Top Ten Online Courses on the Internet Right Now.

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May 6, 2020

Would you rather be a jack of all trades or a master of one? Well, I’d like to be a jack of all trades and master of one both. If you are a part of the crowd that likes to have it’s cake and eats it too, I’m sure you’ve been up to date with the rat race out there. Everyone is looking to diversify into different skills and hone in on their skill sets.

Especially in the environment that is out there, it important that we don’t let the cutthroat competition skewer us. And to stay ahead of the curve, you need to learn ahead of the curve. These days we have the internet, with a million sites offering both free and paid online courses to give you a feel of the subject. These courses range from personal development to technical training. Many of these courses are specifically to help you add something new to your resume and improve upon your skillset.

While Youtube has a lot of videos and podcasts specifically catering to learning new skills from numerous people, there is an authenticity about the course you’re taking. You will be learning from certified professionals, and some of these courses even provide you with a certificate for it.

10. Fundamental Marketing

Fundamental marketing is the same as what it sounds like; it teaches you the ABC’s of marketing. Customer approach and interaction, media presence, discussing prospects, organic marketing is an essential skill required in this world, where everything has to another. Your purpose as a salesperson, or a media manager, is to sell yourself and your brand image to a customer. You need to make them trust you, and in turn, trust the product that you’re selling.

Many of these courses now, even including marketing across the web, which is an essential skill now. If not, there are many other courses provided by mainstream organizations like Google itself that help you get the grip of web marketing.

Also read Top 10 interesting and unique courses

9. Content Marketing

An aspect of creating a website or any domain to access clientele from is to have attractive and intriguing content. For industrial products, you need content that makes people trust that you know what you are talking about or are selling. And if you are selling services, or ideas and concepts, you need to convince your customer that your thoughts are worth their time. A lot of websites hire content writers and content developers to add to their webpages. These content developers specialize in improving the look and feel of a portal. While they do have some skills of their own, many of them, like learning what kind of content to develop, are all learnt on online courses. You can choose the type of content you want to build to market and choose from numerous online courses.

Also read:Alternate Career Options for the Candidates Who Failed to Crack CAT Exam

8. Social Media Marketing

Based on a lot of data, there are statistics that an average person spends up to 3 hours on social media every day. Every day. Social media has a lot of mindless and some useful information. A lot is happening there in each second, and the modern mind tries to imbibe it all. You can use this opportunity to draw the desired clientele to you on the biggest gathering of people in the contemporary world. For example, you wish to sell a particular brand of lipstick. You know that your target clientele is women from the ages 20-50. You can find most of this age group on their social media, accessing it actively.

social media online course — Image Source

All that is left is to format your content appropriately, and you will watch your target clientele come like moths to a flame. And to do this, you need to know all the foundations social media works on and how every day it is changing to incorporate something new. To get with the times and harness the power that is social media, you need an online course. Social media marketing courses help you get into the nitty-gritty details of social media marketing within 24 hours. There are many online courses right now on sites like udemy and Coursera that help you with this, at a time-independent pace

7. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Search Engine Optimization is exactly what it sounds like. Whenever you wish to look up something, like a word’s meaning, or an article on the best mobile phone under a specific price limit, you notice that there are individual sites that always seem to pop up over others. This is not because of some weird algorithm Google employs, or their choosing. It is merely because of search engine optimization. SEO details a specific set of rules, when adopted, can bump your website to the top of the list for the given keywords. These rules are succinct and short, but intricate. They need practice and time. And for that, we have online courses in Search Engine Optimization. The certificates obtained in these online courses can also help you improve the look of your resume, making you a better prospect for the internships you apply for.

Also read: Why choose a career in digital marketing

6. Coding and Developer Course

The most important of all courses right now. This technical online course dramatically increases your prospects of being employed in an internship or a job with high pay and even builds upon your skillset. One of the most significant demands in the job industry right now is a coder. With everything going online, there being more and more requirements for secure sites and more complex programs, a coder would be a crucial addition to the team. While a college degree is always ideal, a person with a passion for coding could always look up online courses and diversify to their heart’s content, even getting certifications in the process. And with the job prospects being highly profitable, there are no regrets in taking up this online course.

5. Communication, Negotiation and conflict resolution

While most courses seem technical based, equipped to give you an edge over someone in this competitive job industry, some just aim to develop you as a person. Sometimes, we do as we learn and never realize the correct methods to approach and solve conflicts with people. Communication is an essential skill and tool to have in this world where man is a social being. Actively negotiating and defusing conflicts can have very positive influences on your personality and help in your growth as a human being. And there are a lot of courses, for low prices on Udemy that help you with just that.

4. Graphic Designing

A lucrative profession that is fast upcoming in this environment is graphic designing. People now more than ever need pictorial representations and amazing graphics convincing them to like something. It is fast becoming a see and impress world out there, and people who can create cutting-edge graphics and edit videos to perfection are essential in society. We see more and more youtube tutorials which depict what people are talking about through vectors than just a video of a person talking to a screen. And these vector designs are primarily credited to these graphic designers. While of course there are lucrative courses and degrees which explicitly teach this, there are also 20 to 24-hour courses on the same topic, covering the subject and art succinctly.

Also read: Why choose a career in marketing

3. Business and Finance

online courses business and finance — Image Source

Currency is the currency that runs the world. And to understand the way currency works would straight up put you at the top of the food chain. There are entire sciences attached to understanding the way money works. They also cover how everything can be decided simply by words or actions. A lot of money resides in business deals, in stock market gains and crashes, and every day brings with it new highs and lows. While all of it may seem boring to a layperson, once you understand the way money works, it is addicting to enjoy the science of money. There are a lot of online courses that divide up your topics to tackle and explain each aspect of the money-making or money understanding business. You can always opt for more straightforward courses and move on to more difficult ones as you keep on understanding.

2. Content Writing

As we emphasized earlier, content development is highly essential for a lot of businesses and companies. The brand that they project may as well dictate their sale value. And for this reason, they hire content writers to come up with exciting and articulate content to adorn their sites. Along with this, they also look for content writers who have a grip on the science of SEO. So if you have done courses on both SEO and content writing, there are high chances that you might get selected for a content writing internship. While there is not much money in this industry, it is a good starting point for all your passions.

1.Psychology

Before I’d begin, I’d like to tell you that psychological courses do not give you the certification to perform an analysis on your own. You are not a certified psychologist after a few courses; you need to get a degree for that. However, if you wish to learn about certain psychological tendencies and studies, you should go for it. Psychology is fun and informative at the same time. The primary purpose of courses like these is to give you a better tolerance and understanding about why people a certain way. Udemy and many other sites offer a plethora of courses on psychology, the science of mental health and many more which you can apply for, sometimes even free.

Those were our top ten list of online courses you can pursue right now. Utilise this time in quarantine to get ahead of the learning curve. Get the upper hand on your peers. You can learn more about other courses and sites to learn from in the video linked below.

Status of women in society

By

Lopamudra

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May 5, 2020

4

Our society considers women as the fairer sex. We celebrate Women’s day every year on March 8. There has been the empowerment of women in various domains. In some places you will find women and men are treated equally. But does all this hold true across our society? You must be knowing that what glitters is not always gold. The same holds true with respect to the status of women in society. What appears outside is not the same inside. Let us look at what women face in different areas of their life.

Inequality in marriage –

Status of women in society — Courtesy : pixabay.com

When a man and a woman marry, they become life partners. As partners they share their life with each other. So, they must share their responsibilities with each other. But this rarely happens in a marriage. Men expect women to carry all the burden on their shoulders. This applies very well to working women. They earn money and also do all the household chores. In spite of being equally qualified as their husband and may be earning the same salary, they do all work at home. Due to this inequality, marriage takes a toll on the health of women. Marriage even affects the health of women who are housewife. This is only because of incapable men. Men just want to relax at home and take rest. They feel that their duty is only to earn for living.

