CV writing: Words you should NEVER use

While using the right words can strengthen your CV, the wrong words can cost you the opportunity to bag your dream job. You should ensure that you use the most suitable words to present your candidature but also make sure you do not use wrong or negative words and phrases.

There are certain words which are seen frequently on CVs but actually only serve to irritate recruiters/ interviewers and at times may even cost you the interview call, as they paint a misleading picture of you. In our last article, we saw 10 power words for your CV. This article explains the type of words you should not use on your CV. While you may choose to use them if necessary, for most situations they would be better left out.

Responsible for
This is a very common set of words seen on CVs. While the candidates do not realize, these are a set of most irritating words selectors see on the CVs. Until you provide additional information to show them how did you help the organization with this responsibility, these words are meaningless.

For eg, it doesn't make any sense if you just say "Responsible for promoting the product in north region".

The selector would wonder: When? For how long? What was the outcome? and may finally dump your CV thinking that the candidate is not mature enough. However, if you write "Promoted the product XYZ in "alpha" districts of north India from 2004-2006 achieving a visibility of 75 per cent", it will definitely add value to your CV.

I failed
Never ever use the word "fail", "failed" in your CV. While there is nothing bad about failing in something you do. After all, it is only when one tries that one fails. However, mentioning it on your CV shows that you have nit been able to make your peace with it or recover from it. While you should not lie in your CV, it doe not mean that you need to bare your soul either. Discuss such issues only if asked.

I hate my boss
This is another thing which you can absolutely do without on your CV. Discuss only when asked and even then, do not rant and rave. There are chances that the person interviewing you might know your current/ ex-boss.

I've been laid off
Lay offs are hitting almost every sector and noone is really safe. It need not necessarily be your fault that you were laid off, it could just be the effect of the current market situation. So, you don't need to mention the fact that you have been laid off on your CV. If you are called for the interview, you can address the issue then.

I suffer from...
Do not write about your health problems on your CV. They might be minor but may end up costing you an interview call. If you have a break in your career owing to health problems, leave them to be discussed in the interview, if asked.

Family ties
Unless you are applying for a job where the employer has to bear the expenses of your family or the information is going to have an impact on your working conditions, this information is useless to the interviewer.

Political affiliations and inclinations
You may have a political affiliation or inclination but your CV or interview is not the place to talk about it.

Courtesy: Kshipra Singh

Lying at work can be good for your business!

Telling white lies can actually be good for business, says an expert.

Professor Stephen Teo, Associate Dean of Business at the University of Western Sydney, said that lying to boss or a client can actually strengthen the relationship and help businesses run more effectively.

"People practice white lies as a way to manage relationships," News.com.au quoted Professor Teo as saying.

"It''s okay and often it actually cultivates a better relationship."

"We all want to paint a nice picture and telling a white lie is how people do this," he added.

However stretching the truth can land you into more trouble.

"In terms of legal risk to a business or individuals, a white lie can potentially have serious implications if it's told in the right context," said Lesley Maclou a partner at Harmers Workplace Lawyers.

"A white lie could be the thing that is the catalyst for a deal falling over or termination of employment," she said.

She also advised people to be careful while bending the truth or leaving out important details because if you''re caught there can be serious consequences.

"Beware because something you may think is insignificant could have, in a particular context, significant implications," she added.

Here are some of the most common business lies:

Lies by contractors

1. I''m really excited about your project = I''m really excited about your money.

2. I''m flexible to meet anytime this week = I have no work on at the moment.

3. I''ve been working on that all morning = I''ll start on that this afternoon.

4. I''ve scheduled that in for tomorrow = @#$% I forgot about that, but I''ve just written it down.

5. Do you have a budget in mind? = Can I get away with charging even more than usual?

Lies by clients

1. Your invoice has been processed = I did print your invoice, but left it on the printer.

2. We want something really ''out there'' and quirky = We want something really conservative.

3. I''ll send you a full brief early this week = I''ll send you a wad of random documents next week.

4. Can you just throw something together? = Can you do a proper job but charge a lot less?

5. Can you give me a ballpark figure? = Exactly how much will it be? I''ll hold you to it later.

Courtesy: Uttam Ghosh

www.rediff.com

Do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car!

Please open the windows after you enter your car and do not turn ON the air-conditioning immediately. According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen- take note of the heated plastic smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer may also cause miscarriage.Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft. A car parked indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an an excess amount of the toxins. It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

Never Quit

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. "I would not quit." He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant... But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots.

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots."

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. " Don't compare yourself to others .." He said. " The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern ... Yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

Your time will come, " God said to me. " You will rise high! " How high should I rise?" I asked.

How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can? " I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness, Bad days give you experiences, Both are essential to life.

A happy and meaningful life requires our continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because of our choices and actions. And each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act and, in doing so, we create our own unique journey." Keep going...

Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you humble , Success keeps You Glowing, but Only God keeps You Going!

Deccan Chargers thrash Delhi Daredevils to storm into the IPL2 Finals

Adam Gilchrist the Deccan Chargers leading from the front took his team into the Finals with an outstanding knock of 85 from just 35 balls. Loosing to the Bangalore Royal Challengers the last night and haven't won any match against the Delhi Daredevils in both the IPL 1st and the 2nd Edition the Deccan Chargers needed to play sensibly. Having won the toss it seemed as if Adam Gilchrist would choose to bat first and put up a challenging total for the Delhi Daredevils but that was not the case. Instead he chose to field first and probably had some plans of restricting the opposition to a defendable total.

