...
+91-80-42023484 contact@sincera.in
6 Free Courses that will Add Value to your CV

6 Free Courses that will Add Value to your CV

2017 has just begun, and you still have a lot of time to accomplish everything and more you imagine ticking off that checklist. We are taking for granted that one of them is learning new skills, and doing what you do better. To help you pursue this goal here is a list of free courses that would probably help you, regardless of what your job is. Well, if not all of them, one of them for sure. And even completing one of these courses would not only help you become a better version of you, it will add actual value to your CV.

1. Introduction to Graphic Design, Udemy

This introductory course on graphic designing speaks about elementary things such as what sets apart appealing visual material from not so appealing visual material. And thus, what are some basic principles and elements of design that will help you be more knowledgeable about how design works.

2. Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essential Tools, ALISON

Photoshopping seems to have become an almost “must have” skill, especially if you are in the media/ management sector. Even if your profile may not require you to engage extensively with how photoshopping works, this is a great starter kit for you to pick up the basics for editing and enhancing photographs. Have a look at the free course here.

3. Diploma in Social Media Marketing, ALISON

How do you enhance customer interaction through your social media pages? Why aren’t you get enough hits, likes and shares when you’re doing everything and more? This basic course will help you decode the fundamentals on how “traffic” in social media works. Having this on your CV will make you a favored candidate for more opportunities than you can imagine.
The course has a total of lessons, and each lesson is for hours. Have a look at more details on the free course here.

4. Introduction to Public Speaking, edX

Whoever said public speaking is only for politicians and leaders? In the World of Work, acquiring the art of public speaking is just as important a skill. Be it a farewell speech, an award acceptance speech or speaking at a board meeting or an international conference. In all these areas, your public speaking skills will be put to test. If that scares you to death, well you are not alone. Fear of public speaking is a widespread phenomenon – the average person ranks it even above fear of death. There is even a word for it – Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking or of speaking in general. [Read more – here].

This course is your quick fix (just 10 weeks!) to overcoming glossophobia! Designed by the University of Washington the course grooms you into becoming the public speaker you wish you were!

5. Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills, Coursera

The name of the course in itself is a skill you need to have to survive the highly competitive world of work. Well, this courses teaches you not just how to survive, but also how to thrive! With expertise from University of Michigan and the easy interface of Coursera, in 6 lessons you will have learnt the essentials of effective negotiation!

6. Secret Sauce of Great Writing, Udemy

Hang on before you jump to conclusions. This isn’t a creative writing course, far from it. This immensely popular course teaches you how to write business emails, cover letters, press notes, and also how to write effective business blogs. By the end of it, you’ll know all that there is to know about how to draft a perfect professional email, what mistakes you should be careful about, cover letter basics – and so much more!

Excited to get started? That’s great! But do remember to take on these courses when you can devote the required time. It may seem like very little effort, and compared to university it surely is. However, you still need to be in a space where you can dedicate the required discipline and attention to the course. That’s the only way you’ll finish it feeling like you’ve actually accomplished something. And that sure is a great feeling!

The Company Research you Need to do Before your Interview

The Company Research you Need to do Before your Interview

So finally you have managed to score that big interview, and are looking forward to cracking it. Apart from all the preparation that you have already put in (LinkedIn Profile – check, other social media – check, a stellar resume – check, great communication skills – check, and everything else!), you also need to be thorough in your company research, or research about the company you are interviewing for. Imagine this scenario – you are interviewing for HP and if they ask you what HP stands for, you should be able to say it without batting an eyelid! Usually, in the larger scheme of things, we miss these details.

That however, isn’t quite acceptable since you are expected to know these things. So what should a thorough company research entail? Read on to find out!

Company Research Tip #1: The Company’s Mission and Vision

One of the most common interview questions that you are almost certain to be asked in any interview is – “why should we hire you?” Well of course for your skills, and everything else that your stellar resume says about you, but how do you put it in a way so that you are sure score? Keep what the mission, vision and values are, of the company in mind while answering this question. Tell them how you think your skills and capabilities are a reflection of what the company’s vision is, and compatible with its mission.