Husbands feel that their wives depend on them but even they depend on their wives. Men are unaware of what is happening at their home. Instead of understanding the difficulties that their wives go through, men rather criticize women for mishaps at home. A marriage can be successful if men think about what women do at home and appreciate them. If men can help women in household chores, then there will be a good atmosphere at home. They ought to do this as they are life partners. For a working couple, both should divide their responsibilities at home. Men should understand that even women want to succeed in career. Husbands cannot expect their wives to compromise on their career because of marital responsibility. Men with housewife must do at least few household chores in order to decrease the load on women. In this way, a marriage can be sustainable.

Also read PROTECTION OF WOMEN UNDER INDIAN CONSTITUTION

Ill-treatment by in-laws

Women have always faced critical judgement from their in-laws. You must have noticed this in all generations. It is sad that men’s families expect too much from women. They do not see the capability of their son but expect their daughter-in -law to be good in all aspects. She has to be good in looks, education, job, family background and know cooking and household chores very well. A woman should be good in so many ways only to become the housemaid of her husband’s family. Yes, this is the true fact. It is really sad to see how some families treat their daughter-in-law. Women receive harsh treatment in spite of giving dowry. Even today dowry system prevails in our country. You must have read about so many dowry deaths and domestic violence cases.

The reality is that women’s families have to give dowry to men’s families and after that women have to sacrifice everything. Women face ill treatment in their husband’s home. What in-laws do not understand is that women had a life before their marriage. Some in-laws do not impose any restrictions on their son but they forbid their daughter-in-law from many things. This happens even when both are equally qualified and working. In-laws must understand that women have some worth. They cannot consider their daughters-in-law to be puppet whom they can operate by remote. What in-laws do not understand is the way they treat their daughter-in-law, even their daughter may face the same ill-treatment.

Underestimation by family members

A woman knows her family members before knowing anyone else in the world. You must have seen so many measures taken by people to show that girls and boys are equal. Some families believe that girls can be equal to boys. That’s why they educate their daughters very well. But our society does not let this feeling remain forever. When a girl reaches her marriageable age, everybody starts questioning about her personal life. It is at that point of time when families think that girl is liability and boy is asset. Just like how liabilities have to be cleared on time, similarly girls have to be married off as soon as possible. This is the opinion of our society. Irrespective of a woman’s earning and qualification, she is considered as a burden on her family. A woman is a liability who should be cleared at proper age.

We cannot blame a woman’s family for this. They underestimate their daughter because of inequality in marriage and ill-treatment by in-laws. The families of men are to blame for this situation. The society instigates women’s families to take action on women. Due to this women’s families underestimate them on various grounds. Women are underestimated for their looks, education, capability and qualities. Because of these women are told to marry men who may not even deserve them. If a woman grows old by developing her career, then she is blamed as if she has wasted some years of her life doing nothing. She is then told that she has to marry any man who is available because her age has increased. Is it really a woman’s fault if her age has increased by having good educational qualification?

Partial treatment at work

Many companies say that they treat men and women equally. But this does not hold true for all the companies. Even today many organisations want to hire men instead of women. In spite of women being equally qualified as men and from the same standard college, employers prefer men. It is sad to say that the top management of many organisations consist of few women. Recruiters do not understand that women have struggled similarly as men in their education. Some employers feel that hiring women may lead to problems later because of security issues faced by women. But they should understand that men cause issues to women in public places. Otherwise women are brave enough to pursue any activity.

Another problem that women face at work is harassment by men. You must have read about various cases where a woman was harassed by higher authority men. Many rules and regulations are prevalent in companies in order to curb the indecent acts of men. That has decreased the number of such cases to some extent.

What our society should understand

Women have always faced hardship in life because of others. You would have noticed this in epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat. Sita and Draupadi had to face so many difficulties. It is everybody’s duty to understand the value of women. If a woman gets married late, then there is a reason behind it. The society cannot blame her for being old and delaying her marriage. Our society should appreciate the work done by women. Look at those countries with women Prime Minister and see how they have tackled Coronavirus.

Top 10 Classic French pastries every dessert lover needs to try

By

Muskan Ahuja

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May 5, 2020

0

Thanks to the French and their extreme pastry-making skills, the world is blessed with an assortment of desserts to choose from. From the buttery and flaky croissant to the delightful macaron, the French managed to perfect all of their classic French pastries. Now the race across the globe is to replicate these beautiful pastries and to serve them to locals in the country.

Read on to find about some of the finest French pastries that every dessert lover needs to try at least once in his or her life.

Croissants

Top 10 Classic French pastries every dessert lover needs to try

Perhaps the most famous of all French pastries, almost everyone today has had a good croissant. This is largely because the pastry has become so popular these days that you are sure to find one in breakfast buffets and high teas across the globe. A croissant is a buttery flaky viennoiserie made with layers of dough and fat, which are folded multiple times over to create the classic internal web. Though cheaper versions of this delicate pastry are made using margarine, the original butter croissant tastes so much better and richer, of course.

Eclairs

An éclair is made up of choux pastry and is then filled with sweet flavored cream. Traditional éclairs were dipped in shiny chocolate, and this is why the French named them the ‘éclair’. The word translates to lightning in the English language. The most famous of all is the chocolate éclair, which is filled with creamy chocolate pastry cream or chocolate diplomat. You will, however, find a lot of versions of different flavors of the éclair. These include traditional flavors such as lemon, strawberry, caramel and vanilla, and newer flavors like raspberry, coffee, mixed berry, hazelnut, etc.

Macarons

Macarons are a fine French delicacy, and only talented and professional pastry chefs can replicate a good classic French macaron. Made up of meringue, almond powder, and icing sugar, a good macaron is a wonder to bite into, crisp from the outside and chewy from the inside. These two almond cookies are sandwiched together with a jam or a ganache, and there are more flavors of macarons than you can ever imagine. These include chocolate, vanilla, coffee, caramel, orange, rose, pistachio, hazelnut, salted caramel, etc. among others. Ladurée and Pierre Hermé are the best places in Paris to enjoy an authentic macaron.

Also read Chocolate making process: Bean to Bar

Financiers

Financiers originated in France in the seventeenth century, but not a lot of people liked them at that time. This is because a financier is essentially almond flavoured, and people of those times associated the taste of almond with cyanide. Hence, the soft almond flavoured cake was not well received. Over time, however, a baker who worked in Paris in the 19^th century had the idea of baking these financiers in the shape of a gold bar. This was an excellent idea, and there has been no looking back ever since. The pastry is now a huge success all around the world. Flavours like pistachio and raspberry pair extremely well with financiers, so do try one if you get the chance.

Crepes

Crepes come from Brittany, a region in the west of France. Traditionally, crepes in France are made in two different ways. One is a saltier version, made with dark flour; while the other is sweeter, and is made up with white flour. Pancakes, which are thicker and fluffier versions of crepes, are now popular across the globe and are a common breakfast item. Enjoy crepes with some maple syrup and whipped cream, or go fancy with fresh fruits, chocolate, Nutella, etc.

Madeleine

Madeleines are little shell shaped pastries, which are a cross between a cookie and a tea cake. They are rich butter based cakes, which are often flavoured with either lemon or orange zest. The French love to have their madeleines with tea, hot chocolate or coffee; and they are a common sight at high teas.

Brioche

A French brioche is a really rich and buttery bread. Marie Antoinette frequently served brioche at her high tea gatherings. While the French now eat the bread as a snack, it can also be used as a breakfast bread, eaten with strawberry or raspberry jam.

Kouign-amann

The famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel has popularized this buttery gorgeous pastry all across the globe. Pronounced as qween-ah-mahn,the pastry is basically a much denser version of the croissant. It uses the same methods of the folding of butter and dough as a regular croissant, but it takes it a step ahead, since it is dusted with some extra sugar as well.