Having chosen to field first the Deccan Chargers needed to get to a great bowling start which they did get and the Delhi Daredevils lost their openers in the first over that was bowled by Ryan Harris and the Delhi Daredevils were down to 0/2 in the first over. Having lost both their openers the Daredevils needed a good partnership to take them to a good score and which they did get in the form of Virender Sehwag and Tilakaratne Dilshan. Both the batsmen took the Delhi Daredevils to a score of 82 in their first 10 overs and were looking dangerous. As soon as they teams got to the field to continue the innings after the Strategic Time Out it was all the way the Deccan Chargers game. The Delhi Daredevils being the only team in the IPL 2 having never lost a wicket in the 11th over was taken a back when they lost their captain Virender Sehwag of the bowling of Andrew Symmonds.

Keepin in mind and track the strong batting order of the Daredevils it still seemed quite possible that they could charge to a massive total of somewhere around 170 plus with Dilshan still at the crease and leading from the front. However the Deccan Chargers kept their calm and managed to restrict the Delhi Daredevils to 153/8 off their 20 overs. Provided their was a instance when the Deccan Chargers dropped a couple of catches once again in this match and one being of the dangerous Dilshan it was in the end a very good job done by the team as a whole.

The match being not just an ordinary one but the Semi-Finals the Chargers not only needed a good start by both Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs but also needed to play sensibly since they had lost their previous match to the Delhi Daredevils at the point when they were just about to win it. From here on it was all a one man show and the one man was Adam Gilchrist the Deccan Charger captain and he went on to score a massive 85 of just 35 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes. As Nannes got the ball and started the proceedings for the Daredevils he was thrashed by Gilchrist all over the ground for 5 consecutive boundaries in the very first over of the innings. Although it was not required for Herschelle Gibbs to take any risk since Gilchrist was already looking dangerous at the other end Gibbs ended up getting out in the second over off the bowling of Ashish Nehra for a duck. For the first time in the IPL 2 Gilchrist happened to make and interesting move and got Azhar Bilakhia at the crease instead of Suman at the loss of their first wicket.

With Azhar giving all the support to his captain stayed for a long time at the crease and on the other end Adam Gilchrist just was unstoppable and banged each and every bowler all around the ground and went on to score the fastest 50 of the IPL ever of just 17 balls. He hit consecutive 3 sixes off the bowling of Virender Sehwag and hit him for a massive 25 runs in just 1 over. After scoring just 10 runs off 20 balls and giving a handsome support to his captain Azhar had to depart when he came down the track off the bowling of Amit Mishra and got stumped. However it did not matter much for the Deccan Chargers as they were already a way ahead of the Daredevils in all aspects. When it just seemed that the Chargers would steal away the match from the Daredevils in just 13 to 14 overs Adam Gilchrist got out off the last ball of the 10th over just before the Strategic Time Out. What a knock it was and the captain leading from the front now there was no one stopping the Deccan Chargers from charging into the Finals with a lot of batting and overs left and a very few more runs to get. The Chargers were a 102/3 off their 10 overs.

Just after the Strategic Time Out when it seemed as if the Deccan Chargers would slow down since they had lost the wicket of the dangerous Adam Gilchrist it was not the case and Andrew Symmonds went on to hit 2 boundaries in the 11th over and seemed in no mood to drag it long. After hitting some good shots and 1 being out of the boundary line Andrew Symmonds got out in the 14th over. He scored 24 off 15 balls with 2 boundaries and a six. It was now on Rohit Sharma and Suman to take the Chargers home with a wonderful never forgetting victory. Although the Chargers had two set batsmen at the crease and the Deccan Chargers were eyeing that victory somewhere in the 15th over at the maximum both the batsmen stayed at the crease for a longer period than expected but played really sensibly and cautiously to take their team into the Finals. The Deccan Chargers acheived their target in 17.4 overs with just 4 wickets down and thrashed the Delhi Daredevils out of the tournament.

The Deccan Chargers now take on the winners of the 2nd Semi-Finals on Sunday (24-05-2009).

Chargers loose but Charge into the Semi-Finals

On Thursday (21-05-2009) the Deccan Chargers lost yet another match but still made it to the Semi-Finals due to their outstanding NRR (Net Run Rate). This time it was none other than the Bangalore Royal Challengers that out witted the Deccan Chargers. An outstanding performance by the young Indian Manish Pandey who scored a brilliant 114 off 73 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes and remained unbeaten. Thanks to RP Singh who dropped his catch when he was on just on 2. With this outstanding performance Manish Pandey charged and took the Bangalore Royal Challengers to a high score of 170out of their alloted 20 overs.

Needing a 171 to win the match and march into the Semi-Finals with a win the Deccan Chargers started their innings with the usual pair of Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs. As Gilchrist got out early for just 15 Herschelle Gibbs kept his momentum going and scored a brilliant 60 off 43 balls with 3 boundaries and 4 sixes however could not take the Chargers home with a victory. On one end if there was a brilliant performance by Gibbs then on the other end the others did not perform very well and as expected and Andrew Symmonds, Rohit Sharma, Venugopal Rao and Suman could together score only 50 runs.

With loosing all the way from the time Herschelle Gibbs got out the Deccan Chargers could manage 158 with the loss of 6 wickets out of their alloted 20 overs and lost the match by 12 runs. However it did not matter much for the Chargers as they got into the Semi-Finals with their better Net Run Rate than the Kings XI Punjab.

Colour's magic decoded

Colours play a huge role in our daily lives. Not only do they can help us recover from diseases or psychological disorders, but they can also enhance our personality and even bring back lost long luck. So, if you also are looking out for a magic wand to mend your life, think the colour-way for a solution!

Here’s a lowdown on a few colours and their effect on your professional and personal life.

White
White is considered as the colour of peace. So painting your room in white always makes the occupant feel light and peaceful. Dr. Surjmal Shastri, Vastu expert saqys, “White is a healing colour with purifying vibrations and can be used to clear blocked energies”.
Colour Coded : Brides wear white as it symbolises innocence and purity. Wearing white clothing, decorating your home in white or just enjoying this colour in nature will help you find truth and honesty. Wearing white, when wanting to make a fresh start and embrace newness will help. If you are craving for a settled life and are on the hunt out for a simpler, less stressful phase of life include more of white into your life. White colour is not just associated with truth, but it also helps you to find the truth in people and situations.

