Placements - Alumni Talk Session

            Placements are a credit bearing part of a degree course. We, the students of Osmania University College of Engineering (though I am an Alumnus now) are very lucky to have the opportunity of getting placed before we actually get our graduation degrees and I am proud to be an Osmanian.

Placement Season for 2011 batch of OUCE is on the verge of commencing and to kick-off the spirit, a Talk Session was scheduled at our college. On 3rd August,2010 Placement Office, OUCE has Invited Alumni of OUCE working at Commvault and Capital IQ for an 'Alumni Talk Session (ATS)' to give some Good Inputs to the students (2011 pass outs of BE, ME and MCA) on 'How to Effectively Prepare for CRPs' for these two companies. Roopak & Paul working for Commvault and Gautam & me working for Capital IQ have been invited for the same.

The students (2011 pass outs) were anxiously waiting for us in the Placement Office Auditorium, as they would be attending their first Campus Recruitment Program (CRP). We told them our experiences with the CRP's we attended and briefed them a little about the process of recruitment by the respective companies. We also elucidated to them the DO's and DON'Ts of an interview process and exemplified their doubts. It was a different but a wonderful experience! :)

This initiative by the Placement Office, OUCE was an awe-inspiring session for the students. I thank Mr.Uma Maheshwar Sir, Placement Officer, OUCE for giving us an opportunity to share our views and also would like to thank Capital IQ for whole-heartedly permitting us for the same. I also wish my junior friends Good Luck in all their endeavors, especially for placements. :)

A day out with Colleagues!

Taking a day away from the routine hustle and bustle helps rejuvenate oneself. This practice, if employed at the corporate level, enlightens the employees to spend quality time with colleagues. Every year, we as a technology team of Capital IQ plan for a day out to a resort within the city. The fresher’s systematize and coordinate this process each year which helps them gain greater interaction with the other employees and also gives them an exposure to team work.

We (Capital IQ Technology Fresher’s 2010) started off with the preparations well in advance, as we had to plan out for the venue, transportation, food, the events to be conducted etc. After a lot of discussion, we finalized on 9th July at Lahari Resorts. A phenomenal poster was designed to convey the same. Apart from the events to be conducted at the resort, a few online contests like Logo Identification and Photo Quiz were conducted on 8th July to kick off the outing spirit. Almost all the employees participated in these events with great enthusiasm and excitement, and the winners were presented with prizes. Hearty Congratulations to the winners!

Finally the most awaited day arrived! We all started off in buses and cars around 12 noon, and had great time playing dumb-charades on the way. Within an hour, we reached Lahari Resorts, a Luxury Resort with a serene and an eco-friendly ambience. The resort was very well equipped with Swimming pools, Restaurants, a Cricket Stadium, a Play Area and several other leisure activities for all ages. We had a happy, joyful and a fun-filled day. At night, we had dinner and tapped our feet to the Disco, the best part of the outing. On the whole, every one of us enjoyed the perfect corporate destination.

Our effort was well appreciated at the end of the day! Hearty Congratulations to my co-fresher’s on the grand success of this major event, which is our first achievement as a team. We Rock! Special Thanks to Raghu Vamshi, Business Analyst at Capital IQ, who guided all of us in organizing and harmonizing the outing. Eagerly looking forward to enjoy the next one! :)

My Academic Career!

Elated! Excited! There are two reasons as to why I am extremely overjoyed to tell about my academic career. First,I fulfilled my ambition by completing Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering. Second, I secured a good (frankly, huge) percentage in B.E. I always believe "Great Convictions are the mothers of Great Deeds. Success and Happiness are directly related to achievement of the Goal chosen.” Right from childhood, I always had the zeal to stand first in academics and so I am very much elated for having stood first in my Engineering.

My Past Academic Career! - Always a teacher's pet. I was an all-rounder at school where I participated in several extra-curricular activities and at the same time was very good at academics. As a result of my good conduct, during X Std., my teachers assigned me the Ministry of Education Portfolio (our school had a mock-parliament just like the Parliament of India). I secured 92.5 % in SSC (Secondary School Certificate) Board Exam and 98.1% in my Intermediate Public Exam. I also faired pretty well in competitive exams like EAMCET (Rank- 113) and AIEEE (AIR- 5227).

Coming to the present, I was lucky to get into University College of Engineering, Osmania University, one of the oldest and esteemed colleges in India where I enjoyed learning and studying. There were about 43 theory subjects, 25 practicals and 2 projects distributed among 8 semesters. I feel honored as I secured 90.81% in B.E, which was a result of my consistent effort and hard-work for 4 years. I also participated in several technical and non-technical events at college.

I have always maintained a balance in my career and I personally feel academics should be given importance. Feeling sad on one hand as my academic career has come to an end (as I have no plans of higher studies at least for a couple of years from now), I am happy on the other hand for having being blessed with a successful one. I thank my professors, lecturers, teachers, family, friends and well-wishers who have supported me all through-out. I am also greatly thankful to God for making me successful in all my endeavors.

Transition!

The Transition here I am referring to is the transition from a college student to a corporate professional. I have been working for Capital IQ, a Division of Standard & Poor's for the past six months, though as an intern earlier and now as a full time employee, I noticed certain major differences on my role as a student and as an employee. During my last semester of B.E., I worked as an intern for three days a week(Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)  in the company and attended class work at college(UCE, OU) for the remaining three days. This is when I had the opportunity to analyze Corporate Culture while I was still a student. Thanks to Capital IQ for making the transition from a student to an employee very comfortable and flexible.

