Campus Blog Category

Soft skill

Relevance of Soft Skills for Personality Development among Students

Center for Emotional Intelligence, IILM University, , , , ,

INTRODUCTION: Soft skill, sometimes known as “people skills” are personal attributes that enhance an individual’s interaction with others, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills or technical or occupational skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type or task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable. There are two broad classifications of soft skills viz. personal attributes and interpersonal attributes.

Soft skills broken down under personal attributes comprise of the following:

  1. Optimism
  2. Emotional Intelligence
  3. Responsibility
  4. A sense of humor
  5. Integrity
  6. Time management
  7. Motivation
  8. Creativity

Soft skills under interpersonal abilities are as follows:

  1. Empathy
  2. Leadership
  3. Communication
  4. Good manners and etiquette
  5. Sociability
  6. The ability to teach
  7. Problem solving

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It is often said that hard skills will get an interview but one needs soft skills to get and keep going with the job. In the initial years of one’s career, individuals need technical abilities or occupational skills may be important to get an assignment one seeks. However, when it comes to growing in an organization, it is the personality trait that matters. And this would apply more aptly in a setting where several people with similar technical expertise will compete for a position or a promotion.

Training of soft skills in our country becomes all the more relevant where the education system does not always delve into coordinated personality development. There is a lot of contradiction and argument in the industry as to whether it is possible to enhance soft skills through different modes of training and workshops especially when we already know that the person has lived with those traits all their lives. The answer to this question seems harsh although real. A student who wants to do well in his career and does not really have a choice, a reorientation of lifestyle and personal priorities becomes essential.

The concept of soft skill is not a recent concept, instead, it is a concept discussed since ancient times. Our Vedas and Upanishads enunciate how Vedantic prescriptions cab be an effective instrument for the personal transformation that automatically enhances soft skills necessary for growth.

A desire in a young professional to create a strong positive impression about the self in intellectual and social circles is paramount. Soft skills for university students should come with the intention of an all round development of their personality and not only focus on academics but train them professionally also. Inculcation of soft skills among students would ensure greater success for them across all the spheres of life. Today’s organizations and companies look for individuals who are flexible to adapt to the organization’s culture and are apt enough to establish meaningful interactions with people around.

Relevance of soft skills among students:

  1. For creating a healthy and productive work environment: We have to develop interpersonal skills like listening and writing that can ensure the flow of smooth and accurate instructions and information. This can guarantee a cooperative work environment with minimum levels of manageable conflicts.
  2. Efficiency in dealing with challenges: Hard skills help you with technical knowledge and skill building whereas soft skills as they include communication skills, etiquette and leadership skills make your adjustment better at the workplace. They make an individual capable enough to deal with challenges and problems at the workplace.
  3. For overall personality development: All round personality development can only be guaranteed if both the hard and soft skills go hand in hand. Thus as mentioned earlier, hard skills are not enough to bring the best in you and ensure success. Pairing technical expertise with the process involved in the implementation of the technical expertise would lead to over all personality building and growth.
  4. Demand of today’s time:  In today’s time, the strength of an individual is assessed on both the hard and soft skill parameters.  The one who lacks soft skills would not be able to compete with the demands of today’s time. Thus there should be a strong focus of the course curriculum on building and strengthening of personality by inculcating soft skills.

Conclusion: All round personality development of individuals should emphasize on the mastering of soft skills. At IILM University, there is a lot of stress on developing soft skills as a part of the course structure.  There are diverse facilities initiated by the University to delve upon such skills. Some of these facilities are:

  1. IILM center for Emotional Intelligence: This is one of the centers that cater to provide an idea as to the significance of emotional intelligence in our lives. How relevant this is for ensuring the future success of individuals and how can we make ourselves happy and satisfied thus adding quality to our lives.
  2. Course curriculum: The courses offered by IILM University just do not focus on the academic growth and learning of the students. Rather it also tends to inculcate applications based learning that can be implemented and utilized when our students enter the professional world.

We offer papers like communications skills, emotional intelligence inter group relations personality growth and development that gives them an idea about the corporate setup. These courses, apart from adding on to their knowledge reservoir add on to the other aspects required for personality development example a course on communication skills makes them apt to use the power of communication during meaningful interactions. It helps them lay their point of view much more comprehensively thus ensuring them success whether it is about cracking an interview or cracking a good deal at the workplace. Similarly, the course on emotional intelligence tends to tap competencies like self-regulation, nurturing relationships etc. that helps accomplish higher order goals that one can set in life, a course on inter group relations also tends to make them understand the relevance of dynamic interactions between two or more individuals or big groups. It makes them understand the complexities of group functioning thus avoiding conflicts and ensuring teamwork while personality growth and development, make them explore, introspect and evaluate their personality strengths and virtues. It gives them an accurate understanding of themselves thus making them understand their potentialities and abilities. Thus, the emphasis on soft skills development among the student lot is the need of the hour.

References:

Govind Singh Kushwaha, Role of Soft Skill and Personality Development, Research Gate, February 2012

Barbara Cimatti, Definition, Development, Assessment of Soft Skills and their role for the Quality of Organizations and Enterprises, International Journal for Quality Research 10(1) 97–130, 2016

Barun K. Mitra, Personality Development and Soft Skills, Oxford University Press

Personality Development Video, The Economic Times and The TIMES Multimedia, 2009.

TIME magazine, Vol. 172, No. 2, 2008.