Blue
The colour of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colours. Considered to be very spiritual, blue colour contains clarity, cleansing, healing and protective qualities. It is a known fact that people are more productive inhabiting blue rooms, so painting your office cabin blue will help. Using this colour, whether wearing it, lighting candles of this colour or decorating an entire room with it draws wisdom, harmony and peace.
Colour Coded : Choosing blue in your wardrobe, decorating your home in this colour, or enjoying it in nature, will help feel calm and relieve stress in life. If you need to communicate all your thoughts, feelings and ideas with others then this colour will be helpful. It is perfect to wear something in this colour for job interviews.

Purple
Purple has always been associated with mysticism and magic. Purple has a strong energy that can open up the subconscious, allowing deep knowledge and psychic abilities to get enhanced. It is ideal for meditation as it allows focus without distraction. Being the innermost colour of the spectrum of light, it helps in balancing the mind and transforms obsessions and fears. It brings peace to an over active mind, acting like a sedative. It is a very powerful, psychic colour and stimulates intuition and imagination.
Colour Coded : To help you attune to your own psychic powers and psychic development, wear more of this colour. Wearing clothes in purple help make communication easier, apart from helping you meditate and enhance your intuition. If you have worries and doubts particularly in relation to your own psychic connections, then this colour can really help you.

Pink
For centuries pink has been the colour of universal love as it generates a feeling of gentle warmth and nurturing. Pink colour lessens feelings of anger and irritability with a sense of love and protection. Pink also helps you do away with the feelings of loneliness, unhappiness and vulnerability.
Colour Coded : Using pink for clothing and decorating your home will help you attract more love into your life. So wear something in pink if you want to attract a potential love partner. Or just wear it when you are in need of de-stressing and are seeking peace of mind. Using pink gemstones promotes love, self-worth, order and protection from violence or aggression.

Yellow
Yellow is associated with the expression of thoughts and the intellect. It can therefore aid the powers of memory, clear thinking and facilitates decision-making and good judgement. While it is considered an optimistic colour, people lose their temper more often in yellow rooms, and babies tend to cry more in yellow surroundings. It is the most difficult colour for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.
Colour Coded : Wearing yellow, decorating your home in this colour, or just enjoying this colour within nature will help you adopt a cheery, uplifting and positive personality. For people who are feeling down or are undertaking a study of some kind, wearing this colour does wonders. Using it as an accent colour in an office or study helps sharpen your mind, improve memory and clear decision making. This colour is perfect for undertaking new areas of study and at the same time it also enhances inspirational and creative ideas.

Green
Currently the most popular decorating colour, green symbolises nature. It is the easiest colour on the eye and can improve vision. Green has a strong association with nature, fertility and life. You instinctively seek it out when under stress or experiencing emotional difficulties. Feelings of comfort, relaxation, calmness, and space are the traits of this colour.
Colour Coded : You should wear green and decorate your home in this colour to help bring balance back into your life. Also, it is easy to enjoy this colour in nature - it is all around you! This colour is thought to be incredibly lucky and you should wear this this colour when choosing lottery numbers etc. If you are looking for a job change, prospects of growth or freedom to pursue new ideas then include more of green into your life. Green is also considered to be colour of healthy relationships.

Orange
Orange is an excellent colour for creativity and is known as a ‘sociable’ colour. It stimulates the mind, renews interest in life, creativity and makes you grow fonder of socialising. The colour is a great motivator and allows you to accept and be open to exciting change.
Colour Coded : Using orange for clothing, decorating your home or just enjoying this colour within nature will help you bring excitement of newer things to your life. Because of its sociabile association, you should wear something in this colour when wanting to meet new people or wanting freedom to pursue new ideas.

Red
We always associate red with love. The most emotionally intense colour, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. Red is a very strong motivational and energetic colour. It adds vibrant energy to the root chakra to strengthen the body and promotes will power and courage.
Colour Coded : Wear red to help motivate and energise you. Using red to decorate your home or wearing red clothing will bring passion and excitement in your life. If you are craving adventure and new exciting experiences then include more of the colour red into your life.

Brown
A solid and reliable hue, brown is the colour of earth and is both nurturing and comforting. It gives a sense of security and connectivity to nature and to animals. The colour brown is very healing and protective and can help balance the emotions.
Colour Coded : Wear this colour, decorate your home or just enjoy it within nature to help you become stable. It helps you keeps your feet on the ground and gives you strength and determination to get any job done. If you are craving security, dependability and reliability then include more of the colour in your life.

Black
Black is the colour of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. Black is not strictly a colour as it is the absence of all colour. It absorbs all aspects of light. Although this colour has some negative association it does in fact enhance any positive elements given by other colours.
Colour Coded : Using black for clothing or for an accent colour for home décor can convey an air of mystery, sophistication and elegance. If you are craving a need for change and transformation and for getting rid of the old and embracing the ne,w then use this colour. But this colour can have a negative impact on your relationship so don’t overdue its use.

Courtesy: Vaibhav Choudhary

www.timesofindia.com

Being lonely: As injurious as smoking!

“When you’re missing friends and family, blood pressure may soar and your immune system weakens,” say researchers at the Chicago University.

Studies have shown that people with a good network of friends tend to live longer than those without friends. They’re also less likely to fall victim to depression. However, loneliness is more common these days. We live longer, have fewer children and are more likely to move away from our home towns and often, we’re no longer part of close-knit communities.

Health effects
Raises blood pressure : The most lonely people had blood pressure readings 30 points higher than the most sociable, making them three times more likely to get heart disease or have a stroke, as compared to those with normal blood pressure.

Lowers immunity : High levels of the stress hormone cortisol is found to be more common in lonely people. It can suppress the ability to fight off infection.
Interferes with sleep: Loneliness interferes with sleep and poor sleep is linked to obesity and depression.

