce of practice is generally worth more than a ton of theory.”
― E.F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered

No wonder the above line is worth a billion dollars! Mind captures more when it visualizes things. No, it’s not just us but several medical researches around the globe have shown that a brain studies and retains more when it actually watches a particular thing in action than just reader hear about it. It becomes clearer when the brain is young.

Going through a paragraph of the recipe for a delicious dish and actually feeling the taste in your mouth does make a big difference isn’t it? That’s the difference between theoretical and practical education. Well, you certainly cannot deny implementing it when it comes to education.

Students and parents have had the trepidation for the longest time now that educational institutes in India lack practical studies and hands on demonstrations or training. The significance of practical knowledge in education cannot be ignored. Today, when a teacher is faced with the challenge of demonstrating certain concepts and theories can we or should we really blame him/her. How does it help the instructors exhibiting it when they themselves have not been facilitated with the same?

Practical knowledge helps one experience the very existence of a subject. Be it the properties of chemicals or concepts of matter and force, be it literature or philosophy, history or geography - it is obviously interesting to see the rules in motion than just keep mugging random data.

It is only through experiments and educational videos that one can have a better and quicker understanding of the context of a subject. Practical knowledge helps one learn better. Theoretical knowledge alone can never meet all these expectations.Hence theory should always be balanced with practical education. It is indeed more effective and helps the students stay stress free.

Surely those with eidetic memories might not mind simply mugging things up and reproducing the same in the exam answer sheets. Those with not-so-great memories suffer because of this existent pattern of education in the country. In both cases, how does that help inculcate originality? Reproducing exact words from textbook; limits the thinking abilities of students and hampers development.

When we simply study a lesson for a test, our brain tends to retain it for a short period. Thus the motive of holistic learning remains un achieved. We all learn theorems in schools but hardly remember them once the exams are over. We mug up different experiments, which should, in reality be a practical experience. The entire purpose of education as a means of enlightenment is lost in the process. The lack of experiential learning makes students lose interest in studies and they try to learn everything by heart only to get good marks in exams!

Practical knowledge is way more communicative than theoretical education. It is as good as teaching irrespective of whether the student is able to perceive the context or not. No doubt, theoretical and practical education goes hand-in-hand; the trick however lies in finding the best balance.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREER COUNSELING FOR FRESHER’S

What kind of work could possibly be more important than the work to find “the” work? As funny as it sounds, it truly is one heck of a job – the task to find the perfect career!

The task is particularly difficult for freshers as they are all quite perplexed about choosing a certain category of work which would suite them. While, sometimes, options make life easy, at times, too many options can be confusing too!

After all the years spent in studying, exploring recreational preferences, establishing demands met or unmet in the cocooned shelter of parents, facing the cold reality of career and jobs would indeed sound very challenging.

So how do you choose the right career option? Career counseling can be your answer!

It is one of the active ways to figure out new opportunities in career development. One may struggle to understand the prospects in his/her career and want to follow the right track of building one. These are the times when career counseling seems to be a better option.

A career counselor usually guides a person through a process of assessments which include aptitude tests, interactive tests, psychometric tests and personality tests. These assessments generally measure the skills, values, personality or a combination of all these to be precise. Based on these results a counselor summaries a suitable career for the candidate. Career counseling helps a fresher get a clear vision of his career path and stay focused on his/her objective.

Besides the concerns of the counselors and others, the tests are often useful in helping freshers consider taking up careers which they had not thought of earlier. The suggestions too are worth following up to.

If you are a fresher seeking advice, do not think that meeting a career counselor would fix it all; believe in your instincts too. It is quite understood that an athlete at heart would not like to spend 9 to 12 hours each day doing a back office job or a creative person would not prefer a call center! A vital part of the counselors job is to take you on a tour of goal setting in your career accomplishments and help you discover varied career options.

A good career counseling helps to identify plentiful channels and options. But it is important that you end up going to the right place. Do some research work and also meet the people who have been through such counselings. It is important that the career counseling is done in a proper way. Hopefully it won’t be much of a trouble since you have the Google God!

So if you are ready to start looking for a new job, a career counselor will be of great help. There are career counselors who offer help with cover letters, curriculum vitae and have mock interviewing facilities along with their counseling amenities. A good career counseling

will deliver you with the tools, feedback and assets you need for your job search to be fruitful.

How to prepare yourself before Interview

Learning acquired on the go in the respectively desired field is the best kind of learning. It not just helps you gain practical knowledge, but also teaches you ‘What not to do’. It trains you to adapt to situations and equips you with first hand experiences that will give you a better understanding for decision making.