Brand Communities

Nurturing Brand Communities

Blog Catgeory, Campus Blog Category, Campus Life, IILM Graduate School of Management, , , , ,

Humans, since time immemorial, have believed in the idea of community. Evolutionarily, early men lived together in caves in groups; from the hunting of wild to staying in groups helped them protect themselves from the attacks in the night. Even today, on one side the families are becoming smaller and nuclear, people still sought out for approvals from families and friends in any important decision making, be it a marriage proposal to style to buying anything expensive, everything in us is borrowed and is further, lent.

This article is about how brands can shape, nurture, and mature indispensable communities, the kind of communities that offer worth impossible to capture anywhere else.

Any indispensable brand community are built on four pillars

  1. Members motivations for valuable contribution
  2. Define what engagement you want to create for your prospects
  3. The balance between what as a brand we want to achieve versus what members in the community want
  4. Make it easy for people to communicate with you. Communication = community

Member’s motivations for valuable contribution

What’s interesting about humans is that they cannot do without society and cannot do with society. We need our own space and despise the interference of others but we also need people to comfort us, care for us, talk and work with us and socialize with us. Even while making any decision or coming to a conclusion, we take into consideration the viewpoint of others. No matter how small or big the decision is, we have a reference group that we get in touch with and who influence our choices.

The reference group can be brand advocates, consumers who are motivated enough by the initial purchases that they ascended in the consumer journey to buy more or brands spokesperson themselves. The best place to start a brand community is by using company customer database and ranking them on their purchases. A consumer who had been buying for long and has been spending more can be taken as the master communicator in the community. A brand needs to be trying to turn members into allies by supporting them through their consumer journey of awareness, first purchase, engage, excite, repeat purchases, advocate, and promote. The best communities get their members to advocate, lead, learn, provide insights, educate others, support, and stand up for the brand when it is hit by negative commentaries.

Many renowned business schools are creating such communities in the form of clubs. For example, the IILM Graduate School of Management has over 30 offline traditional and online communities. From traditional clubs like sports and cultural clubs to more modern new age clubs like movies, digital marketing, economics, HR, and simulation clubs that connect with the students beyond classroom hours to make them learn class concepts through real-time practice and engage them more meaningfully.

Do visit IILM Graduate School of Management Facebook page (https://bit.ly/2Ywev2N) and site(http://www.iilmgsm.ac.in/) to know more about the communities inside the campus.

Define what engagement you want to create for your prospects

Every community has its own innate needs for engagement. Be it a small non-formal what’s app community of school friends or formal brand or consumer-driven social network sites like Facebook or LinkedIn communities. The innate needs of each community are so distinctive that brand engagement in each of these communities needs to be planned accordingly. Many of these consumer communities are an easy escape from the mundane impact of culture and society to follow one’s individual preferences and brands need to find these distinctive needs and position themselves strongly there. For example, in the climactic scene of the popular 2010 film, Sex and the City, the protagonist Carrie Bradshaw and her group of friends find themselves surrounded by many middle-eastern women who have kept themselves covered but they reveal they love New York and the fashion. They show their latest wardrobe which is the latest Spring Collection but keep this just among themselves as this won’t be accepted in their community. But again, these women have this close-knit community of theirs where their preferences and choices survive amongst themselves. Imagine brands like Victoria Secret, Rent the Runway, Rebag and MM.LaFleur could have got these middle-eastern women in their communities.

The balance between what as a brand we want to achieve versus what members in the community want

In 2009, the HBR published the famous story of the Harley Davidson Owners group. In the early 1980s, the besieged motorcycle company built a powerful network of Harley Davidson owners across America. This turned the company from the rim of insolvency into a company worth $7.8 bn.

Many times community members divulge into jokes and irrelevant issues over valuable content. Such communities fall from the ladder of valuable contributions and they find it very hard to climb back. Brands need to understand that the communities need to be driven towards a common purpose: The purpose of brand building, introducing new products or addressing issues.

So companies must try to find the following regularly.

  • How many community members are advocating and attracting new consumers
  • Are members buying more as a result of the community
  • Are members generating useful product ideas
  • Is the community solving other members product-driven issues
  • Is the sales increasing because of the advocates in the community
  • What is the ROI on driving such communities

Make it easy for people to communicate with you. Communication= community

Studies show consumers value human-like communication from brands.  Research shows that 57% of consumers have increased brand loyalty for the brand that shows humanistic behaviour (Andrew,2018).

Communication is the basis of all that a brand does, which means you need to make it easy for your followers to talk to you. At the same time, how a brand communicates on each networking channel needs to be different. The way you communicate on Facebook will evoke a different response if you tried the same method on Twitter. So it is important for brands that they are present in the desired network community sites where their segment audience is. Right from question stickers to stories all add up to drive a thriving community.

Though day by day we are turning inwards and maybe, introspecting ourselves, still we are by nature social and we like to have a sense of belongingness. Honestly, we wouldn’t even have realized it till now and now, there’s no better time than this when isolation from the community has started to look like a challenge and have started instilling  fear in us: fear of oblivion

References

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2018/11/20/study-shows-consumers-value-human-communication-brands

Authors:

Dr Sumanjit Dass

( Asst. Professor Marketing)

IILM Graduate School of Management, Greater Noida

Ms Medha Ghosh

(Management student of IILM GSM, PGDM Batch 2019-21)

 

 

 

Higher Education: A Changing Paradigm

Center for Teaching Research and Learning, IILM Institute for Higher Education, , ,

Introduction

The world of education has been ever changing and evolving. The unprecedented situation created by the global pandemic , Covid 19 has prompted higher education institutes to rethink yet again. Educators have been researching on the best ways to inculcate the appropriate skills in students and also making efforts towards bringing the best of talent to teach students. It is a difficult task to design a program that meets the needs of students who are from diverse backgrounds and ensure that they get the kind of education that fulfills their purpose and ambitions.