Encourages bad habits : The lonelier you are, the more likely you are to eat fatty, sugary foods and the less likely you are to exercise.

Faster progression of Alzheimer’s : It’s not known why loneliness affects Alzheimer’s, but it’s true that it could be the result of a lack of mental stimulation.


How you can get connected
Make the effort with family : Ask your family to stay in touch and try to plan regular meetings. If you have more spare time than them, accept that you may have to do more of the running around. Meanwhile, stay in touch with them through phone calls, texts and e-mails.

Get out of the house daily : Even if it’s just to go to the shop, make an effort to go out. Smile at people and make conversation with someone you see regularly. Smiling not only releases feel-good chemicals, but it also attracts people.

Learn a new skill : Learning something new keeps your brain active. Sometimes, it could open up a whole new world.

Exercise : Not only does regular exercise help prevent heart disease and chances of a stroke, it can also slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Join a group : If you choose something you’re really interested in — whether it’s walking, reading or music — you’ll instantly find that you’re with like-minded people.

Be a volunteer : People who do voluntary work for two hours a week have lower depression rates and better health than those who don’t.

Get a pet : Owning a pet helps lower blood pressure, boost immunity and ease depression. And walking a dog every day is a great way to get out and meet people.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.com

Chargers left starving for 1 run

In the most disappointing match of the tournament the Deccan Chargers lost to the Kings XI Punjab on Sunday (17-05-2009). After their poor performance with the bowl but a classic show by Rohit Sharma with the bat on Saturday against the Kolkata Knight Riders the Deccan Chargers went in to play against the Kings XI Punjab without any rest for the players. Although it seemed as if the players might be stressed and tired the bowlers did a better job than their previous match and restricted the Kings XI Punjab to 134/7 in 20 overs after the Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist winning the toss elected to field first. RP Singh picket up 3 wickets to move up the order for claiming the Purple Cap with total 19 wickets in the tournament. Andrew Symmonds, Venugopal Rao and Pragyan Ojha being the best with the ball were just given 2 overs each to bowl. Kumar Sangakkara was the pick of the batsmen for the Kings XI Punjab, he scored 56 off 43 balls with 4 boundaries and 1 six.

However after a good start with the ball the Deccan Chargers needed to get to a good start considering the fact the ball might turn in the later part of the match. As always Adam Gilchrist went onto hit some big shots and the Chargers were 30/0 in 3 overs. When it just seemed at the end of the 3rd over Adam Gilchrist was on fire, Yuvraj Singh made the change in bowling and took the risk of introducing a spinner (Ramesh Powar) in the 5th over with fielding restrictions still on. A change that could have costed the Kings XI Punjab turned out to be a match turner in the initial stage. Adam Gilchrist tried to hit over the top by coming down the wicket but was completely deceived by the spin and was stumped by the wicket keeper. With Just a 104 runs to get off 94 balls for victory and Herschelle Gibbs and Suman at the crease it seemed quite easy but that was not the end and Suman lost his wicket on the very first ball he faced, looking to drive a flighted delivery Suman lost completely on the spin and was bowled by Ramesh Powar. With 2 wickets in 2 balls the Deccan Chargers seemed to be in trouble and pressure but with Andrew Symmonds coming to the crease and hitting a 4 of the first delivery he faced it eased out the pressure for the Chargers.

Both Gibbs and Symmonds played sensibly to take the Chargers to a good score at the end of 10th over and the Chargers were 65/2. Though the score was less it seemed as if the Chargers will be home comfortably but that never happened. Gibbs got out on the last ball of the 12th over off Yuvraj bowling and soon on the first 2 balls of the 14th over Yuvraj claimed the wickets of Symmonds and Venugopal Rao and became the first bowler to claim 2 hat-tricks in the IPL in the same season. With the Chargers down to 81/5 in the 14th over the responsibility was once again on Rohit Sharma to take them to victory and as expected Rohit Sharma tried his best and hit Wilkin Mota for 18 runs in the 18th over. With the Chargers needing anonther 26 runs to win in the last 2 overs and Ravi Teja on strike, he had to give his best to bring Rohit Sharma on strike and while trying to do so Ravi Teja got run out and lost his wicket off Brett Lee's bowling. However, Rohit Sharma was back on strike and he hit a 4 and a 6 off Brett Lee and stealed a single off the last ball to keep the strike in the last over when the Chargers needed just 11 runs to win. It seemed as if the Chargers had taken away the match since the 11 runs were not very difficult to get seeing the performance of Rohit Sharma the previous night against Kolkata Knight Riders, who scored a massive 26 runs of the last over to take the Chargers to a stunning victory.

As Irfan Pathan came onto bowl in the last over Rohit Sharma scored 6 runs off the first 2 balls. Now needing 5 to win from 4 balls seemed quite possible and with a wide on the 3rd ball and needing 4 off 4 balls was never a tough task is what everyone would have thought but on the 3rd ball that was re-bowled due to a wide proved to be unlucky for the Chargers and Rohit Sharma missed a slow ball completely and the ball hit the stumps leaving the Chargers with a target of 4 runs to get to win in 3 balls. The new batsmen RP Singh on strike tried to score but couldn't on the first ball he faced and the target to still 4 off 2 balls made RP Singh try for a big one with no options left and he got a top edge and Pathan took the catch off his own bowling to leave the Deccan Chargers starving for the last 4 runs they needed to win the match. Though the next batsmen in was Jaskaran Singh he was not on strike since by the time catch was taken Ryan Harris had crossed the pitch and was now on strike. With 4 runs to get to victory and 3 to tie the match the Deccan Chargers needed a huge shot which Ryan Harris did try but could manage only 2 off the last ball leaving the Chargers with a loss by just a mere 1 run. What a disappointing and bad time for the Deccan Chargers team, management as well the fans.

