Managing Personnel With Élan

Are you someone who is always willing to lend your shoulders to people, listen to their worries and figure out a way to help them? If you are attracted to the challenge of handling a diversity of people, excited to grab a chance of interacting with them, adept at gauging their psyche and potential, flexible in adapting to changing situations and efficient in multi-tasking, then Human Resource Management or Personnel Management is the right profession for you to successfully harness this potential.

In a technology-driven, fiercely competitive, dynamic and globalised business environment of the 21st  century, providing, managing and retaining a quality work force to a corporate organization is a formidably multifaceted task that an HR professional accomplishes.

The Job

A Human Resource (HR) Manager  is  a mediator between the management and employees. An HR manager should create a positive work environment in which people get motivated and are ultimately in a happy work place. An HR manager’s role varies as per the organization.  He/she ensures that the company meets its objectives. They  to handle all issues and aspects relating to the human resources of the company i.e. training, salary, increments, staff amenities, performance updates, employee policy, recruiting, team building, employees health and safety.

HR personnel are responsible to carry out the following tasks:

K Manpower Planning

KRecruitment

K CV Capture

K Interview Scheduling

K Training and Induction

K Personnel management and development

K Job appraisal

K Compensation & Benefit code Management

K Formula Management

K Asset Management

K Loan Management

K Payroll Process

K Income Tax Management

K Employee MIS

K Cheque Generation

K Journal Entry Generation

Eligibility

Most of the universities in India impart education in this specialized field of study only at postgraduate level.  Aspirants to the  course in Human Resource Management  should have a  Bachelor’s Degree (10+2+3 of pattern) in any discipline from a recognized university with at least 50 % marks in aggregate.

The masters programmeme will be of 2 years duration and PG Diploma programmemes will be of 1 year duration. Basically admission to these programmemes will be based on aptitude test, GD and interview. The selection procedure may vary depending on the institutes. procedure consists of an entrance examination where the aptitude and suitability of the candidates for this specialized field is scrutinized. Most institutes admit students on the basis of marks scored in exams like CAT by IIMs, MAT by All India Management Association, XAT by Xavier Institute etc. Most of the government recognized institutes conduct Common Entrance Test. Some institutes conduct their own exam examinations to these courses. The test consists of questions concerning English, Reasoning, General Science and General Knowledge. The test is followed by a group discussion and interview.

Many MBA courses offer Human Resource Management as a specialization to the major course. In MBA, the specialization will be offered in the 2nd year. Compared to MBA, MHRM is an exclusive 2 year programmeme on Human resources.

 In case of SC/ST/OBC the minimum mark can be 45%. Selection

Courses

A two-year MBA or PG in HR is offered by some institutions like TISS (Mumbai), XLRI (Jamshedpur), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai), Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (Pune), and the IIMs. An MBA course not only covers the core subjects of management like accounting, finance, communication skills, marketing, public relations, TQM, but also includes papers in HR management like performance management, training and development, compensation and benefits, labour laws and employees welfare, recruitment and selection, HR audit, etc.

Moreover, some HR super specialty courses have topics like competency mapping, train the trainer, personal growth lab, and data analysis and computational skills. Training in workshops, personal growth labs and outbound programmemes conducted by management colleges imparts knowledge of organizational behaviour and psychology, communication skills, managerial qualities and proficiency in computers to students.

Qualifications :

Education and experience both are equally important to survive in this profession. There are various opportunities and scope in this profession, as companies are expanding and multinationals are entering the economy. Demand and requirement both are expected to grow exponentially for HR managers.

Prospects

The basic qualification required for a job opportunity in the HR Department of an organisation is a Masters degree in Human Resource Management. The courses exclusively meant for Human Resource Management are :

Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM)

Master of Human Resource and Organizational Development

(MHROD)

Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (PGDHRM)

Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Development (PGDHRD)

Armed with a professional degree in HR, one can get abundant job opportunities in a plethora of industries in both private and public sectors like manufacturing, automobile, electronics, telecommunications, FMCG industries, steel, cement, fertilizer, heavy industry, software, banking, finance, transport, etc. In this intensely competitive corporate world, any variation in the productivity level of man power can affect the goals of the business. Hence management of the labour force is vital to the creditable functioning of an organization. Profitable, fruitful and fulfilling careers await young and dynamic MBAs and Postgraduates in HR, as good HR professionals are in perpetual demand.

The ambit of employment prospects of HR spreads beyond the industry to include the roles of teacher, consultant and researcher.