Teaching Pedagogy

Teaching pedagogies are being developed to include interactive and engaging experiences rather than simple dissemination of information. Earlier research suggests that the essence of teaching lies in the faculty’s ability to reflect on their style of teaching. Critically evaluating one’s own method of teaching by making notes and constant reflection may help faculty to improve the student’s “meta-cognitive awareness” and thus help him become a better decision maker (Cook-Sather, 2012). Education is being seen as a means to enable the student to be ready for the real world. Hence it needs to include more of practical application of concepts that provide students experiential learning rather than theoretical knowledge. Teaching methods have been changing from lecture method to flipped classroom, case studies, and blended learning. Technological advancements have enabled blended learning mechanisms where students can learn theoretical concepts through online lectures and use face-to-face class room interactions more effectively. Organisations like Adobe, Cisco and Microsoft, for their growth and high valuations, are investing in building education as a focused vertical and devising ways to help bring technology to the classroom. The idea is to use the classroom time for meaningful interactions. Many educational institutions advertise their tech- savvy classrooms with pride and showcase the flexibility given to students in completing the requirements of their curriculum.

Student Engagement

Student engagement was highly linked to campus life until now. This included all kinds of engagement – class room interaction, clubs and societies, participation in activities and contests, process of internship and placement services, sports and many more. All these are various ways by which a student’s personality takes shape, makes a student more competitive and responsible and helps in development of leadership skills. The process of engaging students is again being re-thought now to include same services online. Institutions have to use technology and deliver the same course and curriculum to the students through various available platforms provided by Microsoft, Google,  Zoom etc. However there is a constant evaluation of whether the students are truly feeling “engaged” or is it a one sided discourse which ends after a session.  The guidelines provided by Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Kuh, 2001) are still relevant from the perspective of being assessed on learnings, value time factor and applying the learnings in their lives.

This continued uncertainty of Covid-19 has made educational institutions look at ways to “manage” the situation rather than reflect on the purpose of education.  In the absence of campus driven activities, student engagement is being looked at differently. The very nature of teaching and learning may undergo a transformational change.  Private colleges like IILM have created Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student Engagement teams working towards understanding the perspective of students and creating a schedule for engaging students. Focused group discussions are being done with students across campuses to understand what students are excited about and what are their barriers to learning and feeling engaged. Several inputs were shared by students which have been referred to here. Instagram pages run and managed by students wherein they can showcase their talents, writing blogs on previous trips made and their experiences, interactive webinars to hone up specific skills and inspiring lectures by industry experts are few of the ways that can promote learning apart from the focus on the program curriculum. The evergreen alternatives of having fun sessions that promote positive interaction, buddy programs for those students who have freshly enrolled in the system, and the joy of being rewarded by peers and teachers for various initiatives are always welcome. Students with writing skills can be prompted to run editorial columns/blogs/newsletters whereas students who are more adventurous can be asked to lead Instagram pages. Social media contests like innovative cooking, gaming and talent hunt are few which can grab their interests and make them feel engaged.

 

 

The Dilemma

There is a marked difference found in the offerings of distance learning and on campus learning’s’ which institutions were earlier using to differentiate as premium learning. Face to face interaction induces better comprehension and teachers can pull students into discussions, design activities for them and provide real time presentation opportunities thereby helping develop the complete personality of the student. A very obvious fact with the on-campus option has been the experience of the student life and its lifelong influence and networks. The thought and the fear of online education impacting the campus/classroom based training has been in existence for many years however it is only the current crisis that has made it look strong. The need for value delivered through sustainable student engagement in various facets and not just limited to academics will have a huge role to play.

Educational institutes will need to think beyond clubs and societies and show their creative side to win and sustain themselves in these uncertain times.  The question is whether institutes will go back to their earlier way of teaching, post Covid -19 or will be able to bring about a more permanent change in their approach to imparting knowledge and look at higher education as a changing paradigm. A lot will depend on how the situation shapes up, however we have to be prepared now.

 

Remedial Plan

Educational Institutes might consider restructuring their current curriculum in order to plan for blended learning.  A combination of online education along with class room teaching would gradually gain importance wherein students can learn the theoretical concepts online, but still have face to face classroom experience wherever necessary. Choosing the right online platform from among the list of options available is also an important factor that will help the institute connect with students and provide different and interesting modes of course delivery and thereby engagement with students.   Maintaining high standards of quality education under all circumstances along with an element of differentiation is a must to create a platform for the institute and to attract students. Overall, institutes will require to rethink their current strategy and approach in order to sustain in this uncertain environment.

References

George D.Kuh (2001) Assessing What Really Matters to Student Learning Inside The National Survey of Student Engagement, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 33(3), 10-17, DOI: 10.1080/00091380109601795

Cook-Sather, A. (2012). Lessons in higher education: Five pedagogical practices that promote active learning for faculty and students. Journal of Faculty Development, 26(1), 33–39.

Campus Placement

How to Get your Dream Job?