Considering the fact Deccan Chargers would have won the match they would have moved up the points table to the 1st position above the Delhi Daredevils and also into the Semis. The Deccan Chargers who are still down with 14 points at the 3rd position now need to win their final match against the Bangalore Royal Challengers on Thursday to make their place into the Semi-Finals.

Deccan Chargers post a dramatic Win !!

In a dramatic and exciiting match Deccan Chargers recorded their 7th victory in the IPL 2 against Kolkata Knight Riders and moved up to the 3rd position with 14 points. With 3 more matches to play the Deccan Chargers went onto the field on Saturday (16-05-2009) against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Having won the toss the Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist put the opposition into bat. Kolkata Knight Riders were off to a slow start with the Deccan Chargers being on top in the match. The Deccan Chargers managed to restrict the Kolkata Knight Riders to 50/1 in the first 10 overs by claiming the wicket of the most dangerous Brendon McCullum. It was after the strategy break that the game started to turn towards the Kolkata Knight Riders way and they managed to score most of the runs. The Kolkata Knight Riders put up a target of 161 for the Deccan Chargers. Deccan Chargers lost their way with the bowling when the Kolkata Knight Riders scored a massive 42 runs of the last 2 overs, the 19th over being the most expensive of the innings. Brad Hodge and David Hussey managed to host a huge score individually. Where Brad Hodge could manage 48 off 41 balls with 5 boundaries David Hussey was the pick of the batsmen who scored 43 off just 17 balls with 2 boundaries and 4 sixes. Just as the previous match the Deccan Chargers lost their way with their bowling in the last overs.

Down with their bowling the Deccan Chargers needed to fire from the start. With Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs opening the batting for the Chargers the openers needed to put up a huge score on the board for the middle order to take them to victory. Adam Gilchrist was on fire and just when he was beginning to look dangerous for the Kolkata Knight Riders got out in the 10th over just before the Strategic Time out, he scored 43 off 31 balls with 5 boundaries and 2 sixes. However, the Deccan Chargers were 71/1 at the end of 10 overs and were looking good. Herschelle Gibbs was then joined by Tirumalsetti Suman who put up a good show. It was in the 13th over Herschelle Gibbs lost his wicket 28 and the Chargers were down to 85/2. Suman was then joined by Andrew Symmonds and both continued to play some exciting shots until Suman got run out while returning for second run on a call made by Andrew Symmonds, he scored 31 off 24 balls with 3 boundaries and 1 six.

Rohit Sharma who has not been in the best of his form since the last 2 to 3 matches joined Andrew Symmonds. With 44 runs needed for victory in 21 balls the Deccan Chargers were once again under pressure but not long when Andrew Symmonds scored a six and Rohit Sharma a boundary of Ajit Agarkar's bowling in the 17th over. Needing 34 runs to win off 18 balls it seemed quite possible for the Deccan Chargers with Andrew Symmonds and Rohit Sharma at the crease but it didn't seem like the celebrations were easy for the Chargers, Andrew Symmonds was run out by a direct hit Mashrafe Mortaza off his own bowling on the 1st ball of the 18th over when he was called for a run by Rohit Sharma and was made to run to the danger end. Annoyed by the decision to take run Andrew Symmonds had to depart for just 18. Rohit Sharma now had to make up for the blunder of getting Symmonds run out and also for his poor performance in the past games. The 18th and 19th over seemed as the Deccan Chargers were on their way to gifting another game as the last one against the Delhi Daredevils, the Chargers now needed 21 runs off the last over to win the match.

Mashrafe Mortaza was given the responsibility to restrict the Deccan Chargers so that the Kolkata Knight Riders could record their 2nd victory in the IPL 2, however Rohit Sharma did not allow that to happen. Rohit Sharma pulled the first ball bowled to midwicket for a four, the Chargers were really lucky to get a no-ball also as there were only 3 fielders within the ring. Needing 16 off 6 balls it now seemed the Chargers could get home but Rohit was reduced to just 1 run on the second ball which brought Venugopal Rao on strike. However Venu got a thick outside edge that landed on the bounce to the third man and he managed to get a single and get Rohit Sharma back on strike. The Chargers now needing 14 off 4 balls were in desperate need of some big shots and that is when Rohit Sharma heaved away over midwicket for a massive six (115 meters, the second longest of the tournament) bringging down the target to 8 runs off 3 balls. The bowler was under pressure and this is the time when you tend to make mistakes, Mashrafe Mortaza bowling a wide reducing the target for the Chargers by 1 more run. The Chargers now needing 7 off 3 balls were still under pressure, the 4th ball was swatted down to long-on for 2 runs. Venugopal Rao made it look very easy by running very well, when it seemed that the Chargers might have to settle down just for 1 run. With 5 to get off 2 balls, Rohit Sharma made room and carts the ball wide of a diving cover to beat long-off to the boundary and leaving the Deccan Chargers to get just 1 run of the last ball for victory.

It could not have got better than this, when it just seemed that the match might move into more exciting phase of the super over, Rohit Sharma pulled the last ball well over the fine leg boundary to hit a six and steal the match away from the Kolkata Knight Riders. As it just seemed that the Kolkata Knight Riders were on their way to victory Rohit Sharma spoiled their party plans by scoring 32 off 13 balls with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes and went on to clinch the Man of the Match title as well. With the Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings already making there way to the Semi-Finals, the Deccan Chargers would now be looking forward to record their victory on Sunday against the Kings XI Punjab and make their way to the Semis also.

Deccan Chargers Fail Again

In a dramatic match on 13th May, 2009 between the Deccan Chargers and the Delhi Daredevils, the Chargers gifted the game away to the Daredevils. It may be called as a poor performance but I surely believe it was yet another day which was not in favor of the Chargers.