Read up all you can about the company’s mission and vision on its website, and on the various social media pages of the company. While you might have a vague idea, that probably will not suffice to help you come off confident during the interview. Doing this research will also help you do an honest assessment of whether you see yourself as a good fit for the company. And also whether the company is a good fit for you! That is probably the most important factor.

Every workplace has a set of values that are important to them. Google looks for “ability and determination,” Zappos values “fun and a little weirdness,” and GE fosters “bringing ideas to life.All are great things to value but quite different. When you’re considering different companies, think about their values and how your personality might fit in.” [Source: Levo.Com]

Company Research Tip #2: The Culture of the Company

It is simply not uncommon to be denied a job for no other reason apart from this – “You don’t seem to be a good fit for the culture of our organization.” And by no means can it be brushed away as a trivial reason. The culture of any company is about all those elements working in sync to sustain it. When you join it, you will be one of those elements. Do substantial research about this and keep asking yourself about how you “feel” about it. The culture of the company will have a direct influence on how you will be made to perceive your job.

Think about whether you would find it as an enabling experience, or whether it is something that would be difficult for you to ease into. Break it down into matching the approach you have towards work, and the approach that the culture of this new company would have. Is it compatible? Having this clarified before you appear for the interview will help you articulate yourself better, and will also put you in a good place where you have enough knowledge for informed negotiations – always a good place to be in.

Company Research Tip #3: What does the news say about it?

Just Google the company you are interviewing with and read up everything that it has been in news for. Remember that will very obviously be assumed that you are interested about the company (hint: you have made it to the interview!), which means you are expected to know the current affairs about the company. Even if you may not be quizzed about it, the knowledge will help you sustain or strike conversations.

Also check the company’s website for the recent news they might have made. Nothing can be more embarrassing than answering a question like, “So are your views on what the reason we were in news for, last week?” with a puzzled expression. Besides, you might also have a few questions of your own. Read up all you can about the company, and its latest news.

Company Research Tip #4: The Financial Health of the Company

While this may be a bit time-consuming, wrapping your head around it can be immensely valuable – for you personally, and for the company. The annual reports of all companies are usually made public on their website – which will help you more or less get an idea about the financial status of a company.

While this may be harder for older and settled organisations, it is comparatively easier in case it is a start-up you are interviewing for. In which case, it is all the more important for you to be thorough about your knowledge regarding the investments and the potential financial health of the start-up, so you have a fair idea about the benefits and risks you may expect from the company. The fact that you have done this homework should reflect in how you speak (but not in an incriminating, or questioning way at all!) during the interview and you will succeed in impressing your interviewer.

Company Research Tip#5: Feedback from ex/ current employees

It is a good idea to do a bit of (undercover) background research about the company’s culture, ethics and values through its current and even ex-employees. What they have to say might actually play the role of a heads up about your days to come at the company. If you have any friends there, talk to them, or do a bit of research to see if you can find someone who can put you in touch with someone. While doing this though, you might have to be careful. It is a good idea to get feedback from both a current, as well as an ex-employee.

Make a list of questions that you would want to ask beforehand, and keep them handy so you don’t miss out on any. Ask them how fair the HR policy is, what is the leave system like, how their work life balance is, and what their trajectory of growth has been like in the years that they’ve worked there. If it is an ex-employee you are speaking to, ask about why they left. While this information can be very useful, do remember to take it all with a pinch of salt. You can also use platforms such as Glassdoor to check out what the employees of a particular company have to say about it.

6. Company Research Tip#6: A sense of the overall trajectory – past and future

Analyze the growth of the company and get a sense of the overall trajectory of the company since its inception. Once again, this ground work helps not only you in getting a fairly good sense of what you are getting into, it will also impress the interviewer big time. This is important for two reasons, the first being your own knowledge about the company.

