Malgunji is a complex Raga of the Khamaj Thaat. John Campana describes Malgunji as having elements of Rageshri, Bageshri and a few subtle touches of Jaijaiwanti. It is popularly described as being a combination of Raga Rageshri (in the ascent) and Raga Bageshri ( in the descent). If traditionally Raga Bageshri evokes feelings of separation from the lover, and Raga Rageshri represents reunion, Raga Malgunji depicts the initial realization of the reunion.
You have been called for an interview for your dream job. You have subjected yourself to being deep fried at the interviewer's mercy. Finally, you see signs of the interview coming to a close. They all look ready to call it a day. After you have finished answering the entire range of questions that the potential employers have asked, you are ready to run too. You silently wipe the invisible sweat off your brow and are getting ready to get up from the chair when the hiring manager asks you, "Do you have any questions?" That is an opportunity you could use to your advantage to help gather information that will help you decide whether or not this is the right role or organization for you.
What I heard at home as I grew up was almost entirely Hindustani Classical with a limited exposure to a few composers of Western Classical. The radio was our chief source of music. There was of course an old turntable and a large collection of vinyl records that we all heard through the weekend. My father was a classical music buff and if he was home, the radio was on. He would occasionally pull out an old diary and scribble some notes after he heard a piece of music. "I maintain when I have heard what Raga and the name of the artiste", he used to say. "The same raga sung by a different artiste will evoke a different feeling."
These are tough times and most employers are not even hiring. Wrong. The demand for talented people never drops. Even during recession, the demand for high calibre talent never wavers. During boom times, the good, the bad and the mediocre all get wooed by the employers to counterbalance those leaving the company through the revolving door. In economies which are growing, there is always a need to upgrade talent and the talent scouts are always on the prowl. When the times are demanding, all that changes is that the need to differentiate talent also rises. It is in times like this how you get your foot in the door matters. If a business card summarizes your contact details then your resume is like a print advertisement for your career. So treat your resume as your chance at creating the one page commercial that gives you a high share of the hiring manager's mind.
"What do you see yourself doing five years from now?" I remember being asked this question when I was a fresh MBA. When I was applying for a role to head Human Resources for an advertsing agency a few years back the question popped up again. I suspect it is not the last time I have been asked that question.Why is this question asked? There could be many different reasons.
Like the rest of the planet you started off your career at the bottom of the food chain. Everyone around in the office knew you weren't expected to accomplish anything imprtant in the first few days or even months. You were paid to just exist and crib - which you did in plenty. You cribbed to other low life around you and complained that you were underpaid and overworked even while you took long coffee breaks and longer lunch breaks. You complained how unfair life was treating you because you were doing all the grunge work while your manager got all the attention.
You flip through the set, smiling at your own cleverness. The trick is to choose something that everyone can be trained on. Finance for Non Finance comes to mind. Everyone needs to do it - including some of them in the Finance department itself. Didn't they all go for it last year? Fuggedit. Going through spreadsheets can be painful. How about Marketing for Non-Marketing or Human Resources for Non Humans... naah... they don't even offer these much needed training programs.
He walks in to your office and in a move that has clearly been learnt from hours of watching soap operas. He whips out his resignation letter and hands it over to you. Your heart skips a beat. You want to show your emotions - but there is a voice inside you that says, "Down boy!! ". You want to jump with joy. You pray that he joins your competitor, because that is the only way the average IQ of both organizations will go up.
Being cool is tough. Ask any teenager. The definition of cool changes every time we change the reference group. Being cool has its payoffs. Everyone wants to be seen around with you. When you look at that happening with an organization, it can be a great talent magnet. Most of the times, the shape of the office building and the recommended distance from the cookie vending machine is seen to make an office cool - at least to the wide eyed newbie. If instead, you focus on these five factors, you can build a CPTW (Cool Place To Work) that can be sustained.