Blog Catgeory, Campus Blog Category, Career Development (Placement), IILM Graduate School of Management, , , , , , ,

‘’Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the Life you have imagined.’’ David Thoreau

Why do young students aspire to be part of a Top B-School? Do you remember the first time you were inspired to make it big in the corporate world? As a professor on the Industry track at IILM I am always amazed by the aspirations, enthusiasm that the bright young students bring to B-School when they step in at IILM – starry-eyed, big dreams! At IILM we try and give shape to these dreams, getting them ready for their next leap towards a successful career.

The first Job from campus is always the most cherished one and I still remember the day when I received multiple job offers during the two day placement season at the B-School campus placements during my MBA back in 2003. The year was still a recovery phase in several sectors as the economy was recovering from the Dot-com bubble burst in the year 2001. Circa 2020 and we are in the middle of looking up to the new normal that beckons at fresh graduates wanting to join the Economy in June – August Season. At IILM we believe in working with loads of passion for the students’ careers. A testimony to the statement can be found in the way the students and faculty mentors have engaged beyond the classrooms to get a whopping 430+ Job Offers including 225 Job Offers at IILM GSM Campus as part of the final placement cycle that turned out to be a success (sans the impact of COVID in Mid-March 2020). We would like to keep this article as a testimony to the hours spent in making the twines meet and for the future  batches at IILM in the new normal (Post-COVID)

  • Bringing attention from 150+ Companies: IILM believes and works in student based principles. Based on the emerging trends picked up during interactions with the students, the placement team has interacted with over 180+ companies during the run-up to the placement season beginning Early September 2019.
  • Great Candidates find a way to their dreams: The graduating batch saw several examples where students lived up to the challenge to find a way to landing their dream jobs in companies starting with Consulting Companies such as Deloitte, EY, CIAN Analytics, Benchmarking Six Sigma to the FMCG Majors and Retail such as Marico, ITC Ltd, Reckitt Benckiser Plc, Café Coffee Day, Colgate, Khimji Ramdas. The season continued to see a steady upswing in high CTC job offers from EdTech Majors with Byju’s (Think & Learn Pvt Ltd), LIDO Learning picking up students. New Sectors Companies included Square Yards, Future Generali, PhonePe, Wedding Wires, Regalo Kitchen. The BFSI Sector covering HDFC Bank, HDFC Ltd, ICICI Bank, IDFC First Bank, Axis Bank, Bandhan Bank made a significant impact on campus with more than 60 offers at Greater Noida and 120+ across NCR. The complete list can be accessed at http://www.iilmgsm.ac.in/about-placements/. This is also testimony to the HR professionals who have extended their working hours to conclude placement processes at IILM as part of their recruitment calendars. We wish to extend gratitude for their support
  • Salaries are an Outcome of the Roles: Salaries have gone up by 20% in several companies while the average salaries in the Top 50 percentile of Job Offers for the graduating batch also went up by 25%. This year also saw a new maximum of 8 international job offers for Team Leadership Roles. Based on the needs of the industry, CDC Team has continued to meet with stakeholders in the industry from August last year until the COVID lockdown stopped us in our tracks in ides of March. IILM spent over 2000+ man-hours in engaging with the companies to review the student resumes and select the best possible jobs for the students.

All this would not be possible without the tireless efforts of placement team, students and faculty mentors who to spend additional several hours guiding the students with the necessary skill sets that will make them industry-ready.

  • Student’s Goals: Placement cell engages the students directly in placement oriented activities that allow them to have a very direct understanding of the requirements in the companies as well as mapping the dream companies from the student’s journey from the first year into the second year post their internship. IILM strong focus on benchmarking its pedagogy with the best B-Schools provides the students with an ambient ecosystem for scaling up their skill sets to the next level.
  • Prepare, Prepare and Prepare: Every dream company on a student journey starts with a plan. At IILM, the placement team engages with the companies around the year through industry sessions from stalwarts in the industry beginning with the orientation course, the industry http://www.iilmgsm.ac.in/event/national-seminar-skills-employment-for-industry-4-0/ ; Principle of Responsible Management (PRME) and several more sessions through placement workshops which provide the building blocks for all students to listen and network with professionals, enhance their grasp of the industry. Students are also part of several club activities including a vibrant Student Committee on Placements (SCOP 2020) which worked with placement manager and placement heads to bring hundreds of job profiles that bring joy to the eyes of the students who believe they can be part of the India growth story.

IILM is a microcosm of One India covering the 18 states and over the last two years that the students have spent on campus preparing themselves for the job roles, we are more than happy to have been able to connect students with a company that becomes their new launchpad for their long career road map ahead.

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A Letter by Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee

Guest Blog, IILM University, , , , , , ,

Towards a world where the human mind is without violence and the environment is without pollution…

Dear friends,

With all of you I am also in deep pain for millions and millions of persons across the world who have been faced with unbelievable and immeasurable suffering. I join you in expressing our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for all who are risking their lives to help and serve the needy and the society. We are together in prayer.

I want to share the following thoughts with you:

The pandemic of coronavirus has shattered the human soul.

The cosmic law of justice has pronounced an unprecedented and unexpected fury on the human race in this planet.

But this cosmic fury has awakened the damaged and the anguished human soul to another reality of spiritual realization of human concern.

For years now, my mind and soul have been disturbed and challenged by a certain question.

Today, I want to share this challenging thought with you.