Luck turned its face away from the Chargers when they were bowling. With 3 dropped catches from the best fielders (Andrew Symmonds, Rohit Sharma and Venugopal Rao). If that was not enough the 6th and the 20th overs turned out to be the most expensive for the Chargers, 23 & 24 runs being scored off the 6th and the 20th over respectively was a matter of worry for the Chargers. Moreover the best in class bowlers being the one's to be hit was the most horrifying for any Chargers supporter (Chaminda Vaas & Shoaib Maqsusi) and the Daredevils went on to score a pinching 173/7 from their 20 overs.

The Chargers started of with a bang with Adam Gilchrist not allowing the Daredevils bowlers to settle down and the Chargers were 30/0 at the end of 2 overs. Though the Chargers skipper played sensibly he lost 2 partners on the other end (Suman & Rohit Sharma) who could not even reach their double digit figures. Rohit Sharma disappointing once again with his poor performance with the bat. The skipper then joined by Ravi Teja was given a handful support until when Adam Gilchrist was really unlucky to get an inside edge on to the stumps and was bowled by Sangwan. It seemed to slow down for the Chargers but Andrew Symmonds kept his form intact and continued to thrash the Daredevils bowlers all around the stadium. At a moment when it seemed the Chargers would be home with a stunning victory the luck again started turning away its face and Teja was caught for a mistimed pull shot to fine leg and the Chargers were 149/4 in 17 overs. With Andrew Symmonds & Dwayne Smith at the crease a target of 25 runs of just 18 balls would never had seemed impossible but as mentioned the Gods of luck turned away their face from the Chargers and Andrew Symmonds was clean bowled by a low full toss that brushed his pads and castled his stumps. It was from here that the Chargers completely lost their way and gifted a winning match to the Daredevils with Dwayne Smith, Venugopal Rao (known as one of the biggest hitters of the ball) scoring just 1 run each. Chaminda Vaas tried to pull some runs and remained unbeaten on 10 off 6 balls with 1 boundary but lost partners as the tail (RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Shoaib Maqsusi) were back into the pavillion without scoring a single run and the Chargers ended with a score of 161/10.

Although it was a very disappointing and unlucky loss for the Chargers Adam Gilchrist went on to clinch the award for the most sixes but at the end of the day what matters the most is a win. Well I am really sure that the upcoming matches for the Deccan Chargers against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab are gonna be tough ones seeing the past performances of each of these teams but I am sure Deccan Chargers will strike back and will make its place into the Semi-Finals quite easily.

4 Ways to be Successful

Follow your heart and do what you want to -- the money will follow. If you chase money, it will evade you. “Even if you are a sweeper, that's okay, as long as you're the king of sweepers."

Concentrate on your strengths, not weaknesses. Don't try to do things you can't. If something has genuinely been identified as your weakness, it will never be your strength, so don't waste time on it. People will work around it. Just forget your weaknesses and concentrate on strengthening your strengths. Especially by the age of 25-30, don't focus on correcting things; focus on bettering what you already have.

Be ethical, if not for moral reasons, as a strategy. People are generally ethical because they are God-fearing and think someone might catch them. Don't do that, because since it's so far away, you won't end up being ethical. Do it as a strategy. If you're ethical, the word will spread, and you'll get more and more work, business, love, respect, etc. And therefore you won't have to be unethical. You might get hurt the first few times, but then people will start giving you credit. So use it as a strategy. It's so simple and really works.

One mistake we Indians make is paying too much attention to facts and none to insights. We need to knock the facts to get more out of them -- human insights are what provide solutions to most problems. Stop depending on Google so much for everything! Some things can't be learnt from websites -- you need to use your own intelligence.

A few cool ways to beat the summer heat

It's 114 degrees Fahrenheit out there, and your skin seems to be sucking the heat in deeper into your body rather than helping you cool down. An occasional afternoon downpour brings more grief than relief, because it layers on humidity that is thick enough to slice through with a knife. Throw in a little pollution and each second becomes sheer hell when you are outdoors.

The recent heat wave that killed 24 people in India is probably indicative of an even hotter approaching summer, for brutal May, sizzling June and searing July and August are yet to make their presence felt.

Can certain foods help towards reversing some of this exchange of body heat? Yes, they most certainly can!

And why or how does this heat exchange happen? On sultry, humid days, muscles compete with the skin for blood circulation. When it's hot outside, more blood flows near the skin to help dissipate body heat and cool the body down, thereby keeping your temperature from rising to dangerous levels. But that can mean less blood reaches your muscles, hence the lethargy.

At the same time, as when your body becomes hotter, muscle enzymes speed up and burn glycogen more rapidly, depleting stores of the sugar that your muscles use for fuel. Hence it's imperative to drink plenty of fluids that help hydrate your muscles and skin adequately in order to maintain internal cooling down.

Is it a good idea to apply cool compresses to your forehead, thereby reducing the heat entering your brain?

Not necessarily. Neither is it a good idea to wet your head down entirely, especially for kids who have just finished playing a sport. You have to make the heat move outwards. Too much water on the skin's surface inhibits sweat evaporation that helps cool the body down.

To handle this heat onslaught and ensure your body is as cool as it can possibly be, we suggest a few measures that are easy to follow:

Eat light, small, frequent meals: Start the morning with a sweet, juicy fruit at breakfast. Ripe summer fruit -- peaches, plums, melons and pears -- are exactly what your skin craves for in the hot season. Citrus fruit are also very cooling. Eat them whole or extract their juice, store in the refrigerator and sip often throughout the day.
Include salads in your diet: Consuming leafy lettuce and summer greens, corn on the cob and cucumbers in salad are delicious ways to stay cool. These foods contain a significant amount of water and can actually thin the blood, which has a cooling effect. Onions too are great in the summer, because of their ability to beat the heat and provide relief from summer ailments. So scatter a few washed onion slices onto a sandwich or in your salad.
If you get burnt (sun stroke or heat stroke): Seek relief by sipping on green tea or take a spoon of onion juice. They are potent antioxidants that can neutralise cellular damage caused by the sun's rays.
To cool the body through sweating: Add small amounts of hot spices to food while cooking. Hot peppers, fresh ginger and black pepper are all great spices to make it really hot for you and then to cool you down.
Hydrate your body: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Water is the best drink as it doesn't contain any sugars that can add up to unnecessary calories. For a change, a lemon and honey drink can also instantly replenish your body's lost fluids and work as an energiser. Drink fluids even if you are not thirsty -- once you are thirsty, it means you are already dehydrated.
Wear loose, full-sleeved cotton clothes: To protect the body from the sun and to aid evaporation of sweat. Use a hat to protect your head from the sun if you step out.
Stay indoors: Restrict outdoor activities to the cooler parts of the day -- early mornings before 10:30 am or late evenings after 5:30 pm.
If you're a non-vegetarian: You should limit red meat consumption in summer and opt for fish and oysters instead.
Avoid extremely chilled foods and drinks: Most of us normally pick these and they are actually known to interfere with digestion and sweating, thereby interfering with the body's natural cooling mechanisms. So, however tempting it may be to sit on your porch licking an ice cream cone or sipping a cool glass of tea, try a wedge of watermelon instead.

As the mercury rises, the last thing on one's mind is food, but if you eat smart, small light meals and accompany them with plenty of fluids you will be one cool cucumber. So go ahead and take these obvious precautions! Remember, the best place to start the cooling process is at your body's core.

Courtesy: www.rediff.com

How to start saving: 4 smart steps

Do you have money put away for a rainy day? How will you manage if there's a family emergency? What about a down payment for a home, or a fund for higher education, or retirement? Do you have loans to repay?

In this era of recession, deflation, and job-cuts, it is especially important for you to consider where your hard-earned money is going; financial security is the key in today's unpredictable world.

And the first step towards gaining that security is to have a Saving Plan.

Still not convinced? Then ask yourself why you need to save. The answer's really very simple: so that your money can start earning money, and work towards reducing the effort you put in everyday.

Start saving now. Here's how!

You might wonder how to begin saving if your income is already over-committed. Efficiency and discipline are the answers.

1. You need to first find out where your income is going. Maintain a diary for the month, noting down everything you spend on, to the last paisa.

You will be surprised at the amount of random purchases you make -- from coffee breaks to grocery bills. These are the best places to start trimming.

2. Then, make a budget. This isn't as difficult as you think. All a budget does is create a plan for spending, by stating expenses and goals.

Make sure to cover fixed and regular expenses such as mortgage or rent, utility payments, and car or loan/credit card payments. Then set limits on necessities like groceries and clothing, as well as nice-to-haves like entertainment and travel. It's also important at this stage to factor in a savings amount.

3. Now, your first priority is an emergency fund, if you don't already have one in place. And the easiest way to do this is to have the amount deducted from your salary every month and put into a fixed or recurring deposit.

Give yourself a pat on the back if you find yourself adding that little extra to your fund because you managed to save a little more this month. You might find it easier to stay within budget if you use cash or debit cards for the necessities and frills.

4. As your emergency fund accumulates, your next task is to find more money for savings and even investment. Begin by paying off your credit cards.

If you spend a little time examining your monthly statements, you will be amazed to see how much money you're losing just by way of interest!

Saving versus Investing

At this point, we need to address the differences between saving and investing.

Savings provide for emergencies and fund specific purchases in the near future (within two years). The primary goal is to store funds and keep them safe.

However, you invest to increase net worth and work toward long-term goals. Also realise that investing involves risk, where you could lose some of your original investment.

Only consider an investment plan when you have in place an emergency fund, insurance, control over credit use, and a retirement plan.

In the long run

Now, consider making a long-range savings and investment plan. When beginning to plan for investments, consider your goals, the amount of time you will be able to spend on nurturing these investments, how much you know about the funds, how much money you have to invest, whether you can tolerate risk, and handle loss.

Remember that your ultimate goal is a financially secure future for you and your family.

If you look back over all that we've discussed so far, you will realise that we've told you how to begin saving money, in small, manageable chunks. The final objective might be to set aside enough for you to retire so that you don't have to work another day, but your immediate goal is to start the process and become habituated, so that saving becomes a way of life, and a chance to improve how you live.

Courtesy: www.rediff.com

Fixed deposits: Are they for you?

With the stock markets in a downward spiral, it comes as no surprise that few want to invest in equity markets. This crash in the share prices, however, has proved to be a boon for banks, whose fixed deposits were ignored by the investors in favour of equities for higher returns.

These banks came out with various FDs, offering attractive rates. This has tempted many investors to opt for FDs. However, every investor in a fixed deposit must remember that FDs are also an investment option and as with any investment option, they too have their own pros and cons.

So be prepared to get the complete overview of this investment option before opting for it.

What is an FD?

An FD, or fixed deposit, is also a term deposit. It is similar to a savings account, except that your money is locked in for a certain period, also called 'term'. Hence the name term deposits.

However, while you cannot access your money, the bank rewards you by giving you a higher interest rate than it gives you on your savings account.

Is it the best investment option?

Remember, diversification is the name of the game when it comes to investment. Just putting your money in FD will not help you get the best overall returns.

You also need exposure to equities to get the growth in capital and beating inflation in the long run. Hence, it is advisable to invest into both equities and debt.

It will help you get higher returns from equities, while enjoying the capital safety offered by FD.

What are the advantages of an FD?

An FD has various benefits that make it an ideal investment option for those looking for capital safety.

Low risk: An FD is comparatively lot safer than equities, as your deposit up to Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000) is insured by Deposit Insurance Credit Guarantee Corporation. So, in case the bank fails, your money is still secured. This makes FD an ideal investment option for senior citizens.

Regular income: Unlike dividends given by the companies, the interest earned on an FD is fixed, as the rate of interest for the particular term is constant. Even if the rates increase or decrease subsequent to your opening an FD, your rate of interest will not be affected.