Mille-feuille

The word literally translates to a ‘thousand layers’. This classic French pastry uses puff pastry as its base, which is then layered with pastry cream. The same process is repeated thrice to form the dessert. The top of a mille-feuille is then dusted with some icing sugar or cocoa powder, with fresh fruits also often used for the garnish.

Paris-Brest

The classic French dessert was developed to honour a bicycle race between the two regions of Paris and Brest. Its creator, Louis Durand, created the dessert to replicate the wheel of a bicycle. A Paris Brest is a ring shaped choux pastry, which is traditionally filled with a praline flavoured cream, and is then topped off with some almond flakes.

St. Honoré

Another timeless French classic, the St. Honore holds a lot of religious and historical significance, and combines a lot of classic French pastries. The base comprises of puff pastry, which is then topped with a ring of choux pastries. These profiteroles are dipped in caramel before being assembled on the side. The base is then filled with some crème chiboust, and whipped cream is used to create the design on the top. In fact, the tip which is used to do the piping on the top is referred to as the St. Honoré piping tip.

Which ones of these French pastries have you had till date? And which of these tempted you the most? Let us know in the comment section below.

Must have Indian spices in every household

By

Muskan Ahuja

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May 4, 2020

0

India is rightly known as the land of spices. Indian cuisine is full of a variety of spices that are used extensively to give amazing taste to the food that it is so famous for. Usually, a variety of these Indian spices are mixed together and powdered. After that, they are added to the food and are cooked over a low flame to release their aroma and flavour. This, of course, makes the food spicy and flavourful, and at the same time, it adds a lot of colour to the food as well.

Here are the top twenty spices that you will find in almost all Indian households. Read on to find where each of these is used, and how you can incorporate them into your daily cooking to make it more flavorful and delicious.

Ginger

Must have Indian spices in every household

Ginger is used to flavour a lot of things, right from sea foods to vegetarian items. It has a hot and fragrant taste to it. You can either chop up some fresh ginger, or use readymade ginger paste. Dried ginger powder is also easily available in the market.

Garlic

Garlic is known for its pungent and spicy flavour. This, however, mellows down when you cook it. And once you get used to eating food which is made with garlic, there is simply no going back at all! Garlic is basically used as a seasoning, and is the secret to making tasty food.

Turmeric

No Indian dish can ever be complete without turmeric. Known for its antibacterial and health properties, it is the most important spice to have in your kitchen. Turmeric is slightly bitter in taste. However, it is used extensively for the rich yellow color that it imparts to the gravy. Turmeric milk is also a common part of the Indian cuisine.

Asafoetida

More commonly known as hing, asafoetida is an important part of Indian cuisine. It helps to enhance the flavour of food. Additionally, it also has health benefits for those who are struggling with digestive issues. This spice helps to balance out other flavours in the dish, such as salty and spicy.

Nutmeg

Another Indian household favourite, nutmeg is a small brown coloured seed. It has a sweet and savoury taste to it, which goes well with Indian curries. Nutmeg is widely used in pickles and chutneys, as well as in meat preparations. In fact, it is also used in a lot of desserts as well, such as gajar ka halwa. Carrot cakes and banana cakes also make extensive use of nutmeg powder.

Carom seeds

Also known as ajwain, carom seeds are a herb used to spice up food preparations. They are small and pale brown in colour, with a very slight pungent and bitter taste. The smell of carom seeds is somewhat similar to that of thyme. Carom seeds are also excellent to cure stomach indigestion and other digestive issues, so make use of it generously.

Curry leaves

Curry leaves are a fresh herb that is used extensively in cooking, especially in the South. They are characterized by their fresh and unique aroma, which adds new heights to foods. They are commonly shallow fried in the oil which is being used to cook the dish, after which the rest of the spices are added. You will find them used in curd rice, sambar, poha, upma, etc.

Mustard seeds

These small seeds are tart, and are used to thicken the gravy of the dish. They are widely used in curries. You will find them in different colours, such as brown, yellow and black. All of them have different tastes, and therefore are used differently.

Dried green mango powder

Also known as amchur powder, this is made from green mangoes which have been dried up. Naturally, the spice has an amazing fruity, sour and pungent taste to it. it varies in colour from beige to brown, which then imparts a bright colour to the dish. This spice is mainly used when you want a citrusy taste, and is used especially in meat preparations.

Poppy seeds

You will find both black and white poppy seeds in the Indian market. They can be used in a variety of forms, such as dry, baked, or when made into a paste. They help to thicken the gravy, and also add texture and flavour to it. Poppy seeds is also widely used in baking. Lemon and poppy cake, for instance, is a classic combination.

Fenugreek seeds

These amber or yellow coloured seeds add a unique dimension to all recipes in which they are used. They are used in their powdered form. The spice is often added to pickles, curries as well as meat preparations.

Coriander

Cilantro,herbs,food,green,cuisine - free image from needpix.com

Coriander is used extensively in Indian cooking, both in its fresh and powdered form. It has a really refreshing flavour to it, something like lime. Fresh coriander is also used to garnish food, such as curries and curd. It is also used in a lot of salads and chutneys.

Cumin

Cumin can be used either as it is, or after roasting and powdering it. And though cumin forms an integral part of cuisines around the world, it is an indispensable part of our Indian cooking. It also lends a brown earthy flavour and color to food. It is also often added to curd to make raita, or is used to flavour buttermilk.

Black pepper

Black pepper forms one of the most basic seasonings that Indian cuisines use. It comes from small black peppercorns, which are dried and then ground before being used. Black pepper is really spicy, and makes food a bit tart. Therefore, it is used in small amounts only.

Bay leaf

Bay leaf is always used after it has dried. It forms an integral part of the garam masala, which is a mix of spices used in cooking. However, the leaf is quite bitter in taste, and is therefore not eaten. Nevertheless, it is used for its pleasing fragrance, which it imparts to the entire dish.

Red chilli

Red chilli is a really hot spice, so make sure you use it only in moderation. A lot of people even use whole red chillis for flavoring their curries and other foods. Other than a hot flavor, it also gives a deep red colour to the dish. So now you know the secret behind the spiciness of the Indian cuisine.

Clove

A clove is basically a dried flower bud. It is known for its particular aroma and taste, though the aroma is what it is mostly used for. You will find clove used in a lot of Indian dishes like curries, meats and marinades. In fact, it is also used to add flavour to hot beverages and some fruits.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of a tree. It is used extensively in both sweet and savoury Indian dishes. You can use this spice as a whole, or use its powder to add flavour to your food. Cinnamon has a really pungent taste to it, but when added to food, it adds a hot and aromatic taste. Cinnamon is also used to make desserts, and tastes well with apples and bananas. Some people even add it to their tea to make a spiced tea.

Cardamom

Cardamom is one of the most expensive spices. Nevertheless, it adds a rich aroma and taste to your food. From starters to main course to desserts, you will find cardamom being used a lot. Cardamom seeds are also used to make spiced tea, and to flavour sugar syrups for a variety of Indian desserts.

Fennel seeds

Fennel is a brown or green coloured aromatic spice, used in a variety of dishes. In fact, fennel seeds are not just restricted to the savoury kitchen. They are used in a lot of sweet dishes and desserts as well. Sugar syrups for a number of desserts are often flavoured with some fennel seeds. Roasted fennel seeds also double up as a mouth freshener post meals.

How to use spices correctly?

Now that you know all about spices that are used in cooking, it is also important to know the correct way to use them. Correctly cooking and using these spices can take your food to an altogether different level.

As much as possible, use fresh spices and herbs. They have much stronger flavour than the ones have been processed and packed in industries. You can also make your own powdered spices by sun drying fresh ones, and then powdering them. Store them in air tight containers in a cool and dry place, and these will last you for easily six months.