I have been feeling for some years now that human beings are certainly not the most important life in the creation. It is a human being’s concept that the human life is the superior most. Even at the highest intellectual and spiritual level, human beings can think and act within the limitations of the human mind. What do we know about other lives? Whether insect life, animal life, plant life or environment, we know nothing about how plants speak to each other or how animals and insects communicate with each other. What is their philosophy? We know nothing. At least we know that we know nothing about other lives.

It is very humbling that if the humankind is wiped out on this planet, the environment will not miss us at all. In fact, the environment and every other life will be happy without us. This pandemic has really proved that the nature can live beautifully without the existence of human beings.

Even from my modest house, I am suddenly able to see so many rare flowers with lovely fragrance. I can also hear in my house the various chirpings of lovely birds which I had not heard before. It delights my heart and soul to see beautiful and rare birds in the little courtyard of my house.

With the emergence of the purity of the fear free nature and environment, human beings are also perceiving the awakening of the human soul with the greatest compassion for one another and all life.

In order to bring some cheer around me and for others, I have been telling my friends on the phone – “At this stage in my life, I have finally found a companion of life. He is called Mr. Isolation.”

“Mr. Isolation” has inspired me for further introspection.

The entire creation is wrapped in a cosmic net. Destiny is playing with the warp and the weft of the cosmic net. While destiny is playing it’s game, we as human beings will have to remain with compassion and non-violence towards each other and to every life.

We are all together in a spiritual awakening with the consciousness of human conscience.

Man pollutes the four elements, earth, sea, fire and air. With the negativity and violence of our mind, we can also pollute the space. Let us not pollute the fifth element- the space.

His Holiness Pope Francis had once repeatedly said in a public audience, in five different languages – “The creator forgives us always but what is created never forgives.” Let us work together, and do our best, for a future where every life respects the other life. Let us work towards a world where the human mind is without violence and the environment is without pollution.

With you,

Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee

About the Author

Smt. Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, has held the position of Vice-Chairperson of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Smriti for nearly nine years. She is also involved with the ‘Save the Ganga Movement’, an initiative to protect India’s environment and rivers for the last 18 years. For the past 28 years, she has worked for the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT), founded by Mahatma Gandhi in memory of his wife. The KGNMT is one of the oldest pre-independence, non-governmental institutions serving the women and children of rural India. She has been decorated with one of France’s top honour  L’Ordre des Arts et Lettres for her contribution in promoting peace, solidarity, culture, education and development.

The Beautiful Road Ahead – IILM, School of Management

Campus Life, Career Development (Placement), IILM University, , , , , , , , ,

Just out of school, a student enters a life, less cocooned, more puzzling, and challenging full of promises and heartbreaks. Parents also anxiously want their children to be on the right track of a steady career growth that promises a secure future. Wise decisions taken at this stage by the student and parents about the choice of course and institution will ensure good learning and focused career growth that is both rewarding and fulfilling. A beautiful road ahead is possible if one plans and decides well. Who wants a rickety ride in the graduation years?

In the market that is full of enticing offers and promises for a beautiful road ahead in education right after school, IILM, a top-ranking institute, is a name of trust running the helm of top-class education for decades. It has a unique reputation of welcome and warm ambiance with student-centric education that is in line with the demands of the market. One can see the wonderful reviews of students and parents on the internet about the quality education being offered in echelons of IILM. IILM has three imposing campuses in Delhi NCR, namely in Lodhi Road, Gurugram, and Greater Noida. IILM University, in Gurugram, offers several graduate and undergraduate courses in Management, Law, Psychology, Design, etc. apart from its rigorous Ph.D. program in different streams. All the departments boast of high-profile faculty and management, having an illustrious experience in their fields.

The School of Management

IILM University is nestled right in the heart of Gurgaon on the glistening Golf Course Road. The School of Management is one of its oldest and prestigious departments. The well-guarded campus housing the School has beautiful green manicured and well-tended gardens and lawns full of trees of mogra and pansy buds striking a contrast amidst the concrete and glass jungle of the Golf Course Road. One can see students sitting in the gardens with their laptops studying in the natural peace of nature or busy playing basketball/volleyball on the courts. Everywhere you see students, busy, happy, and secure.

The school of Management offers different undergraduate and post-graduate degrees and diplomas in varied streams of Management, Marketing, Human Resource, Entrepreneurship, Insurance, and Risk, etc. A well-equipped library that is regularly updated does not leave much for asking in terms of knowledge resources. The School of Management also aims and delivers 100% placements to the students in companies like Toyota, L’Oreal, HDFC Bank, Gartner, etc.

Faculty

‘No one should teach who is not in love with teaching.’ Margaret E. Sangster

Indeed, at the School of Management, the teachers are in love with their profession. The faculty is well-read and industrious in their efforts to impart impactful classroom teaching to the students. Many teachers have rich industry experience behind them and have research papers published in top research publications. The teaching sessions involve students and teachers in active, engrossing discussion of insights and wisdom. Case studies and role-plays, debates, quizzes, projects keep the students alert in the learning drill for a competitive future. Faculty is also deeply involved in continuous mentoring of students even after classroom sessions and students are active participants in organizing conferences, events, annual fairs, and social outreach programs.