Significant Points

    * The educational backgrounds of these workers vary considerably, reflecting the diversity of duties and levels of responsibility.

    * Certification and previous experience are assets for most specialties, and are essential for more advanced positions, including managers, arbitrators, and mediators.

    * College graduates who have earned certification should have the best job opportunities.

Personality Traits

A general informed interest in the economic and business affairs is an added advantage, as it will help one to develop the acumen to gauge the required skills-sets of an organisation’s prospective task force.

A keen aspirant to a career in Human Resource Management should cultivate certain soft skills, attitude and attributes befitting a competent HR professional. They include commitment to hard work, capacity to lead and manage groups and teams, and command over excellent communication skills. Ability to patiently interact with and deftly handle people will stand one in good stead in this profession. Willingness and efficiency in strenuous multi-tasking is also imperative for undertaking this demanding job. Good interpersonal communication and interaction is the major skill required for this profession, as HRM are the mediators between employers and employees.  An  HR  Manager need complete involvement, lots of patience, flexibility and ability to get on with all types of people. Leadership quality and time management skills will be counted for this career. As an HR has to work as a team player, they should possess good organizational skills, should be able to coordinate all the individuals as a team and make them work together. Other essential skills needed for the HR professional is a flair for seeing a problem from all sides, a good memory for names and faces, lack of prejudice, detachment and an understanding of people, the ability to gain their confidence and respect and a persuasive and a congenial personality. To be an effective HR manager, he/she should be a great team player and a source of inspiration and motivation to the subordinates.

Remuneration

Remuneration of an HR professional is variable in different corporate organizations. Generally, the starting salary of an HR Executive / Management Trainee is around Rs. two lakhs per annum. This can rise to Rs. 5 lakhs per annum as one climbs the corporate ladder to reach middle management level in about 10 years and the position of Vice President-HR and General Manager-HR in about 10-15 years.

Part II

Personnel Administration

Employees are an organization's most important assets. In today’s business environment where success of any organization is directly proportional to the quality of its employees.

 HR& PM: The Difference

For those who recognize a difference between personnel management and human resources, the difference can be described as philosophical. Personnel management is more administrative in nature, dealing with payroll, complying with employment law, and handling related tasks. Human resources, on the other hand, is responsible for managing a workforce as one of the primary resources that contributes to the success of an organization.

When a difference between personnel management and human resources is recognized, human resources is described as much broader in scope than personnel management. Human resources is said to incorporate and develop personnel management tasks, while seeking to create and develop teams of workers for the benefit of the organization. A primary goal of human resources is to enable employees to work to a maximum level of efficiency.

Personnel management can include administrative tasks that are both traditional and routine. It can be described as reactive, providing a response to demands and concerns as they are presented. By contrast, human resources involves ongoing strategies to manage and develop an organization's workforce. It is proactive, as it involves the continuous development of functions and policies for the purposes of improving a company’s workforce.

Personnel management is often considered an independent function of an organization. Human resource management, on the other hand, tends to be an integral part of overall company function. Personnel management is typically the sole responsibility of an organization’s personnel department. With human resources, all of an organization’s managers are often involved in some manner, and a chief goal may be to have managers of various departments develop the skills necessary to handle personnel-related tasks.

As far as motivators are concerned, personnel management typically seeks to motivate employees with such things as compensation, bonuses, rewards, and the simplification of work responsibilities. From the personnel management point of view, employee satisfaction provides the motivation necessary to improve job performance. The opposite is true of human resources. Human resource management holds that improved performance leads to employee satisfaction. With human resources, work groups, effective strategies for meeting challenges, and job creativity are seen as the primary motivators.

When looking for a job in personnel management or human resources, it is important to realize that many companies use the terms interchangeably. If you are offered a job as a personnel manager, you may be required to perform the same duties as a human resource manager, and vice versa. In some companies, a distinction is made, but the difference is very subtle.

Eligibility

Human Resource has proved to be a competitive factor in the present scenario in an organized sector.

Duration : 2 YEAR(S)

Education Stream :  Graduation  in any stream

Basic Qualification : Master Of Personnel Management

Functions:

The functions of Human Resource Development and Human Resource Management need high professional skill and competence considering take off stage of globalization in India. The main objectives of M.P.M course are highlighted as under:

a) To provide basic knowledge of theoretical concepts of personnel and HR functions at all levels.

b) To impart such training and education which will be applied further in the field of HR by using skill and competence to conceptual, managerial and operational functions in all the areas of personnel and HRD / HRM.