The prime difference I noticed is the level of Responsibility. The obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful completion is more on the employees than on the students, be it any company, any domain, any industry. Generally, people willing to accept responsibilities with challenges will be more successful in this competitive world and their growth chart will have a rising curve. Dedication and Commitment to work makes one more responsible is what I observed.

The ability to work in a team and to work with the team is very very important. Another keen observation is that working in a team is different from working in a group. Teams generally have well-defined goals, certain motives and protocols which the team members have to adhere to, for overall performance.  The work done at college/school is attributed to individual effort but most of the corporate companies/organizations encourage team-work. Hence, a todays employee should always be a good team player and  it is always good to have a good rapport with the co-employees.

Decision Making! The right decision at the right time makes a difference. Decision making may be hard sometimes but is very important for management and leadership skills. Good decision making actually is a mix of several skills and qualities like identification of various options, evaluation, judgment, firmness and confidence. Problem-solving is also linked to decision making which is crucial not just at the workplace but also in other aspects of life.

Timing constraints and work pressure, the buzz words of corporate executives are tightly-coupled according to me. The ability and capability to complete the assigned task and delivering the results before the deadline is very important, otherwise it turns out to be work pressure leading to "stress". A student on the other-hand generally would not have pressure to stick to strict deadlines. In a corporate world, one should possess the ability to work under any situation, in other words, one should be versatile and flexible to adapt to the dynamic work environments.

Etiquette is also equally important at corporate level. The way we speak (in person and on phone), eat, drink etc add to one's conduct. Last but not the least, I feel its always good to carry a smile on face which enlightens you and also your work environment and hence helps deliver quality results. On the whole I personally feel, to be successful, a professional should be a responsible team player and should have the capability to learn, explore, experiment, enhance skills and enjoy work.

Colors!!

Have you ever paid attention to the colors around you? Are you aware of the fact that colors have meanings and depict emotions? If not, this post takes you to the world of colors.

Origin of Colors - The atom is the smallest unit of matter consisting of a nucleus (with protons and neutrons) surrounded by electrons. Every material in this Universe is made up of elements which are in turn composed of atoms (of the same type). Atoms absorb light. White light is a mixture of all the colors of the spectrum. Generally, though materials absorb light, the light that is not absorbed (in other words, the color that is reflected) is the color you see.

Colors can tap moods, change actions and cause reactions. Colors are a source of power; each one has a function and purpose. I have made an attempt to unveil the meanings of the most common colors.

• RED symbolizes fire & blood and hence is associated with power and importance. It is also considered a symbol of danger, though Red Roses symbolize love and lust.
• GREEN is the color of harmony and health. It symbolizes self-respect and helps in bringing about balanced state of mind. It relaxes your eyes when they are stressed out.
• BLUE is the coolest color – the color of the sky & the oceans. It is considered the color of Divinity & Spirituality. Blue broadens one's horizons and gives a calm & conservative feeling.
• YELLOW is the color of wisdom and intellectual energy. It helps in improvising one's decision making skills and gives a cheering effect.
• PINK symbolizes love, care and acceptance. Pink is considered a feminine color!
• PURPLE symbolizes mystery and royalty. It is generally associated with imagination and helps soothe one's mind.
• ORANGE depicts creativity and thoughtfulness. It is a dynamic bright color with curiosity being the main characteristic, leading to the exploration of things. 
• BLACK is associated with authority, power and is also considered a symbol of death. Black in the general sense is said to conceal things.
• WHITE symbolizes peace, purity and kindness. It depicts a fresh beginning and is a symbol of loyalty.
• BROWN is the color of Earth and depicts 'down-to-earth' feeling.

Thus, color is in every part of life. Take a moment to look around, feel the colors and enjoy the colors. Wishing you a colorful life! :)

About Me - My First Post on My First Blog!

Hello!

     I feel the best way to start my first post on my first blog is to introduce myself. I am Aishwarya. I am a calm, friendly and a caring person. I love to spend quality time with my family and friends, like playing shuttle, caroms and always enjoy listening to songs.

      I live with my parents and my sweet little brother in Hyderabad. My dad works for one of the leading Public Sector Insurance Companies of India and as a result of his Promotions & Transfers, I had the opportunity to study in the major towns of Andhra Pradesh. My mother is a Homemaker and my brother is in his 9th std. I completed my schooling from St. Anthony's High School (Xth Std - SSC Board) and my +2 from Narayana Junior College. 

     Fifteen years of fun, two years of hard-work and my passion for engineering, especially Computer Science Engineering, landed me into Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), University College of Engineering, Osmania University after qualifying EAMCET. I enjoyed my life as an Osmanian where I learnt new technologies and also met people from different corners. I am presently working as Software Engineer in Capital IQ, A Division of Standard & Poor's. I am greatly thankful to God for having been blessed with such a wonderful family, without whose support I wouldn't have tasted the fruits of success in life.

     With a lot of excitement,I created this blog in September,2009. I didn't find anything interesting to post then and so gradually lost interest in blogging. Frankly, I had even forgotten that I had created this blog. However, my desire to Expand Horizons brought me here again. Hope I continue blogging from now and you enjoy reading my further posts!