The market has always been competitive across sectors. But today, even the jobs are competitive. Each job has its own set of set skills that it expects the employee to possess. Right from being able to multitask to being qualified and enthusiastic to sustain the job. Right from being a cultural fit to being actively updated on Social Media.

Suppose out of a hundred applicants, the company short-listed twenty, and you happen to be one of them. What would you do to ensure that you are their first choice?

Stay tuned stay informed

What is the current trend in trading? What is the company’s policy? What core values constitute the company’s reputation? In simple words – do your background research thoroughly. Just because you have applied for a position in sales and marketing, shouldn’t mean that you have no clue of how the other departments work. 

Live up to the impression

Companies look beyond the attire. Being well groomed is essential and so is nurturing your communication skills. But when you project yourself and interact with your prospective employers, be yourself. It shouldn’t be that one minute you are talking about being passionate about your job and the very next minute you are given a task, instead of analyzing

how to go about you, you begin to panic.

Experience and training

If you get the opportunity to intern in a company while you are still studying prior to applying for a full-time position, weigh your options. Is the company renowned? Can it add value to your existing knowledge? Will it help you learn the ropes and give you a firm grounding? Will it be beneficial in the future? Learning never goes waste, it is always advisable to attend workshops and interact with professionals from the industry.

They are watching

Much before you are shortlisted for an interview, befalls a screening process that sifts through the virtual media to weigh your potential. Being active on social media and being addicted are two different things. If you have a habit to practically post about every little incident on the media, chances are your prospective employers will consider you to be a threat to abiding by the company’s confidentiality.

Punctuality matters

The process of recruitment has multiple stages. If you walk into an interview five minutes after it has already began, you sub-consciously project a careless attitude. It says that there are higher chances of you walking in late on your first day of work as well.

Gestures, body language and eye contact portray your level of confidence. But if the confidence lasts only until you are questioned about current affairs and what would be your stand in certain situations, then is like owning a latest technology smart phone and not using it.

"WORK CULTURE TRENDS"

Trend setting is no piece of cake. It takes years of practice to set a trend in motion. And it requires an equal amount of perseverance to keep up with it. The first apprehension that any individual harbors while passing out from college is, how to land a good job. The second one that follows is; will I be able to adjust into the work culture?

Work culture – not just a term any more, but an influential implementation that acts as a deciding factor while choosing a job. Just about a decade ago, work was a rigid routine. Wake up in the morning, brush, go to work, work the entire day, no looking left, no talking to your right, just stay focused, finish your work and leave.

Over a period of time, things have improved. From being monotonous, a work life balance slowly seems to look promising. The term employee engagement has always existed, but at a mere level, where it was considered to be a formality. Today, organizations believe that it is the work force that drives the company’s growth and constantly strive to keep them happy.

Remember manually keeping logs and ledgers of accounts and data? Keeping up with the changing trends has always been a priority, talent is nurtured and so is technology. Today, from a bank to a stationery shop, every outlet will have a Personal Computer to keep a detailed and meticulous track of all the happenings. Corporates prefer candidates who can adapt to the fast changing trends and add value to the organization.

Gone are the days when office meant a four by four room surrounded with blank white walls and one single fan squeaking at the center of the room. Changing the décor can make a lot of difference; adding a little bit of creativity, personalizing your work desk, putting up witty anecdotes in certain corners or simply painting it all red – when it pleases the eyes it appeases to the brain.

Most corporates today are doing away with the barrier system - the cabins and cubicles. The layout of the office is such that everybody gets to see everybody. The offices get a much sober look just by doing away with the division; besides it lets the employees interact much freely.  

Not just that, corporates have taken it a notch higher and have begun introducing coffee machines, which in turn encourages the employees to take breaks during the work. It helps them think better and socialize. To further equip the staff to be competent in the industry and hence in their respective jobs, trainings are being made mandatory for every individual, irrespective of his designation.

There are open house brainstorming sessions as opposed to everybody either writing down their ideas into the suggestion box. The managers and authorities take time off their busy schedules to personally interact with the staff one-on-one; it proves to be an inspiration and a feel good factor that keeps the employees motivated to give in their 100%.

IF ONLY OUR OFFICE DESK SPOKE TO US. . !

Impossible! Inanimate objects don’t talk! They are always stationary, right where you left them, waiting for you to manually make changes. In fact, over a period of time, they even begin to get on your nerves. Slowly they tend to dominate your work place and even your work desks, because they are all over the place.