The function of a personnel manager usually begins with the staffing process. The manager may be focused on screening and interviewing applicants, with an eye to placing individuals with the right skill sets in the right position within the company. Along with placement, the HR manager may also oversee, or at least be involved in, the creation of entry level training programmes, as well as continuing education opportunities for existing employees.

Determining company policies and procedures as they relate to personnel is another important aspect of the personnel management process. HR functions often include drafting vacation, sick leave, and bereavement policies that apply to all employees. The personnel management team is also often responsible for managing any healthcare programme provided to the employees as well.

One aspect of company organization that needs the input of effective personnel management is the drafting of a company handbook. Establishing operation policies and procedures, requirements for employment, commendation and disciplinary procedures, and even something as simple as a dress code has to be compared with state and federal guidelines before the handbook is ready for release to the company at large. Personnel managers and the HR staff are ideal for drafting and reviewing the company handbook.

Sometimes overlooked in the course of personnel management is the emotional welfare of the employees. Increasingly, more personnel managers understand that a well-adjusted employee is an asset to the company. To this end, many people in charge of personnel management try to provide opportunities for employees who are in need of counseling to receive support from the company.

This support often involves scheduling time during working hours for the counseling sessions, and perhaps picking up the cost if insurance does not cover counseling. As with continuing educational programmes, counseling is seen as another way that the company invests in the future relationship between the employee and the employer. A good HR manager understands this and will strive to make sure this sort of support is available.

Depending on the size of the organization, it may be possible for one person to handle all personnel management functions. As a company grows, it may be necessary to expand from a single personnel manager to a full-fledged personnel management, or Human Resources team. By understanding the needs of the company at each point in its growth, management can readily see to the addition to the Human Resources team over time.

Human Resource has proved to be a competitive factor in the present scenario in an organized sector. The functions of Human Resource Development and Human Resource Management need high professional skill and competence considering take off stage of globalization in India. The main objectives of M.P.M course are highlighted as under:

a) To provide basic knowledge of theoretical concepts of personnel and HR functions at all levels.

b) To impart such training and education which will be applied further in the field of HR by using skill and competence to conceptual, managerial and operational functions in all the areas of personnel and HRD / HRM.

Scope

Personnel management (connected with Human Resource  Management) has emerged as one of the most significant areas of management education. The scope of personnel administration is quite wide. It includes all activities which help the management in getting the work done by the labour force in the best manner possible to accomplish the organizational objectives. The main objective in any organization is the optimum utilization of available resources. Personnel administration is primarily concerned with the organization of manpower ; therefore, the main objective may be summarized as to utilize the available human resources in a way so as to get the work done effectively to the maximum satisfaction of the individual worker to seek their cooperation in accomplishing the general goals of the organization.

The objectives of personnel administration can be classified into General objectives and specific objectives.

General objectives

1. Maximum individual development – the employer should always be careful in developing the personality of each individual. If an act of the employer can adversely affect the personality of the individual, he should avoid it. Employer should establish and support such human values that may have social recognition and importance. They should always be regarded as partners and given due importance. The objective of Personnel administration as a bridge between the management and the employees is to keep the management apprised of positive accomplishments and warning signals in the personnel practices. If the human assets of an organization are being misused in the process of profit maximization, it is definitely a short term achievement, because in the long run, the adverse effects felt by the work force will translate into lesser profits for the organization.

2. Desirable working relationship between employer and employee – it is the major objective of personnel administration to achieve a desirable working relationship between the employer and the employees so that they may cooperate with the management. Both of them must rely on each other. The personnel administrator should get it realized to the top management that personnel should be given fair and equitable treatment and on the other hand, convey to the workers that they should cooperate in achieving the goals of the management. The basic responsibility for the personnel lies with the supervisors although the administrator supplies tools such as policy, record keeping, control and advice. His objective is therefore to ensure that the line supervisor is aware of his personnel responsibilities and carries them out responsibly. Simultaneously he should also ensure ethical conduct amongst all personnel and on the part of each supervisor towards each employee for whom he is responsible.

3. Specialized services – The administrator provides the tools such as record keeping, policy making, controlling and advising. Although not directly responsible for the personnel, who lie with the line supervisor, he may examine causes for non-efficiency or non-effectiveness, suggest remedial measure, perform research into proposed personnel procedures, handle negotiations with a government agency, etc. The basic objective here is to provide assistance to the line supervisor whilst simultaneously ensuring that the line supervisor meets his responsibilities to the personnel.