The second being, an inkling about how you may expect to grow in the few years you plan on spending there. This you may also bring up during the interview, and speak about how the company is growing and what the next big steps look like. Every company looks for people who are genuinely interested in what they do, and those are the people who get the most opportunities. If you are already one of them, all you need is a bit of preparation for that confidence to shine through.

It is also a good thing to be informed thoroughly about the different departments of the company (even those that may not directly be related to your profile or role). If you know who is going to be interviewing you, chances are, he/she knows a lot more about you than you would probably assume. Maybe you should do your own research on the interviewer as well – you never know how it may come in handy. And once you’ve done all of this, breathe easy because you really couldn’t be better equipped!

5 Ways Learning a Foreign Language Will Add Value to Your Career

5 Ways Learning a Foreign Language Will Add Value to Your Career

“I speak English, so I don’t have to learn a foreign language….”

According to the CIA World Fact Book,  only 5.6 % of the world’s total population speaks English as a primary language. That number doubles when people who speak English as a second or third language are counted. By conservative estimates, that means that well over four-fifths of the world’s population does not speak English.

The attitude that English alone is enough in fact creates self-imposed limitations. To remain monolingual is to stunt your educational development, to restrict your communication and thinking abilities, and to deny yourself the opportunities that those without foreign language skills might miss. In other words, fluency in a foreign language has many benefits to offer, not just in your personal life, but in the professional one as well.

In this blog we will be focusing on the ways in which learning a foreign language adds value to your career. Given below is a list we have prepared for the same. Do give it a read!

1) NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Dr. Dan Davidson,  President of the American Councils on International Education once stated, “The English language alone is probably sufficient if all we need to do is buy our products abroad, if we need to purchase foreign goods and services. But when it comes to selling a product abroad, you have to understand the psychology and the belief structure of your client. If you are selling America abroad and telling America’s story abroad then you have to understand the value systems of that foreign public that you are speaking to.”

Following this line of thought, one must understand that if businesses are to effectively compete in a global economy, they must learn to deal with other cultures on their own terms. Businesses that intend to compete internationally need employees who can competently communicate in the locales where they do business. As a result, today, we see a rise in the demand for bilingual or multilingual employees by such businesses.

However, business is not the only area of employment where language competencies are needed. According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages,  jobs such as retail, sales, administration, marketing, transportation and tourism, communication, banking, law, teaching, as well as public relations and government need people to work using a foreign language.
It is crystal clear, from the above information that whatever your career goals, knowing a language will increase your chances of being employable, in fact it will open up employment opportunities that you would not have had otherwise!

2) GET HIRED!

Once you’ve found that new job opportunity, it’s also more likely that you will be hired because of your ability to speak a foreign language. According to an article by Lingholic, “Knowing a second language will increase your chances of getting the job that you want; in a group of ten or more applicants of similar abilities, the one who is able to speak a foreign language will often be considered over the others.” Supporting this statement, is an article written by Vistawide  which stated, “ Knowing languages gives you an edge over monolingual applicants competing for the same jobs.”

3) HIGHER WAGES

You might not know this, but employees that speak more than one language will often have a higher price tag. Euro London,  a recruitment agency, states, “Knowing a foreign language can add between 10% and 15% to your wage. An extra 10% or more an upper-level position could easily cover a year’s car payments, a larger apartment, or a fancy vacation. “

Knowing a second language not only increases your wages but can also lead to salary bonuses! However the exact value of bonuses earned from knowing another language is debatable. One Freakonomics podcast suggests that English-speaking Americans who learn a foreign language can expect to earn only about $600 more than someone who knows only English. While the article from The Economist  points out that even small language bonuses can add up over time.
The same article in The Economist also stated that, “Salary bonuses actually vary, depending on the exact language in which you’re proficient. A quick breakdown of a few different secondary languages and their annual is given below:

The Spanish language at workplace will ensure a 1.5% bonus, while French and German will ensure a 2.3% and 3.8% bonuses respectively.”