To reach the floor of your office there is either the elevator that gives you a funny feeling in your tummy or the stairs that make you sweat a bit. You reach the office and there is that large door looming over you that makes you feel puny. You walk through the aisles, pass all the cabins and cubicles with all the name tags staring at you and finally settle down on your beloved work desk, where yet another unpleasant sight awaits you.

Stapler, punch, paper clips, board pins, pens, notepads, post its, sheets of unfilled papers and folders, practically most of the office stationary scattered across your desk. Oh, and of course, the stains of the mayonnaise burger that you had the other day.

Whereas, on the other hand; your desk doesn't have a speck of dust or a bit of paper lying out of place. But, you are a workaholic. Alone in the office, when you tend to put in over time, it is your desk that becomes your silent companion. It bears your memories, it tolerates all those cups of coffee that you gulp down to stay awake and it supports you like your best friend.

Have you ever stopped to give it a thought? That may be your work desk is actually trying to communicate something? To indicate that there are ‘to do’ lists that you haven’t yet checked, or bills that you haven’t yet filed, or there is a heap of new information to be included in the PowerPoint presentation for the next week, or its simply time for you to compartmentalize your work priorities and create a work life balance. In short, it tries to tell you that you need to take a break!

The cleaner your desk, the easier it becomes for you to work. Imagine making notes on post-its and sticking it all over the wall of your cubicle. When time comes to actually piece them together you will neither be able to identify the head nor be able to conclude where it ends. It begins to replicate the scenario like that at home; where we are used to making a mess on our beds, throwing the clothes haphazardly instead of putting them neatly on a hanger.

At home it is our mother who keeps a tab, at work it is our boss. There is a very wise saying ‘Seeing is believing’ - Imagine your boss making his weekly rounds to see if everything is under control and he notices that your desk is practically a pigs sty. It will create an impression that you are either not adept for the job or you are too lazy to be organized. Your desk definitely doesn't need a voice to convey that.

The only way to ensure that you feel like working, is to create an environment and a ‘work space’ that allows you a visually appealing as well as convenient space to work. If it has to be a mess, why not personalize it with a few quirky magnets or anecdotes or even paintings. Let your desk too feel honored to belong to you. In return, it will give you a sense of satisfaction to work, even if it means going the extra mile.

How to Cope with Work pressure during Festive Season...!

If it is a team project, take responsibility for your set of to do’s and divide the rest of it. Take help and assistance when you need it and return the favor when you can. Completing work for the sake of completion reflects badly on the organizations’ image. If you are already neck deep in two projects, and you have the opportunity to opt out of the third one, why not?

Plates full of meethai and bowls of namkeen! Thoughts wandering to those delicious treats that you are soon going to devour? Your tongue begins to salivate and you heave a sigh of pure bliss. Just then the boss enters and you are reminded that a presentation is due in the next twenty minutes and you have been day dreaming again.

Getting back to work, your mind automatically begins calculating the number of days until celebration time. But then it also strikes you that it means the deadlines will be a bit tricky to execute. Have you made provisions to accommodate that or will you be working from home during a holiday?

Diwali is a time that every individual looks forwards to - preparing delicacies, shopping for new attire, meeting up with friends, spending time with the family, lighting diyas and having some time off from work. However, at the work front, things tend to pile up.

Client too has vacation so you need to finish your work much in advance, or if you happen to be in the middle of a new project, you have to get things arranged before everybody breaks out for a holiday. Too much to do and too less time, maintaining a work life balance becomes a task.

How can one dodge being overburdened? Simple; take preventive measures.

Step 01 – Make a planner.

Not just day wise, but plan the entire month, time and date submission wise. This is only because one festivity tends to impact the functioning of all other commitments. Plus there is always the last minute slot that needs to be adjusted in the already crammed schedule. Making a note of all the deliverables and executions will give you an idea of the work pending and will help in chalking out the plan of action accordingly.

Step 02 – Say yes selectively

Undertake work that you can handle. If you already have a prior social engagement, avoid taking a project that clash. Being unable to do justice to either is unfair. If there is a project that needs to be completed on an urgent basis, but at the same time you have to ensure that all the bills are raised, the cheques paid; make a mental note of how much time each task will take and work towards doing it right.Step 03 – Delegate work

During strenuous times it is advisable to work collaboratively as a team. Do all the ground work and keep a draft ready before you finalize the elements of the project. Lend a helping hand if you see somebody working tirelessly at completing a project.

Work Life Balance can only be achieved when you are focused at completing the tasks at hand without compromising on quality. And this habit will be more rewarding when you mind sub-consciously keeps wandering.

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