Student life

‘The secret in education lies in respecting the student.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Student-centric education is the mantra at the School of Management. Students are involved everywhere, be it classroom, conferences, placements, etc. from day one at the school, the student feels part of the IILM family that builds his sense of responsibility and deliverance. The activities and clubs, like Marketing Club, Finance Club, Entrepreneurship Club, etc., keep the students busy in the learning mode. Yearly life skills training rendezvous to Jim Corbett Park help to relax the freshers and help them connect with their new friends and faculty and developing in the team spirit. Industrial visits and industry connect meetings and seminars help students gain exposure to the market they are readying up for. Students also participate in various competitions and social work programs with equal interest. long hours are also spent in the peaceful library. The hostel available for students is safe, secure, and hygienic. The management of the School is very cordial with the welfare and development of the student of topmost priority for them.

Good Decision

Choosing IILM University, School of Management is a wise decision to invest in a wonderful future in the business world. The teaching pedagogy is world-class and placements assured. Great global exposure is a value add with a number of student exchange programs and international visits. Guest lectures from the best in the industry help students get attuned to industry practices. They also become socially aware and responsible citizens. And of course, the beautiful green shaded campus is a big bonus.

The graduate years must be the best as they do involve the precious youth of a person’s life. A good institution will make focus on the future clear and be the mantle of guidance and support for the students. School of Management, IILM University, offers just that with passion and commitment. Students can get in touch with the IILM University admissions team on the university website and will be guided in the admission process and assisted with any queries. As the seats are limited in various programs offered by the School of Management, it will wise to submit applications as soon as possible.

So, for the prospects out there, make the right choice. Visit iilm.edu.in now to apply.

Surely, a beautiful road lies ahead!

Myths about Green Economy: Busted

Alumni, Campus Life, Career Development (Placement), General Blog, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University, , , , , , , ,

Greenery calms down our eyes and mind. It symbolizes life, freshness, nature, harmony, energy, and fertility. The world is facing serious challenges in environmental front. To motivate people to stop contaminating the environment, Environmentalist, and environmental enthusiasts are using “Green” concepts everywhere. At IILM with a blend of management and engineering, we create Eco friendly surroundings. Same concept is used for green economy.

“An economy is the production and consumption of goods and services and flow of money. Then what is Green Economy? Is Green economy all about planting trees in the world? Let us make it short and simple by explaining Green Economy. Green Economy stands for accelerating economic activities and infrastructure that are helpful in low carbon emission, increase energy conservation, and efficient use of resources.

There are certain myths about green economy, which you will also relay on-

  • Every business around is polluting environment. Agricultural waste makes Delhi’s atmosphere  suffocating every year, chemical fertilizers contaminating underground water. Agriculture a major sector in green economy is polluting our country. Therefore, green economy is just a concept for books.
  • Everything around is driven by fossil fuel. Electricity for metro trains generated from the thermal power plants using coal. In actual we are not conserving the environment. Environmental protection, social benefits and profit making cannot go together. Again, green economy is a myth.
  • Green economy cannot grow like fossil fuel based economy. This economic model will not get acceptability of citizens. So it is a myth.
  • Shifting economy from fossil fuel to other energy sources may result in job loss. Governments won’t be able to afford this, so it’s a myth.

Let us burst the Myths about Green Economy

#Myth-1 Industry transformation in Green Economy

Businesses will get transformed into green economy. Present MSME like renewable energy, sustainable transportation, waste management, green residential areas, water management, land management, fisheries, agriculture, forestry, etc. will work on large scale. There are certain areas in the business that yet to be explored. Organic farming can make agriculture non polluting, healthy and profitable.

#Myth-2 Environmental protection, Social benefits, and profit making cannot go together

  1. J. Kurian of Amul, Shri Mahila Grh Udyog and several other Indian examples has proven that social benefit and profit making can go together. Both of them uplifted the people financially. Government of Gujarat has introduced a project of installing solar panels on 19000 Km long network of canals of Narmada River. Hence, above myth has been proven wrong

#Myth-3 Growth of Green Economy is perceive slow

Renewable energy and recycling can be the key drivers to foster green economy. Availability of energy and raw material economically is the need of industry. Renewable energy is an economic and sustainable source of energy and recycling can provide cheaper raw material. India’s 55% of energy requirement will be covered by renewable energy sources by 2030, if this sector will grow at the same pace.

#Myth-4 Career and Job Opportunities are limited

Whenever technology shifts, it affects the job market, and existing jobs transform. India’s top business schools are carving our future managers and technocrats to work in present environment and cope up with future challenges. Research will play a key role for every student.

At IILM College of Engineering, Department of Biotechnology trains students in hydroponic technology, vermin compost, bio compost etc. Our Alumnus and existing students are working with reputed brands at renewable energy sector. Civil engineers at IILM are developing methods of using non-degradable plastic in construction. This will change the future construction techniques and minimize pollution.

Coming to the end of discussion, I would like to support  Green Economy as- industries can easily shift to renewable energy sources, Green economy will grow at the same pace like fossil fuel based on our  economy there will be no dearth of career opportunities. Green economy will contribute in better health of citizens. Citizens can start practicing basic  fundamentals of green economy by using solar power, compost in kitchen gardens which are  very beneficial in  conserving energy.

For more information on green economy related readings follow my blogs on IILM Blog site https://blog.iilm.edu or write to me at ashutosh.singh@iilmgsm.ac.in

Psychology and Your Future in India

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Introduction

Today’s disruptive changes have made Psychology one of the most sought-after careers. The demand and supply chain in Psychology will help overcome obstacles in personal and professional lives in the future. Our fast-paced lives, demanding jobs and complicated family dynamics are making mental health a prime issue of survival in the 21st century.