It is important to remember that while you may want to take these figures into account when deciding on a secondary language to learn, this list by no means needs to dictate your decision. You should study what your heart desires!
4) BECOME A MORE VAlUABLE EMPLOYEE, RESULTING IN ADVANCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES

Being able to speak a second or third language transcends spoken dialogue. The skill enables you to relate to different cultural groups in a more personal manner. Speaking to someone in his or her own language helps break down barriers and allows everyone to feel more comfortable and confident. This type of dialogue and relationship building is crucial in any business setting. When you are interacting with clients, vendors, and colleagues, knowing their language, even if they also speak English, can elevate the professional relationship. This can lead to more sales, better service and stronger interactions with colleagues.

This ability to understand the cultural sensitivity of your clients is one of the two ways that increases your value as an employee. The second is, that with speaking a foreign language comes an additional set of responsibilities. One of them being, directly reading and responding to clients’ requests in their own language. This saves translation expenses, stress, and delays when dealing with urgent business.

One must understand that with these additional responsibilities come increased job security, wages, and advancement opportunities. Having experience in multiple cultures will place you as a good candidate for promotions, and higher-level positions!

5) SHARPENS YOUR COGNITIVE AND LIFE SKILLS

As learning a language involves a variety of learning skills, studying a foreign language can enhance one’s ability to learn and function in several other areas. It’s been observed that children who have studied a language at the elementary level score higher on tests in reading, language arts, and math. People who have learned foreign languages show greater cognitive development in areas such as mental flexibility, creativity, and higher order thinking skills, such as problem-solving, conceptualizing, and reasoning.

In addition to cognitive benefits, the study of foreign languages leads to the acquisition of some important life skills. Because language learners learn to deal with unfamiliar cultural ideas, they are much better equipped to adapt and cope in a fast-changing world. They also learn to effectively handle new situations. In addition, the encounter with cultures different from one’s own leads to tolerance of diverse lifestyles and customs. And it improves the learner’s ability to understand and communicate with people from different walks of life.

The skills mentioned above are some of the most sought after, for any job spread across all fields. Sharpening them can make you an indispensable employee and help in sky rocketing your career! This, in our opinion, is one of the biggest reasons for you to opt for a new language course right away!
Now that we have spoken about the career benefits of learning a new language, let us look at some of the languages that can give you a leg up on the job market. According to an article in The Economist, languages such as Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian and Japanese, with a growing emphasis on Mandarin, given China’s booming economy are some of the most sought after by any employer across the world.

So what are you waiting for? Apply for a course of your choice and order that language book you’ve been thinking about. Set aside some time every day, even a half hour, to sit down and study. This will benefit your career graph in ways that you can never imagine.
Good luck!

Planning the Perfect Gap Year – Part 1

Planning the Perfect Gap Year – Part 1

At last! The day for you to submit your final examination paper arrives. The years of piling on honors and extra classes, tutors, test preparations, community-service projects, and other extracurricular activities are now going to be behind you. While on one hand your classmates are preparing to crack the college admissions, you on the other hand have decided to take a year off. Bravo!

A million questions must be swirling in your head at this very moment. “What do I do during a gap year?”, “How do I fund it?”, “Where can I stay?” and so on. While planning a gap year might seem like a daunting process, we are here to tell you that it really isn’t that difficult! Given below is a checklist we have created in order to help you plan your perfect gap year. If you can tick all the points, then you are ready to go!

1) WHY DO I NEED TO TAKE A GAP YEAR?

There have been many cases where students at the end of their gap year simply find that they didn’t get the experience they were hoping for. Not having clarity about “Why do they need to take a gap year and what do they hope to achieve?”, is one of the chief reasons.

While a gap year is about recharging your batteries, it is also an opportunity to learn and grow in ways that will prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling life. According to Ethan Knight, executive director of American Gap Association, “ A student might not be a good fit if he or she doesn’t have a clear plan of learning or enrichment activities during the time off, or doesn’t feel that they are academically burnt out and are looking forward to classes.” Therefore for a gap year to benefit, it is very important for you to have a clear understanding of what is driving you to take a year off as this will help you set realistic goals.