The best way to bring out the aroma and flavour of your spices is to be patient. Cooking these over high flame never does the job. Make sure that you are patient and that you cook these spices over a low flame. While preparing a gravy, add a little bit of clarified butter or butter or refined oil, depending on your choice. Once the oil is hot enough, lower the flame and then add the spices one by one. Usually, spices that need to be cooked more are added first. The general order followed is garlic, ginger, onions and other vegetables, which is followed by other spices. If you are using whole spices, then add them before you add in the garlic. Once they become aromatic and release flavour, add in the remaining spices in the remaining order.

It is also a good idea to make your own spice mix at home. This comes in really handy when you are cooking in a rush, yet never fails to impart wonderful flavors. Though you will find a lot of readymade spice mixes in the market, making your own is any day a better option. Simply dry roast the spices that you want to combine. After that, blitz them together in a mixer, and store the spice mix. Make sure that you don’t blitz them too much, or else they will start to release their oils.

Here are some easy tips and hacks for you when using these lovely Indian spices.

Marinate some pineapples with red chilli powder, and then chargrill them. This will give you some amazing roasted pineapples at home for that barbeque night feel.
When using cottage cheese, frying it enhances its flavor. Marinate cottage cheese with your homemade spice mix to add even better flavour.
Add a little turmeric to your rice to enhance their colour.
Roast and pound some fennel seeds. Mix them with some granulated sugar; and your mouth freshener is ready.
Store your spices in the chiller if you live in really humid conditions. This will increase their shelf life.
Powder some cumin seeds, and use them to garnish yogurt based salads.

Though spices are really good for health, make sure that you consume them in moderation. An excess of everything is bad, and the same holds true here.

Happy cooking 🙂

Online Dating – Match Maker or Love Hunger?

By

Papri Chatterjee

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May 3, 2020

4

Concepts previously frowned upon are creating a buzzword today. Meeting strangers previously, was a taboo, and today if you haven’t met one, you are considered a conformist, precisely a conservative. Millennials have led the charge on transforming the dating industry, making this strange meeting concept universally accepted.

Today a large number of us admit to being in a relationship with a partner or a spouse we have met online. Trust me when I say this to the one I married, I met online (from previous family relations though).

To name a few, we have tinder, bumble, happn, and Go Gaga topping the list. Matchmaking has been thought of god’s choice, antecedent as a holy existence. The dating industry today has a momentum of its own.

The choices flourishing on these dating platforms have made humans commodities. If not one, twenty others are waiting to feel the same you want. Dating has become a game of probabilities and ratios. People have started to internalize the idea as shopping, then naming it “the one”.

Online Dating - Match Maker or Love Hunger?

The dating pool concept is old, though the idea of channeling humans as commodities is recent. Dating has the predecessor, named “checking out”. Then comes the jaunty ode to an idea of formalizing a personal touch. Seal your romantic deal, this is what you look for, isn’t it?

Principles of marriage and economic stability are running their marathon without a finish line. One of the leading reasons for divorce since the year 2000, is the online dating industry.

Industrializing The Dating Industry – What Your Adrenaline Is Gifting The Economy

One of the top research firms, IBISWorld has forecasted a 3 billion dollar business only, in 2019. The rising subscribers of this dating app are approximately 50 million, only in the US. When asked about the feasibility and the promising features in pursuit of romance, physical satisfaction was rated the topmost procurement.

Not only in the US but whenever we travel today the generation has found a promising way to connect and formalize relationships.

The current situation although has hit the industry hard, making it difficult for these dating apps to grow. Its business, however, the revenue is expected to grow by the end of 2020. The slow growth now is only building up the tension as soon, and as the shutdown is broken, the expected growth of 25% by the end of 2020 has been estimated.

The Harvard Business School has projected a no recession business model for the dating industry. The usage has tripled among those between the age of 20 and 30 years. Today, adolescence knows no boundaries, any form of adrenaline rush fetching the benefit of the untapped market of culturing the young minds, into the glamour of the dating industry is spellbinding.

This industry is consequential. Some people have reportedly set it just by meeting someone as a stranger. These dating apps have increased the millennial spending power delaying in life milestones and on the other hand resulted in broken relationships, depression, and distressed growing years.

The generation is behind productivity because long working hours do not matter anymore. Today the ubiquitous broadband and unlimited data access have led to its growing acceptance and the legitimacy of online dating.

The current matchmaking scenario of the generation only reflects what “love in the time of algorithm” explained. This industry reaching a 20 billion dollar hit shortly, does not guarantee stability. It will promise new relationships, but the birth of commitment. Apart from Tinder, Bumble, happn, we have Ok Cupid and Stillwater racing for the peak.

Death Of Commitment

These organizations have started distributing shares in the market. Each of these apps has promising features, for example, the easy swiping feature of Tinder makes it less time-consuming. They have their aggregators to keep the customer coming back to the site as often as they can.

With the death of commitment comes the dissonance of romantic ideas of love. Romanticism has taken a vacation. The approach of entrepreneurial nerves who set up the matchmaking sites have no idea what the generation is going through. Famous Wall Street Journal reporter, Slater, had racked some office cyber dating experiences. By the age of 31, all these experiences lead to the demise of a long term relationship he had.

If not a dating site, we have books coaching the plethora of single-minded people in building blockheads. It has become the mode du jour of singles to get hands-on romance, physical interaction (the *s* word), and escaping availability of choices.

Meeting a stranger is as exciting as knowing what love is for the first time, except the “love” part. The search range is clustered into the idea of something ambiguous. No more fixating on a perfect marriage partner. Generation in the US and UK has 18 years tinder players being single mothers.

A warped outlook on love has not set a booming market weaponizing “a date”, and objectifying potential partners. Do not consider generation brainless. Some try their wit, and some let the adrenaline do the talking. The dating accounts can be connected to your Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook account, automatically populating the user’s profile.

This is what you call streaming warm bodies as fast as possible. To remake the landscape of modern relationships, the concept of romance, longevity, and the need to remain constant has taken a deep drown.

Other Factors

When you know you have satisfaction getting close this easy the idea of behavioral economics and biological determinism flow pass. It’s difficult not to pass judgment on the behavior, however losing someone falls between the digital love market place. Courtship was supervised almost everywhere.

Dating takes the process out of home, out of supervision, and non-commercial spaces. For example, dance halls, bars, movie theatres. Modern-day love has spread the idea of romance within the reign of Commerce. Helping the economy gather it’s share, these applications are in the demand and supply model.

The exploding population today is at ease with its stigmatized activity. The concern about online dating is resulting from sacrifices. Dating online is meeting people online, followed by in-person dating. Effective matchmaking requires an in-person to meet just the same way our grandfathers did.

However, there is no efficiency or a systematic possibility of why meeting people to date in the first place. Human to human matches is less predictable. We are not transacting for consumer good matches.

If we stick to the logic, it is clear but upsetting. Not all online dates lead to marriages or a perfect live-in relation. Capitalism, the idea of making this market impartial. It’s not correct but neither is it wrong. The mechanism of constant supply and demand in exchange for value and guarantee solidifies online dating as fair.

Applying metaphors to human relationships only introduces the idea that if it leads to something good, it is fair, but if it does no, it is not unfair. While breaking the logic of the market, there has to be an overriding of new laws. Online space is utterly populated with heterosexual men and women charged with a crime.

A six-figure making man, who is well-spoken, hardworking and respectful, blooms once in a blue moon. Although it does act as a magnet for women (no offense, but the same goes for men, as an exponential spending pocket need no talent) however, it should not be construed as a thread to clarify online dating space as fair.

Top Indian desserts and sweets to tickle your taste buds

By

Muskan Ahuja

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April 30, 2020

0

When it comes to sweets in India, there is more variety than you can even imagine! The people of our country have a really sweet tooth, and no meal is considered complete until there is a sweet dish to round it off. And thanks to the cultural and religious diversity of the country, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to the myriad of desserts that you can try. Every culture has its own set of unique desserts, often many of them being made especially on festivals and religious occasions.

Read on to find more about some of the best sweets that our country has to offer.