So you are guaranteed a regular income, making it an ideal investment option for those looking for regular income.

Availability of loan: Are you looking for a secured loan? Then you can avail of a loan by offering your FD as collateral. While your FD continues to earn interest, the rate of interest for the loan will be a few notches higher than that of the FD.

Hence this type of loan works out cheaper than any other type of loan, since the bank has the assurance of claiming your deposit if you fail to repay the loan.

Saves taxes: For those looking for an efficient tax saving investment option, FD is a good option. While ELSS (Equity-Linked Savings Scheme) has the shortest lock-in period of three years, your capital is not secured.

On the other hand, PPF (Public Provident Fund) offers capital security, it has a lock-in period of 15 years.

The tax-saving FD offers the best of both the world, as your money is locked for just five years, while your capital is safe.

Are there any drawbacks?

While an FD does have a lot of pros, it does have its share of cons. Here are some of them:

Erosion of worth of capital due to inflation: Inflation means a loss in the purchasing power of the money. When inflation goes up, the purchasing power of money goes down. As the interest rates on FDs are lower than the rate of inflation, the purchasing power of your deposited money does go down. As a result, you end up eroding the worth of your capital.

Tax liability: Except for the tax-saving FDs, the interest earned is taxed. So you end up incurring tax liability. You are particularly affected if you are a high income earner.

What should I do?

The best option for you is to invest as per your goals. If you have any short-term goals -- i.e. goals that have to be met within three years, like buying a car, or going on a holiday -- then the FD is your best bet.

On the other hand, for long-term goals like retirement planning or your child's education, go for equities.

Courtesy: www.rediff.com

Seven reasons why people fail in interviews

Success does not always come at the first attempt. This applies to interviews also. It takes some time for people to understand and perform well during the interview. But, often one can see candidates complaining that they got rejected despite having done well.

There are many reasons, why a person fails in an interview, but let us see some of the common ones.

1. Lack of preparation

Of all the reasons, this is the foremost one. It includes carrying improper CV, inappropriate dress code, completely unaware of interview questions and positive answers etc. By improper CV I mean, a CV which is not aligned well, or handwritten.

Walking into interview room in casual wear is also one of the key reasons for people to get rejected.

2. Casualness

Let us cross the bridge when it comes' does not apply to interviews. One needs to be geared up 100 per cent before the interview.

I have seen few candidates saying 'I will learn everything by experience. I am confident that by 'Law of average, if I attend 10 interviews, I will crack at least one'.

This attitude could prove lucky for few initially, but not for everyone at all times. The interview preparation should be given due respect it deserves.

3. Failing to understand the job role

This is a typical problem with a few of the candidates. They are completely unaware of what the job requires one to do.

If a person does not understand his/ her role properly, he cannot justify his suitability for the job.

If you are going through a consultant or got an interview call from the company directly, get the job description completely. In the event of responding to walk-in ads in newspaper, if you are not sure about the job description, spend some time on the Internet to know about your role.

4. Lack of skills

I am sure most of you would have read reports published by NASSCOM, HR experts & corporate professionals that more than 70 per cent of the candidates lack in employability skills.

A good qualification alone is not sufficient, but host of other skills such as good communications, interpersonal skills, analytical abilities, personality etc. are also vital.
Unfortunately most of the candidates realise this very late

5. No proper focus

During the interview, some candidates lose out, because they are not able to convince the employer about their interest in the position applied for. If you are applying for a job in marketing, stay focused on it.

Some candidates even put fields of interest as marketing, administration and accounts. Therefore, in the event of you being open to any career, prepare different types of CVs for different fields.

6. Lack of subject knowledge

Irrespective of you being a fresher or an experienced professional, revisit your subject before going for the interview.

There are many chances that you will be asked questions from your subject, more particularly, if you are applying for a career related to the course you studied.

7. Lack of confidence

When the candidate uses too many negative words such as, 'I am not sure', 'May be I can', etc., it does portray lack of confidence to the employer.

The negative gestures or negative body language plays spoilsport in your selection. Instead use words such as 'Surely', 'I can do it', 'It's challenging but I can do it' etc.

Courtesy: www.rediff.com

What employers expect from MBA grads

How often do you hear MBA graduates from premier business schools complaining about their employers? The most common comments are usually: not getting enough exposure, visibility, and opportunities to contribute towards the growth of organisation.

Employers offer hefty salaries to fresh MBA graduates and most new hires would take anywhere between 12-18 months of classroom or on-the-job training to be productive and contribute towards organisational objectives. Given the resources the companies invest in this process, they would naturally want each one of their employees to be successful in their roles.

So how can you ensure that your degree is put to good use and your pay package justified? Here are some of the things most employers expect from MBA graduates they hire:

Learn quickly
Most grads do not have enough understanding of the business or the industry they enter into. However, two years at business school offers enough exposure to be able to understand new business faster than most of their colleagues who did not get that opportunity. It is expected that new hires will pick up the right skills and knowledge required to be successful in their roles quickly.

Ability to scale and take greater responsibility
This is most important. Salaries generally do not depend upon current levels of productivity. Organisations offer higher salaries in the hope that most of these management students will grow and take up greater responsibility in the organisation. Every employer wants employees to scale faster, take responsibility and contribute towards the growth of organisation.

Ability to deal with uncertainty
Unlike in the classroom, we do not have enough information to be able to take the most optimal decision. Most decisions in business are taken with incomplete and questionable information. There is always uncertainty because of factors beyond the control of the employee and the organisation. Great employees can handle uncertainty and take decisions based on the limited information available.

People skills
Most business functions depend on others to be successful. For example, a salesperson might depend on the marketing, legal or engineering teams to be able to close a sale. Their effectiveness in business roles depends a lot on how they get work done from people who don't report to them. It is important that MBA graduates are able to work with others in the organisation to achieve common organisational goals.

Courtesy: Tarun Matta
http://www.iimjobs.com