Determining the right gap year plan starts with identifying and introspecting on some burning questions that matter. Below is a list of some important questions we strongly recommend you to ponder over.

a) Why do I need to take a year off?

b) Will it benefit me in anyway?

c) In what ways do I need to learn and grow to take full advantage of college or work place?

d) What types of experiences and support will help ensure this growth?

Asking such questions will not only help you narrow down your needs and interests, but also give you a clarity on whether a gap year is the best fit for you or not.

2) WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF MY GAP YEAR PLANS?

Once you have a better understanding of your needs, interests and the goals you have set for yourself, it is absolutely essential to create a structured plan around them. The first step towards creating a plan of action is to identify the type of gap year you’re most inclined to. Broadly speaking, there are 4 types of gap years: –

A) WORKING GAP YEAR

A gap year is a good time to get a foot on the ladder of your future career path. Depending on what industry or sector you wish to work in, there are well established internship programs and jobs that can give you a taste of working in that sector.

While you might groan at the thought of working during a gap year, but there are many advantages that will make you see a working gap year in a different light. Not only does it help you discern exactly what types of work you would and wouldn’t like, but often it can expose you to a whole range of career options you never even knew existed. In addition to that, it also helps you earn some money, gain skills and experience and build up a network of contacts. If you choose to combine a working gap year with some travel, you’ll get to experience working in different locations, often in multicultural teams and using language skills, giving you a deeper insight into the local culture than you’d get when simply travelling through.

Also, having a productively spent gap year on your personal statement or CV can be a great way of distinguishing yourself from the crowd, as long as you can show what you gained from the time.

Does it sound convincing enough?

B) VOLUNTEERING GAP YEAR

Spending the year volunteering is one of the best ways in which you give back to the society. It helps increase your sense of community, give cultural exposure, make new friends and help you build a network of contacts which may later lead to an offer of a permanent job!

Volunteering roles are available in registered charities, foreign-aid projects, not for-profit organizations, governments, and other organizations. Typical roles include administration, finance, fundraising, event organizing, care work and many more.

If you want to volunteer and travel places, there are lots of international volunteering placement schemes which offer short placements (from a week up to a year) across a range of career sectors. This way you can help around the world with all kinds of initiatives. All you’ll need to do is some research and you’ll be all set!

A) TRAVELLING GAP YEAR

Whether it be the mystics of the far-east, the exotics of southeast Asia, the thrills of Australia, the culture of Latin America, the fun of North America or the history of Europe that calls you there are loads of great things to see and do in every corner of the world.

Students either travel around the world or locally during a gap year. This can be very rewarding as it helps them to unwind, teaches them to be independent, soak up rich cultures and broaden their horizons, widen their social and professional circle, and if lucky helps secure permanent jobs too!

So, are you ready to travel the world?

B) STUDYING GAP YEAR

Imagine being able to study what you desire without the pressure of tests and assignment deadlines hanging over your head. What if you could learn in a brand new environment which doesn’t even remotely resemble the four walls of a classroom? Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Studying during a gap year will allow you to take a year out before university or work while still continuing to further your education. Today, many colleges and training centers offer courses suitable for gap year students which help develop key skills such as office, IT and business skills, or gain extra skills and knowledge in fields such as languages, art, music, drama, sports or conservation.

There are several options for studying abroad or in a different location to where you are usually based. You can take a short-term summer program, or apply for a position in an exchange program that specializes in study opportunities abroad and so much more!
Now that you have identified which type of gap year you belong to it is important for you to:

i) Select the places where you’d like to spend your gap year, and

ii) Figure out how much time is available on your hands.

Narrowing down the places will depend on a number of factors such as, accessibility, safety, whether the place caters to your learning needs and so on. As for the duration of your gap year, that will depend on what your learning needs are, how long can you finance your gap year etc.

3) HOW DO I FUND MY GAP YEAR?