Countries across the globe are looking at making mental health equally imperative and vital as physical health. Therefore, the role of psychologists in future will become as crucial as our medical workers. Simply put, we may take medicine for any physiological ailment, but what about societal, global pressures coupled with tragedies? There is no known medicine to handle all that, hence Psychology becomes crucial as a subject to be pursued.

Psychology as a subject and its specializations

Psychology has been an undercurrent in any field offering a myriad of opportunities. IILM University, which is considered one of the best colleges in Delhi/NCR for Psychology provides components of the following in the course as fusion in undergraduate as well as specialization in masters.

Clinical Psychology: Anyone who has been a student of Psychology has been amazed by abnormal psychology and at least once aspired to become a clinical Psychologist. Facets such as diagnosis, understanding and management of disorders while working in hospitals, rehabilitation centres come under this. Given the emotional pressures people go through, the demand for good clinical psychologists is expected to rise. We hear and see many celebrities openly discussing their mental health and concerns. This trend has increased awareness and acceptance towards disorders and with time the need for experts in clinical psychology is only expected to grow.

Counselling Psychology: Counselling is like a second skin to any Psychologist as it deals with facing day-to-day scenarios and its management. Counselling being a broader term branch into career guidance, marital and academic. Counselling Psychologists are seen working in private set-ups, career centres, schools, NGOs and organizations. Today, it is required across all walks of life, and the need for it will only continue to grow. At IILM, we invite guest lectures as well as electives in CBT/REBT for Psychology students.

Organizational/Industrial Psychology: Psychologists in this field focus on workplace issues at the individual, group and organizational levels to enhance the productivity of the employees and ultimately the organization. As more and more MNC’s are paying attention to the mental health of their employees, Psychologists with I/OB specialization are working in HR as consultants/managers and are assessing emotional, social intelligence and performance in the employees.

Developmental/Child Psychology: This field works with lifetime development of human beings focusing on psychomotor, cognitive, as well as emotional development from early years. Popularly known as Child Psychologists they work mainly with children in therapy centres, schools, paediatric setups, NGO’s with close association with special educators and psychiatrists.

Sports Psychology: This is a fairly new branch that works with athletes’ physical and cognitive performance along with coaches, nutritionists as well as physiotherapists. Sports Psychologists endeavours to help sports teams to increase performance and motivation of sportsmen. India being a sports passionate country, this field has a lot of scope as a career.

Forensic Psychology: This branch deals with legal and judicial systems and is closely related to criminology. At IILM we help B.A students, enhance their understanding of laws in India while offering Law as an elective course.

Military Psychology: This is yet another contemporary branch of specialization dealing with military personnel and their families. Concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief as well as stress-related issues are taken care of by evaluations and treatment of mental and emotional disorders along with counselling. Psychologists are routinely hired in forces and are doing extensive research and policy-related work.

How to pursue Psychology as a budding career?

In India, we can pursue Psychology from graduation level (Psychology as a subject in Class XI & XII is preferred) and then pursue a B.A. / B.Sc. programme in Psychology. Master’s programme in Psychology is mandatory for seeking a career as a Counsellor as well as to apply for a job. M.Phil. is important to practice as a clinical psychologist and may accompany it with diploma courses in any therapeutic work (cognitive behaviour, rational emotive, career guidance, etc.) IILM University offers BA (Hons) as well as MA Psychology with specialization in counselling and organization behaviour.

Conclusion

Psychology as science finds applications in all walks of life. Psychology presents immense career options in the present times and will hold promising opportunities in the future as well.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it”

Abraham Lincoln

Virtual Teaching

How to Make your Virtual Teaching Interesting for Learners

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Change always creates anxiety and when this change is rapid then it creates panic too. Recent changes in an environment completely upset the traditional classroom teaching-learning process. It left no other choice but to move on a new platform for learning that is virtual classrooms.  This transition from traditional face to face teaching to virtual teaching was highly unexpected and too quick to absorb hence given a very strong blow on the teaching-learning process. Moreover, neither the teachers nor the students were trained for such a virtual environment. When I thought about learning through virtual teaching, I encounter two questions. Does any scientific method exist to enrich the learning process? Can learner also enhance their learning?

On the lines ‘the show must go on’, one needs to adapt to the virtual teaching-learning model and should make this interesting for learners. Learners are sitting at the comfort of their homes with too many distractions all around. Learning will only happen when they find interest in lectures and feel engaged.

To increase the productivity of the class teachers might consider the following tricks:

Lay down fundamental rules

At the beginning of the class, the teacher should inform the students about few basic etiquettes to be followed in class. Ask the students to mute their microphones to avoid any disturbance. Students will unmute themselves only if they have any questions to ask or if they are asked to do so. If possible, ask the students to switch on their camera which will increase the engagement.

Engage students

On online platform, students have a shorter time span for concentration. By asking questions to random students in every 5-6 minutes will keep them engaged and hence increase the productivity of the class. At every 5-6 minutes keep asking simple questions and for answers ask students to type in the chatbox. Answers could be just ‘yes/no’ type.

Give control to the students

Generally, in classes teachers speak a lot, and students felt left out and learning stops. It is better to give control to students at times and ask them to interact in the form of discussing with each other in class.

Share content in advance

Possibly, share the content to be discussed in class with all the students in advance so that they are prepared well in advance.