Gulab Jamun

Top Indian desserts and sweets to tickle your taste buds

Gulab Jamun is perhaps the one Indian sweet that the entire world has heard of. No festival or celebration is complete without some juice gulab jamuns. These soft balls are made of khoya, and are then deep fried. They are then soaked in a rich sugar syrup, which is often flavoured with cardamom. Unlike what the name suggests, the dish has nothing to do with roses. Nevertheless, it is the favourite Indian dessert of almost half the population.

Rasgulla

These super sweet dessert comes from West Bengal, and is famous all over the country for its sweet taste and texture. Made of cottage cheese and semolina, these balls of feather are then cooked in a light sugar syrup. The dessert is super spongy and soft, and is completely immersed in the sugar syrup; and is best enjoyed cold.

Kaju Katli

This Marwari delight has now become a sensation all over the nation, and is a staple dessert on occasions and festivals. Boxes full of Kaju Katli are also exchanged on weddings and religious festivities. The main ingredient that goes in a Kaju Katli is cashew nuts, and they are recognizable by their characteristic diamond shape and edible silver leaf on the top.

Also read Desserts from around the world

Ladoo

Ladoos are round sweet balls, which are best rolled by hands. Though there are different varieties of ladoo that are available in the Indian market, motichoor ladoos are the most famous. They are characterized by their bright orange colour. Other varieties of ladoos include besan ladoos, atta ladoos, sattu ladoos, etc. Ladoos are mostly in demand during the Ganpati puja.

Rabri

From the city of Banaras, Rabri is a kind of a kheer. It is prepared with sweetened milk, which is boiled and reduced in a big stockpot. Lots of dry fruits are added to rabri for that ultimate rich experience, and saffron is also used for flavouring it.

Sandesh

Another sweet from Bengal, Sandesh is also made using cottage cheese, known as channa in the local language. With its increasing popularity, confectioners have come up with different varieties of Sandesh, including ice cream Sandesh and Mango Sandesh.

Also read Top 20 world Cuisines

Barfi

The word Barfi comes from the Persian name ‘barf’, which literally translates to ‘snow’. Barfi is made up of sugar and milk, which are cooked together and the mixture is then reduced. Barfi comes in different shapes and sizes, and is extremely popular in northern India. Additional flavours are also often added to barfi to make it tastier. These include flavours like coconut and mango. Often, almonds and cashew nuts are also added to this sweet.

Mysore Pak

Mysore Pak, from the city of Mysore, is a yellowish-brown confectionery. The dessert is quite heavy to eat, since it is completely immersed in ghee. It is also often flavoured with spices such as cardamom, or other flavours like rose and honey.

Also read Best smoothie recipes to try out

Rasmalai

The word ‘ras’ means juice, and the world ‘malai’ means cream. Thus, the dessert is a rich combination of cream and cottage cheese, and is a juicy delight! It is extremely popular in places like Kanpur and Haridwar, though you will find it everywhere in northern India.

Malpua

Malpua comes from Orissa, and is a popular sweet that you would also find on the streets. The dessert is also made to serve Lord Jagannath on religious occasions and festivals. Malpua is basically a kind of pancake which is made using evaporated milk and refined flour. This batter is then deep fried and then soaked in sugar syrup.

Peda

The traditional sweet that is served to all the gods, Pedas are especially famous in Vrindavan. They come in a small round shape, and are extremely sweet. This is because they are made up of khoya and sugar. Traditional flavours that are added include saffron and cardamom.

Modak

Modak is extremely popular across the state of Maharashtra, and is Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet. This is precisely why it holds special importance for Marathi people. During Ganesh Chaturthi, this sweet is prepared and then offered to the Almighty. These days, chocolate modaks have also become increasingly famous.

Phirni

Phirni is made up of broken wheat and boiled rice, and is a traditional dessert served during Eid and Ramzan. It is made by thickening the milk by cooking it, and then freezing it in earthen pots.

Ghewar

Ghewar comes from Rajasthan, and is a traditional sweet made on festivals and auspicious occasions. This circular shaped sweet is made up largely of flour, and is soaked in sugar syrup. The sweet is then topped with nuts, including pistachios and almonds.

Halwa

One of the easiest dish to prepare, halwa is also one of the most popular sweets of India. There are different types of halwa that are prepared in different regions, though the common point in all is that the ingredients are boiled in milk or water. Whole wheat flour and semolina are often used to make halwa, thougj Gajar ka Halwa is also quite common. The latter is made especially during winters in almost every Indian household.

Gujiyas

Gujiyas are deep-fried sweet popular across northern India. They are filled with a sweet filling of desiccated coconut with dry fruits, which is then enclosed in a dough. The semi-circular sweet is then deep fried, and finally dipped in sugar syrup. Gujiya is widely made and exchanged on the festival of Holi.

Which one of these is your favourite dessert?

Applying for a Design Institute in India: Eligibility, Exam Dates and more.

By

Sreya

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April 30, 2020

0

The first step to deciding which path you take in life is to sit down, have a discussion, deliberate and conclude. Decisions like these, that is, the direction you want to take in life, are crucial to deciding how the rest of your life goes. There are courses in college which can either broaden your scope for a job in the stream later on or narrow them. For example, studying for a medical degree guarantees that you can diversify but only as a medical professional. You can only deviate from the entire medical stream by doing a completely different course in another subject of your choice, but you shall have to start from square one. Whereas if you are pursuing engineering, and especially computer science, you can, later on, diversify into any profession you’d want, with a pre-existing degree in hand.

A lot of people often take the road not taken to realize their actual dreams. Some of these dreams involve courses that are not considered conventional by the general populace. Arts and Humanities, Psychology, and Design are some such examples. And, we shall be exploring the numerous avenues you have as a student to get into the design institute of your choice in India. I’ll be basing this on factors such as the ranking of the institute of same specializations in India, courses offered and job prospects upon graduating. I will also be talking a little bit about the courses you need to study in PUC 1 and 2 to qualify for the best design institute’s entrance and the pattern of the papers usually set.

Ranking of Design Colleges in India (Based on specialization offered) .

So, there are not many design institutes in the country. And if you want to make a mark in the industry, you must get into the best of the best. But before you decide that design is the path that you choose, maybe you should analyse what kind of design are you most suited. Conventionally there are about five streams in designing: Graphic Design, Interaction design, product design, animation and fashion design. I shall be giving you the four top colleges in the country for each stream.

For Graphic design, we have –

NID Ahmedabad
IIT Bombay
IIT Guwahati
MIT Pune

For Interaction Design, we have –

IIT Guwahati
IIT Bombay
Symbiosis Pune
MIT Pune

For Product design, we have –

NID Ahmedabad
NID Vijaywada
MIT Pune
Symbiosis Pune

For Animation, we have –

NID Ahmedabad
MIT Pune
Symbiosis Pune
UPES Dehradun

For Fashion design, we have –

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi
NIFT Gandhinagar
NIFT Mumbai
Symbiosis Pune

What Do Most Colleges Require at an Undergraduate Level?

All the exams for Indian institutions, especially government colleges, have a fixed set of criteria that you shall need to qualify before even applying for the entrance exam. The standards required for getting into the NIDs are – you need to be younger than twenty years old, has done 10+2 from any recognized board, it doesn’t matter which stream you have done. You must pass out of 12^th standard from your respective board.

All the colleges that you wish to apply to have their respective application forms, which you shall be able to download from their official website and fill in. Make sure you submit it in time. Some documents that are essential for the application process are your 10^th class marks certificate and also your 12^th class higher education certificate. Make sure you have these and proof of identity with you. Some colleges also demand you to have a migration form with yourself, which your school shall be giving to you in due process.

Also read: A career in Fashion designing: All you need to know about it

What Is Generally Asked For in a Design College’s Entrance Exam paper?

Like all entrance exam papers, design colleges have a mixture of questions from different subjects which carry different weightages. A general college entrance exam paper shall contain both multiple-choice and long answer questions. The topics that they ask are both mental and creative ability, a part of logical reasoning and general knowledge, and a lot of design thinking.