It is no secret that funding a gap year can take a toll on your parent’s bank accounts as it includes many costs. These include travel costs, living expenses, visas/work permits, driving permits, insurance, internet and mobile phone costs and health expenses!
This was probably the biggest reason why it took your parents some time to wrap their heads around the idea of a gap year!

While planning how to raise funds is a crucial step and a laborious process, it is not unattainable. Once you have figured out your final costing, you can right away start raising funds!

Given below are some ideas which will help you in that process and turn your gap year into a reality.

a) Work before you go.

b) Work during the gap year; either in one place or while travelling.

c) Fundraise through sponsored events and activities.

d) Ask your family and friends to donate. Perhaps instead of birthday gifts you could ask them to donate or pay for completing the chores.

e) Sell some of your unwanted items online.

f) Apply for a grant or a loan from government/federal funding bodies, charities and grant-making trusts.

While these can be carried out anywhere around the world, there are some Universities in United States, like Princeton,  and Tufts University  that have begun to subsidize gap years for incoming students. Also, there are a number of low costing programs such as AmeriCorps,  City Year  or WWOOF-USA  which pay for room and food arrangements.
If until now you’ve been able to satisfactorily tick every point off this checklist, then there is just one last and final thing for you to do. Touch base with your potential contacts living in the areas you are about to visit or work, arrange your stay and book the travel tickets in advance. This way you will not leave anything for the last-minute and won’t get hassled when the day finally arrives!

We understand that it is not just the pressure of planning a gap year that can be tough. Convincing your parents and yourself is a major part of the process. We hope that once you are able to cross that milestone, this blog will help you in planning your gap year to the very last detail.

Worst Professional Mistakes to be Wary Of

Worst Professional Mistakes to be Wary Of

How you grow as a professional is directly proportional to your conduct and the set of ethics you subscribe to. While it is true that there are quite a few gray areas even in the professional sphere – where nothing is really right or wrong, there are some things however which could be regarded as “mistakes”. And these professional mistakes will then go on to determine your career trajectory – in all probability not in a positive sense.
Learning is an ongoing process, and it is never too late to learn something new. So, no matter what stage you are at currently in your career, here are five professional mistakes we think are probably the biggest ones you could make at work.

Professional Mistake #1 – Choosing “pay” over “purpose”

Exceptions can be made to this point, however, we would say, not drastic exceptions. The whole thing about having a job that makes you happy, even though it doesn’t pay you much, well, it’s got some merit to it. Unless selling your soul to the company for the money it offers you is something you “have” to do, don’t do it. Choosing pay over purpose is something every professional will regret looking back. Save yourself the regrets and go forth with the purpose you feel passionately towards!

Professional Mistake #2 – Not resigning/ letting go with grace

At times, this isn’t easy. But it is always a necessity for you to quit as gracefully as possible because more than anything else, it reflects on your professionalism. Regardless of how vindictive and vengeful you might feel, or how complicated the reason for your resignation is, doing it with grace is something which might feel tough at that moment, but something you will later be proud of. How to resign with grace? Here is how.

Professional Mistake #3 – Being overly social/ un-social

Maintaining a balance between being friendly and professional is something most of us find difficult to achieve. Being overly social can make your behavior seem unacceptable for a professional space, while being extremely introverted will make you come across sometimes as arrogant or insolent. Unfortunately, even for those of us who don’t care about perceptions, it matters to be able to strike a balance and be friendly, at the same time, professional.

Professional Mistake #4 – Being known for being the late Kate/Ken

How you respect your own time, and others’ time is something that can truly define the trajectory of your career. Being known for being the late Kate/ Ken could be fatal. In the world of work, time is of utmost essence. And the people who succeed are the people who respect and believe in this principle.

Professional Mistake #5 – Giving in to office politics

Water-cooler conversations are tempting. And allow you to let some steam off. While this is true, it is very important to understand that inappropriate gossip has only one destination at your place – trouble. No matter how horrible your boss is, don’t give in to the temptation of back biting. Don’t encourage or indulge in unnecessary drama in the workplace.
Made some of these professional mistakes and learnt from them? Tell us what it was, and how you learnt!