Use easily available, copyright-free online resources

Share content with the students which are copyright free and easily available. Although, too many contents are available freely for all but do not expect that students will search on their own. It is better to mention the URL for the resource material as click and use the material for them.

Avoid information overload

Plan your sessions well in advance such that students will not be overloaded and they have time to practice problems on the topic discussed.

Make use of Multimedia

To avoid boredom in the classroom, use multimedia tools to make the classroom interesting enough so that students’ engagement increases and so productivity.

Record live sessions and share

Don’t forget to record your sessions for the benefit of those students who live in the area with bandwidth issues and not able to attend live sessions. Share these videos with all the students so all can revisit in case of doubts.

There are certain basic rules for students also to make learning effective and efficient. First and foremost, students need to have a reliable and stable internet connection to attend the classes in virtual mode. They must find a quiet corner at their respective places to avoid any disturbance during sessions. If possible, they can use headphones instead of earphones to reduce the noise level. Prepare for your class well in advance. Go through with all the resources shared by teachers. Be interactive during sessions but do not disturb the flow of the class. Either raise a hand or use a chat box in case of any query.

The productivity of the teaching-learning process in the management program will surely be enhanced if both the stakeholders follow the aforementioned tricks. Faculty and students of IILM will surely make teaching-learning much more interesting and productive on a virtual platform.

Dancing Market: Optimism or Insanity?

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In the era of COVID-19 when WHO has declared it as a pandemic. India is under the lockdown for more than sixty days like all other nations in the world. All the economic activities were shuttered down till lockdown 3.0. The future outlook for the Indian economy is not pleasant. Analysts are expecting negative growth for Financial Year 2021. Almost all medium and small-scale businesses are in crisis. Most of them have shut their shops and laid off their employees. Big business houses have announced a salary cut for their employees. For April, the Auto industry first time have observed zero production output. The unemployment rate is at an all-time high. Scores of migrant laborers have moved back to their native places.

In this gloomy scenario across the nation stock market is dancing like anything. Though, it is not at the record height as it was during February but it is not that bad either. Eventually, soon after the announcement of the lockdown market slumped to almost half but this state did not last long. At present, the market is hovering around the level of 2017 which under the present circumstances is quite amazing.

Barometer of Economy?

It is time to evaluate the phrase ‘SENSEX is the barometer of Indian Economy‘. Is it a barometer to gauge the economic activities anymore? The stock market is considered a leading indicator of the economy. It was believed that there is a high correlation exist between the stock market and economy but this correlation does persist?

Fool’s Paradise!

Though the stock market is not a true representative of the economy nowadays it seems like the market has divorced the economy especially to all whatever is happening around us; whatever is the reality of economic activities. The stock market is not showing any concern to the more than fifty-nine lacs corona positive cases around the world and more than forty-seven hundred deaths in India. Stock market and particularly investors are living in paradise.

Future Outlook

There are various explanations for this insane behavior of stock investors. First and foremost, the explanation is that stock prices are always based on the future outlook, not the present. Present stock prices are the discounted cash flows expected from stock in the future. So, the present stock prices reflect that investors believe that economy will have a speedy recovery shortly.

Expectations from Government

Investor’s expectation of a substantially large stimulus package from the government went in vain. Investors have a strong feeling that the government will be able to overcome all difficulties in the economic front. The historic decision of reducing the corporate tax rates and conceptualizing the idea of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is giving hope to the investors.

The central government, as well as Reserve Bank, has already taken measures in terms of various fiscal and monetary policies to infuse the liquidity in the system. The financial year which generally ends on March 31 has been extended till June 30 exhibits commitment of government toward economic measures. Investors are betting on such strong interventions of government to boost the profitability of corporate houses in the future. The first year of NDA 2.0 is rated positively by various analysts which is enough to boost the confidence of investors.

Investment Options

Even more, now investors have not left with more options to invest as the prevailing interest rate on government bonds and all small saving schemes have been reduced. If we adjust the returns from these schemes with inflation, we will get negative returns for almost all investment products. So, the stock market is the only option left for investors to park their excess money with.

Optimism for Vaccine

Stock investors are at present feeling more optimistic about the future than the doctors and scientists who are working on the development of a cure for the Corona virus. Investors are expecting that soon enough a vaccine for the same will be discovered on which the whole world is working.

Black-box Theory

Another theory argues that all investors are operating as a black-box process. No one knows about the future of investments or till when this pandemic end and the road to normality be back. It is just the mere expectations which are leading the market at present. Investors are also active because they fear being left behind. New investors are considering this time as an opportunity to enter into the market at this level which may not come around again.

Parallel with Lehman Crisis

If we draw a parallel between the current crisis with the financial crisis of 2009, we get a hint from there also about this euphoria in the market. In November 2009 when the future of economies was pathetic even then the stock market across the world was mostly up by more than 50 percent from the past year while the economies were only growing by 1 percent for that particular one-year period. People were investing based on their expectations not based on ground reality. So, again history is repeating itself in the market.

Advice for Novice Investors

It can be inferred that expectation of the majority is driving the market than reality. Investors are not acting insane rather they have optimist future outlook. For investors, market timing is really important. For a novice investor, it is time to get into the market with a long horizon. If you have missed the wagon in 2017 then prices are again around that level. ‘Buy with caution’ is the mantra for success.

At IILM, students are being prepared to analyse the economic situation and to identify the trend for investments to be successful. We conduct live trading sessions for better understanding of the same. For more information on stock market one can approach at kumar.saurabh@iilmgsm.ac.in.