a Archives - IDEGRAAF

Education loan a boon, but interest rate a pinch: Students

April 21, 2018 Loknath Das

BENGALURU: While education loans help many students pursue higher education in the country, they are seen as a burden when it comes to higher interest rates. Rajesh Bhatt, who is pursuing M Tech in highway technology at the governmentrun Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technological Institute, is still haunted by the burden of an educational loan he’d availed from a nationalised bank while studying his engineering degree, though he has been managing to pay it off. “Without taking a loan it is not possible to study engineering even at a government college….

When ideas get visibility: a career in storytelling

April 4, 2018 Loknath Das

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is, why pursue a career in storytelling or directing? Storytellers and directors develop a craft that goes even deeper than the movies, TV shows, and media we see; they develop important skills applicable to any industry. Here are six: Unique understanding of human nature Simplicity, as it relates to the human experience, is at the root of any good story, and we all know that stories help us connect to the simple, powerful parts of our humanity that make life worthwhile….

A trend toward transparency for Ph.D. career outcomes?

March 10, 2018 Loknath Das

For decades, blue ribbon reports, studies, panels, and commissions have bemoaned universities’ lack of transparency about the career prospects of their Ph.D. recipients and postdocs. In particular, experts have criticized institutions’ failure to track and report how their doctoral and postdoctoral alumni fare in the labor market. As administrators at 10 U.S. research institutions warned in a Science article this past December, without knowing what kinds of jobs graduates can expect after graduation, students can’t “mak[e] informed choices about their pre- and postdoctoral training activities.” But finally, like small green shoots hinting at…

Make a career out of hospitality

February 28, 2018 Loknath Das

Illustration: Raj Verma Dilip Puri, Founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality, Gurgaon According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2017 Global Impact Report, one in 10 of the jobs worldwide fall under the travel and tourism umbrella. Only last year, the travel and tourism industry as a whole outperformed the global economy-for the sixth year in a row. Over the next decade, travel and tourism is set to successfully continue its rapid expansion, overtaking global economic sectors including communications, manufacturing, retail and distribution, as well as financial…

Tune in to a career in music

February 28, 2018 Loknath Das

Everyone loves some form of music. For most of us that means listening, lip-sync and strumming the occasional air guitar. But if you want to give music a more central place in your life, this is the right time in history to give it a shot! Music is a $15-billion global industry (Global Music Report, International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), April 2017) including digital and download sales, paid streaming subscriptions, performance rights, music concerts, stage performances and synchronisation in advertising and television. We all contribute to this industry as…

Here are 5 signs of a career burnout

February 28, 2018 Loknath Das

Workers around the world, at some point or the other, feel burnt out by their current job. While depression is a diagnosable disorder, managed by medication and treatment, career burnout can contribute to low mental health that often goes undiagnosed. (Photo: Pixabay) While many may argue that stress is just one of the hazards of having a job in the modern world, according to research conducted by Career Builder in 2017, 61 per cent of American workers reportedly feeling ‘burnt out’ by their current job, and over a third have…

New Career, New You: How To Navigate A Career Change

February 2, 2018 Loknath Das

For many of us, work takes up a large portion of our life. Therefore, it’s natural that we tend to adopt our work as part of who we are. We say things like, “I am a lawyer” or use the term “we” when referring to the company we work for. But, what happens if you’re not passionate about what you do? When you’re not happy with how you spend your days? When you realize that maybe you don’t want to be, do, or work for X? When this happens, things can get…

In a study of career versus replacement NFL athletes, only the long-term players died of neurological disease

February 2, 2018 Loknath Das

Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images Career players in the National Football League aren’t significantly more likely to die over a 30-year period than elite-level replacements who played only a few games, according to new research. Still, though people died for many reasons, seven of the deaths were from neurodegenerative diseases — and that only happened in the career players’ brains. The safety of professional football has been under scrutiny for the past few years, especially with reports about how repeated concussions to the head sustained while playing can cause neurological diseases…

Have an idea for a startup but not sure where to start? These online classes can help.

January 20, 2018 Loknath Das

Everyone and their mother has an idea for a startup, but the impressive part is getting it off the ground. Luckily, there are a few critical skills that will help you succeed in the startup world no matter which industry you plan to disrupt. The Startup School Bundle, which is just $40 right now (a massive 97% discount) offers ten courses that can help you learn essential skills for any field. Generating Ideas Most ideas for startups and apps are pretty vague, and just about everyone has a plan for “the Uber of…

Dia Mirza Says Sanjay Dutt Biopic May Give Her Career ‘A New Direction’

January 12, 2018 Loknath Das

Dia Mirza in Mumbai. (Image courtesy: Dia MIrza) NEW DELHI: HIGHLIGHTS Very excited about the Dutt biopic and my work in it: Dia Mirza Dia plays the role of Sanjay Dutt’s wife Maanyata Ranbir Kapoor plays lead role in the Rajkumar Hirani-directed film Actress-producer Dia Mirza is excited to work on Rajkumar Hirani’s yet untitled Sanjay Dutt biopic, but doesn’t want to take stress by thinking how it will take her “career as an actor in a new direction.” Dia will be seen playing the role of Sanjay’s wife Maanyata in…