If you feel that you are not a good artist, do not worry. Most design colleges are not looking for how well you can draw as this gets honed on in the college itself. They are looking for the way you think, and wish to analyse if you are a good fit to get into their college. Reputed colleges like the NIDs have only 19 seats in each stream and it extremely tough to get into it. So remember that they shall focus on what your thought process brings to the table more than your drawing skills.

What Should I Do as an Applicant to Attempt a Design Exam Paper?

Attempting a design exam paper is the same as trying any other competitive paper. You must prepare yourself and practice a lot of mental ability and logical reasoning problems. Counting and calculation must be like the back of your hand as they shouldn’t come to hinder you during the exam. Go through as much general knowledge as you can and stay up to date on current events. Obtain all that you can on these design exam papers. Mock papers, old question papers, solved question answer booklets, explain everything, no matter how small. Make sure to keep a time limit on each question paper you are addressing so that you get faster eventually. Analyze your performance and figure out where you’re losing points and time.

Also read:15 trending courses after graduation in 2019

Is Solving a Question Paper all That is Required?

No, there is more. The next step to applying for a design college is to prepare a portfolio. All design colleges require this. What is a portfolio, you ask? A portfolio is a body of your work that represents you as a designer. It’s a collection of your best creations for the college to examine and go over. A portfolio helps them better decide if you are a fit for their college. Your portfolio can be a collection of your best artworks or paintings. It can also be any other creation of yours, like sculptures, posters that you have previously designed.

black framed glasses on paper exam — Image Source

You should look upon how to create a portfolio and adopt the style that best suits you. It will be ideal if you begin creating your collection two to three years before your application. We suggest this so that you have ample sample paintings for you to shortlist from. Make sure that all your work is original and inspired by what you aim to create. Also, make sure that all your work is unique and caters to a wide variety of designs. You need to show your versatility

In the end, we’d just like to say that no path is pothole-free. There will be a lot of bumps and accidents and mistakes in this journey. You must learn to take this in stride. And if you second-guess your true desire for designing, we’d urge you to take a definite IQ test to check. We hope you achieve your goals and dreams and wish you best in life.

Leadership in Management

By

Bidisha Das

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April 30, 2020

0

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.”
as quoted by John Maxwell leadership is one of the most desired qualities in an individual that can benefit an organization.

A leader is the one who motivates, inspires, and pushes his followers towards achieving a particular goal. Leadership is one of the most sought after qualities than an organization tends to have. Only a true leader can help in achieving organizational goals and bring the utmost glory and profit to the organization, as a whole.

Let us dive deeper into leadership in corporate and management.

Qualities of a Good Leader

A good leader not only inspires the followers but is also an example of virtue and ideologies, himself. As a matter of fact, a person can be a leader if he or she possesses the following traits.

Physical Appearance

One of the important characteristics of a good leader is his appearance. A good leader not necessarily has to be good looking, but he must be presentable, having a good physique and health. Obviously, an unhealthy person with shabby appearance cannot attract the common people and influence them in a positive manner.

Vision and Foresight

Vision and foresight, again, is a very important factor in a good leader. A good leader has a clear vision of the organizational goals.
Foresight is the quality of determining the possibilities of occurrence of certain events in the future. A leader must have good foresight to take proper precautions and measures regarding upcoming possible situations and how to handle them.

Objective

A leader must possess a good objective – that is must have an opinion of his own. That is, he must not be biased or partial and rather should provide a fair outlook to everyone as a whole. Hence, the objective is one of the most important in the quality of leadership.

Intelligence

A leader is one who should possess enough intelligence to examine the difficulties that might be encountered. He or she should be able to weigh the pros and cons of a situation handling mechanism and be able to decide on a particular solution.

Also read Top Qualities for being a Great and Powerful Leader

Communication Skills

One of the most important qualities a leader must possess is communication skills. He or she must be able to communicate and convey policies, procedures, responsibilities, and also motivate his followers through his communication skills.

Will Power and Self Confidence

Self-confidence is perhaps the most important skill a leader must possess. Without self-confidence, one cannot be a leader. This is because a person who lacks self-confidence will never be able to induce confidence in another. Thus, he must be confident about his power and the influence that he can exercise.
He must also possess will power in order to perform tasks and bring motivation to his followers.

Also read Types of Management in Corporate

Humanist

A leader must be humanist, that is he must treat his followers on the humanitarian ground. Often, under work pressure, humans are treated like a machine. Then leadership becomes a dictatorship. As a leader must deal with human beings, he must be a humanist.

Empathy

Empathy is the quality of being able to place oneself into the situation of another. It is often called “stepping into shoes of another”. This is important to obtain fair judgment and objectivity. Only an empathetic leader can be able to have a complete view of the aspirations, complaints, and the need of the employees.

Difference Between A Leader & A Manager

People often take these 2 terms syonymously. However, this should not be done. A leader and a manager are diiferent from each other. Every Manager cannot be a leader.

The differences between them can be explained as follows.

Origin

A Manager originates from his official designation. He/She is considered a Manager because of the official position that he/she holds. That is, a person becomes a manager by virtue of his position. Hence, the Manager’s origin is now clearly understood.

On the other hand, a Leader is someone who is more like the people’s choice. A person is considered a leader if he possesses the qualities that attract his followers and they are naturally inclined to his words and orders. Thus, a person becomes a manager by virtue of his personal traits.

Formal Rights

Formal Rights include the right to order, or exert forces and punishment to the followers. A Manager possesses these formal rights because he or she holds an official and legal position in the organization. Hence, A Manager possesses rights by the virtue of his position.

On the other hand, a Leader does not have any rights. That is, since he or she is not the legal or official position holder in an organization, rights are not possessed by the Leader.

Followers

A Manager has to be followed by his subordinates. That is, a group of subordinates in an organization must follow the Manager and his orders.

On the other hand, a Leader is followed by a group of employees who are inclined to the trait of the leader. It might be the case that the ideologies, ethics, or goals of these employees are aligned in the same direction of the leader, or there is a charming oratory skill. Whatever be the reason, a Leader is followed by a group of Employees who the leader leads.

Functions

The five functions of Management by Fayol, namely- Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling – all of these are performed by the Manager. That is a manager makes a plan, organizes his team towards the plan, commands the subordinates, coordinates with the subordinates as well as look out for providing coordination among the subordinates, and controls the team.

On the other hand, a Leader has task of influencing his followers and the rest of the tasks of management are not compulsory to the leader. He may or may not do it.

Necessity

A manager is extremely necessary for an organization to run. This is because, A Manager possesses the rights that a leader does not. Hence, the assertion of rules and regulations can be done by a manager. Hence, Manager is a necessity for an organization.

A Leader, however, is not essential in an organization. A leader at most, creates a cordial bond in the organization which is beneficial for the organization. However, he or she is not necessary for the organization.

Stability

A Manager has a lot of stability by virtue of his position in the organization. That is, the position is stable and legal.

On the other hand, however, the position of a Leader is not stable. That is, it is subject to the opinion and loyalty of his followers and people in general. That is to say, the position of a leader stays as long as his followers are aligned towards him.

Mutual Relationship

A Manager is always a leader, that is, his orders are final and he has to act like a leader in an organization. That is, a Manager will always be a leader.

On the other hand, a leader may or may not be a manager. That is, being a leader as a primary aspect does not necessarily require being a manager. Even though a person may not be a manager, he can be a leader based on his personality traits.

In any organization, Leadership is a sought after quality. Thus the famous quote goes as follows:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”

15 Common Interview Questions And Answers

By

Papri Chatterjee

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April 29, 2020

6

If you’re reading this, you are probably preparing for an interview or might have just got rejected from one. Well, congrats on both. You made it to the interview table, hats off.

Not your educational qualifications, but the tenacity to deal with such learned interviewers is what determines your success through one. Preparation the step that may take you to the other.

Making it to the table is half the battle now. In this article, I am going to get you prepared with the most common and basic questions of a job interview. Although it may seem easy to counter, you may land up fumbling, and remain out of words.

It does scare the best of us!

After conducting a lot of research, from the most preeminent websites that conduct student counseling and human resource studies, I have shared the most important interview questions and answers.

The challenge to get through the hands of those who have a deciding power on your future is more anxiety-inducing than meeting your in-laws for the first time. Not all of them are related to the current position that you are applying for. However, you can read it for knowledge or maybe a better performance.

Let’s dive in!

Nonetheless, basic questions usually triggered, include a general brief on your resume, your interest to work, your strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly a short description of yourself.

Tell Me About Yourself

Although it’s almost like answering in class 1 and writing an essay about myself, well this answer sets the tone for the remainder of the interview. Make sure you do not introduce yourself, starting with your name or where your hometown location is, it’s already listed in your resume and very well presented in front of the interviewer.

Instead, describe your qualifications and your academic choices first. Where you have studied, your first organization to have worked with and how do you feel about working in this domain.

If you have excelled in any part of your work, previously, it’s time to introduce that excellence in a single line. Let your passion take a talk on. Talk about a car or property or real estate project that excites you.

This will not only build your morale, but the interviewer will also know you have an understanding of precise knowledge, and you do no beat around the bush.

A quick tip will be, not to talk too much about your personal life or your hobbies or the fact that you like partying and hanging around with friends. Make sure your aims and ambitions get more to talk about than what you do in your free time.

Why Do You Want To Work With Us?

Here your research and analytical skills come into the picture. Make sure the recruiter does not catch you off guard with the question. It is your duty as a candidate sitting for a job interview, to make the interviewer and the company feel special.

The very simple way to do that is to have a little research done before sitting on the table. You can always introduce this answer with an opening line about the information available on LinkedIn. Tell them you have visited the company’s website.

Make sure to list the pros only as of now. The pros should have the company’s vision and mission. Try aligning your background and experience with the company’s motto and you are all set to gain impression in the interviewer’s mind.

List Out Your Strengths And Weaknesses

Don’t be dreaded before answering this. It often turns the face of the candidate pale and the interviewer is made aware of the candidate’s mindset. You do not have to pen down the real flaws or the weaknesses, as that may sound too bad, isn’t it?

Try criticizing yourself in the beginning and then introduce the positive abilities that overshadow your weaknesses. Describe yourself as an average speech giver and talk about the extra courses that you have taken so that your career alignment is in line with your job specifications.

Do not like either a weakness should be something that does not turn you down as a candidate and also let the interviewer see that you have hidden skills and you try to work on them.

Why Do You Have Gap In Your Job History?

You make the site a dozen of a legitimate reason why you have experience gap, however, if you do not get through this question, your shortlisting may be questionable.

It does not have a one-size answer that fits all answers. It’s best, to be honest, and relate your life experiences with your job experiences. Be honest if you have taken time off from your work and traveled around the world with your family.

You may also talk of a time when you had to prepare and study for a government exam. Do not forget to mention the time when you started looking for a job all over again, the reason why you are at the interview table.

Why Should We Hire You?

This question is a determining one. The hiring manager may either fix or drop you off the list. Here is where he will ensure if you are a good fit for the position.

Sometimes the management board overlooks all the flaws and looks up for an answer to this question only. Make sure you are confident and relate your confidence to your experience.

Align your skills with the job you seek, along with your background.

“I See You Have Changed Jobs Frequently. Why So?”

From my own experience, I can tell you, changing a job is not a bad thing. It has given me the edge, I have always desired, the amount that I forecasted as security for me.

Changing jobs can either positively or negatively affect the interview’s success. You need to talk about the amazing opportunities that you had for the last few years. Talk about the time when you have been working, about the success that you have got in all the last jobs.

Mention how your managers have praised your work and given you a senior position. Here you can play a trick, you can talk about how the senior role would have affected you or your personal life at the time.

As such you should choose to apply for a much moderate position. If you have frequently changed jobs, make sure they have always been upward moving positions, both in terms of designation and in terms of pay.

What Are Your Salary Expectations (Careful)

Well if this is the question you are dealing with right now, you have come a long way in the process. Do not give a range or a number before you know the industry standard.

Your expectation should pretty much meet the standards being offered to new or experienced candidates. You can always research on websites such as glassdoor.com, and naukri.com.

Align your next statement with the range that you mention. When it comes to money, we are all greedy. Of course, you are very well aware of the salary, this company is about to offer. It was present in the job description. However, if the salary was not mentioned, you can always ask them.

Prefer passing with generic response. Subtlety is better than obviousness.

“Do You Have Any Questions For Me?”

This is another question that shows your research and analytical skills. Here the interviewer will be eager to know if you have information about the organization, that has led you to have an interview with them. You can always ask about the organizational culture and the people who tend to excel.

Talk about a social initiative (if any), that has taken the organization on the top list today. It shows your interest and potential to work with them. So if any other candidate is not able to answer or counter this question, your positive skills may help you grab a seat here. Take that chance.

“What Do You Like The Most About Working In This Industry?”

This answer has to repel all the bad matches the interviewer has come across, so far. Apply a common strategy to make yourself attractive, keep your approach negligent to the negative.

Don’t worry about saying the right thing, one way to do it right is saying something authentic and appropriate. Here you have to select the core components of working in the industry.

Discuss what you like the most and provide fewer details than going into descriptive answers. When you describe something, its human nature to go off-topic. This can be a loophole to your good performance.

“What Makes You Uncomfortable?”

This is a high rise question. It does not mean they are capable of seeing your nervousness or have got hold of any of the loopholes you were trying to cover.

Here the employer approaches to understand you better, your limit both in terms of your quality and quantity. This is an alternative approach to asses show far do you will push yourself or grow beyond the ethical boundaries.

Think and answer! Avoid highlighting a key part of the role. For example, if you are working in sales, do not bring out experiences that have made you uncomfortable while you were talking to people (customers) directly.

Always go for something that has a partial positive reflection on your attitude. For example, you can always highlight an uncomfortable experience when a co-worker behaved unethically with you.

“Where Do You See Yourself In The Next 5 Years?”

It’s always best to answer safer than to act over motivated. You can always answer by saying, “hopefully not doing this”, especially if you are a fresher or have applied for an entry-level job.

Your expectation should showcase a senior position, managing a team of CO workers, being in a leadership role, then directly being a director of the company you have just planned to enter.

This question brings along with it the motivation for the interviewer to assess if ambitious enough. You need to answer with realistic expectations about your career. One way to keep safe is by mentioning the next step after this position. So if you are joining for an associate-level job, make sure your next approach talks about a senior associate position or a team lead.

Don’t blame yourself for not being able to hit back well with such tricky questions. They all have inner meanings. They have been framed with the mentality to keep things correct.

“How Well Do You Deal With Stressful Situations?”

If this is a senior position you have applied for, for example, a team lead, account manager, supervisor, coordinator, or a director’s position, this question is sure to be shot in your face.

This question aims to check if you’re the type of person who has survived in the typical environment of risk-taking. The interviewer is all set to know if you have healed the cracks that have come your way, or you ran when the signs of trouble showed up.

Well, do not answer about the panic attacks, crying, and running away, even if you have done the same. Instead, you should always give examples where you had performed well under pressure.

To back the situation well, quote some of the best performance reviews.

“Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?”

Now this is a toughie, isn’t it?

Trust me when I say this, this is where the water wave tries to reach the land. The certainty of this question is infinite. Keep things positive. You will gain nothing by answering any negative about all the previous work experiences, but a negative impression on the new one.

Try framing things in a way that shows your ego to be an opportunistic one. Be significant and compare the service industry with a product industry. Discuss Converse on the pros and cons if you were in a service industry and you are interviewing for a product based company.

Make sure to cite the pros of product-based industries and then related to your background experience and vice versa. Most importantly, if you were let go from the previous organization, keep it short and simple.

Let them know you were asked to leave. It’s an acceptable, honest answer. Exoneration will only loosen your chances of getting through the process.

“Are You Planning On Having Children?”

It’s best to make you aware that questions on gender, religion, caste, and family planning are illegal. But they still get asked and more often than not they are presented very well.

Not always are the intensions negative. The interviewer must be trying to make a conversation to get you talking and might not realize that he has been pushing those off-limits. Always make sure not to disclose any of your troubles and planning, while in an interview.

Make a polished ignorance, particularize that you’re not quite there yet. Put together your answer and confess that you are currently focusing on your career. A prominent come back can be asking about the job description in detail.

Once the interviewer gets a hint of your clever dodge, he may downright change the topics. Unless of course, he has an evil intention.

“On A Scale Of 1 To 10 Rate Me As An Interviewer?”

Thinking about a perfect 10 to fabricate an impression, too easy to please, isn’t it? Here’s a trick!

Give anything less than the perfect 10.

Having said that, be prepared for a critical question bouncing back. Keep your answer thoughtful and expressive. The interviewer will only resent criticism coming from you.

Here you can show positivism if you think you might not have shown enough. Don’t start by giving a numerical rating. Simply praise the style of the interview and talk about the qualities that you have noticed. Of course, if the interview has been long and this is the very last question you’ve been asked, you have spent 40 to 50 minutes with the same person.

Keep your sense organs active. List qualities that include a tough-minded personality, good communication skills, substantially notifying that the person did not make you feel uncomfortable and was very careful with the questions.

Compliment his personality to be methodical and analytical and align it with the critical selection that he has been making. A sincere compliment is better than divulging and anchoring on the old statement.

Hope this brings some change in your presentation.

Good Luck with the amazing opportunities you seek in furtherance.

“Web Series Effect” – Netflix, Amazon Prime, hoichoi, Viu.

By

Papri Chatterjee

-

April 28, 2020

16

Grounded and glued to your screen? What’s keeping you hushed? Netflix, Amazon Prime, Viu, MX Player, and hoichoi.

Watchers from all over the world who look for potential distractions are now rooted in such streaming services. New shows, movies, especially the originals that these streaming giants releases, most importantly the web series’, include full series online.

People are no longer watching a single episode, waiting for advertisements to end, and then getting back for the second episode the next day. A series of 10 to 15 episodes finish in a day or two. The rush to connect with others in an in-depth discussion of the show engages your mind in the exposure to constant media engagement.

No more switching channels or opting for any other form of visual entertainment. Online web series has changed how people spend time today. They are drawn from their everyday households, college campuses, and even from work to finish watching the episodes as if the characters are running away.

Remember the last time you went to a Cineplex? Or the last time you watched a show on Netflix? The latter is within scope, isn’t it? It must be, a minute ago you shifted to a different website, and now planning to get back soon.

We all become an honest self of the one we pretend to be. We start doing things more often just to consume the energy that is flowing around. Movies are still bringing a record amount of money at the box office, despite a growing number of subscribers of Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Although it keeps stress at bay, binge-watching acts as a steel door blocking our brain from the constant stressors forcing themselves into our thoughts.

"Web Series Effect" - Netflix, Amazon Prime, hoichoi, Viu. — Credit – Pexels

Today research has reported 59 million subscribers only in the US for Netflix. A modern media company, Netflix has left a tremendous impact on several industries today.

Speaking of which, to catapult and unknown actor overnight to fame is called the “web series affect”. Some have also named it the Netflix effect, or the Amazon Prime effect.

Also read 11 ways to become successful YouTuber in 2020

Change Is Constant – Bring On The New Viewpoint

The exhilarating visits to movie halls and popcorn binging are in no place today. Records, DVDs, CDS have long-demolished themselves. The constant streaming of content anywhere today has made people sans patience.

Instead of buying cable plans, the population is focused on purchasing unlimited data. Just in 2018, nearly 33% of the population worldwide disconnected the cable connections, at the same time there has been an increase in Netflix, Amazon Prime, and hoichoi users.

Programming of extensive applications contributes to the biggest factor for consumers to decide how they want to view content today. Media in terms of print and visual both have taken away the hassle because of such technological progress.

One-touch advancement has been the journey, an aggregator providing information to consumers for all the new content flooding online. Consumers get assistance in deciding what’s new across all streaming devices.

The use of artificial intelligence drive content classification and system recommendation to suggest content according to the user’s taste. If you remember, once you sign in these applications you are asked to submit your preferences, such as language, movie genre, and actor, for example.

The biggest aggregator today Flixjini, Doco Digital, collects readings, reviews of Web series, movie shows, and assists users in deciding the next choice. A promising feature of these aggregators includes the notify option.

So of the content of your choice is not available at the moment, you can keep it in your wish list, and whenever it is available you are notified on it.

Also read Underrated TV shows to Binge on this Quarantine Season

Societal Impact

As soon as, a new Web series or original of the application is dumped online, people are no longer watching a single episode. They keep away all the important households, pending work, and stay glued to those Web series. To name a few we have money heist, friends, black mirror, big bang theory from Netflix, four more shots, Vampire diaries & How I met your mother from Amazon Prime topping the list.

Upon questioning a binge-watcher, you will receive a justification for the entire time wasted. Excuses flow in the form of stress-relieving, break from a hard day at work, or time is taken to slow down at night. Today you can just count the number of people not having and a Netflix account.

Once you start watching a series, it keeps the reality away. Hours and hours flow pass easy, and the one episode you took as a break has lead you to the end of the show. If you discover all your free time wasted sitting in front of these mind bogglers, waiting for the day to finish, the impact is tremendous, already.

Report of children slipping grades, employees reaching late to work and even people not going outside has been increasing. The competition with traditional TV has already drawn users to existing TV shows airing on these applications. Your so-called achievements are peeping eyes from the shelves, left unnoticed.

The move towards a more personalized and convenient content, now clarify how households are not immune to the Web series effect. Web series are not the one to be blamed, the entire application can be held responsible.

In a way, your mind settles for a marathon, unprepared. The brain releases chemicals, keeping you awake and away from your other engagements. The enjoyment produces dopamine, releasing an internal reward of pressure. What you call, “a feel-good factor”.

This is a pseudo-addiction phase. Its non-discrimination against pleasure. The consistent production of dopamine makes you addicted, and there’s no end.

Fierce, Is The Competition!

College goers, especially, have a knack to evolve their lives around the popular shows dumped now and then. The original content created has grabbed more shizz than movies and shows aired previously, ever since. All of this is taking away viewers from the traditional content, more so because, there are so many things at once to glide on.

The competition is fierce. The film and TV companies are leveling up their launches to keep up with Netflix & Amazon Prime. Although these can have their demarcations and cannot be similarities, the online streaming industry is to be blamed for.

The entire media and publication industry has so much to learn from Netflix. From personalization, disruption to innovation – an interface fighting, teaching, and competing at the same time. The risk of being demolished by the “web series effect” can easily take away the charm of daily soap and other traditional content.

It’s You, Not The Show

Your favorite characters fuel the desire to binge-watch. Most likely, you experience a live event. Even if the show is 10 years old, you watch it like, it’s just today. For example, a F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan never loses interest in constant repetition. Of course, the show is to be credited, but it’s the “Web series effect”.

Realize this later!

From fantasizing magic like Sabrina Spellman to wishing to die and a vampire – All of it basks in the “Web Series Effect”. You start caring about the conflicts, realize life can take such eventful turns, change your expression of who you are – often giving your true self on the characters that interest you.

This area is occupied by “wishful identification”. Here, you are immersing in fantasy. The shows exploit virtues of power, success, and prestige. This makes shows more pleasurable to watch. The close connection, constantly booming your nerves to release dopamine proclaims a parasocial connection.