4. Moulding of human resources – Human beings is the most important resource and the only active factor which engages all other factors of production. Therefore, the administrator should emphasize the effective utilization of human resources as compared to physical resources so that production and productivity is optimized. Other factors of production will be ineffective without effective molding of human resources.

Specific objectives

1. Selection of the right type and number of persons

2. Proper orientation and introduction of new employees to their jobs

3. Organisation of suitable training facilities

4. Provision of better working conditions and facilities.

5. Provision of sound, fair and effective wage and salary administration and incentives.

6. Good industrial relations with representative trade unions

7. Personnel research

Duties of Personnel Staff

In a dynamic working environment, the boundaries of any role cannot be clearly defined. However, the duties of Personnel staff may be described as under:-

1. As a Service Provider – providing information on market statistics of personnel availability, pay rates, etc. Interpret the complex laws and legislations. Employment and placement programmes, employee compensation programmes, training and development programmes, labour relations could be stated to be the duty as a service provider. It must be noted that there will often be an overlap between the different roles that a Personnel staff may assume

2. As a facilitator – advises the supervisors on employee problems, facilitates training and development, and when performance appraisals are done. One of the responsibilities of Personnel staff is also to ensure that other managers who undertake such activities are well equipped to do so.

3. as a consultant – to help the supervisors resolve problems due to lack of motivation, lack of training, grievances, etc.

4. As an auditor – to ensure that all members of the management perform their respective roles, to determine whether personnel policies and procedures are being administered uniformly by supervisors.

Job Prospects

As a certificate holder in Personnel Management, you can work as a personnel officer, labour officer, employee relations officer, labour and welfare officer or industrial relations and training officer in large industrial and business organizations, government undertakings, factories, mines, plantations, hospitals, hotels, banks and other financial institutions, professional institutions or organizations that have a large workforce. You could even start your own recruitment consultancy after you have gained some work experience. Briefly, the work includes payroll processing, recruitment, disciplinary action, evaluation, motivation and training, maintaining contracts, timesheets, holiday, sickness, maternity leave etc of the staff.

Remuneration

Over the years, the role of personnel professionals has become an integral part of any organization and hence depending on your qualification and experience, this field promises a hot career. As a trainee, one can start with a salary of Rs.6000-Rs.10000. one can command a higher salary as the knowledge and familiarity raises.

Skills & Attributes

An outgoing, friendly personality; ability to handle people, ability to handle pressure, ability to handle deadlines, excellent communication skills & leadership skills are necessary to be an effective personnel manager. He/she should be a great team player and a source of inspiration and motivation to the subordinates.

 Study Here

1. XLRI, Jamshedpur

Contact Information

Circuit House Area (East)

Jamshedpur 831 001

Jharkhand, India

Phone : +91 - 657 - 398 3333

Fax : +91 - 657 - 222 7814

E-mail : xlwebmaster@xlri.ac.in

Website : www.xlri.edu

2. Xavier Institute of Management & Research
St. Xavier's College Campus,
Mahapalika Marg,
Mumbai 400 001.
INDIA
Tel: 91-22-6522 1909/1911
Fax: 91-22-2265 0607
Email: info@ximr.com
Website: www.ximr.com

3. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai,

Contact Information

Post box 8313, Deonar,

Mumbai 400088

Phone : 91-22-2556 3289-96

Fax : 91-22-2556 2912

E-mail : webmaster@tiss.edu

Website : http://www.tiss.edu

4. National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM),

D1/E1, Prathamesh Co-op. Hsg. Society Ltd.,

Off Veer Savarkar Marg,

Prabhadevi, Mumbai - 400 025

Phone : 022 - 2431 62 71

Telefax : 022 - 2422 04 07

E-mail : nipmbom@vsnl.com

Website : www.nipmpune.com

5. University of Mumbai

M.G. Road, Fort

Mumbai - 400 032 Maharashtra-400032

Phone : 022 - 2652825

Fax : 22 - 2652832

Website : www.mu.ac.in

6. Jamia Millia University, New Delhi

Contact Information

Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-10025

Phone : 26984650, 26985180

Fax : 011-26981232

Email : admin@jmi.nic.in

Website : www.jmi.nic.in

7. Bharati Vidya Bhavan'S S.P.Jain's Institute Of Management Research

Dadabhai Road, Munshi Nagar,

Andheri(West), Mumbai-400 058

Tel: +91-22-2623 7454 / 0396 / 2401

Fax: +91-22-26237042

Email: spjicom@spjimr.org

Website: http://www.spjimr.org

8. ICFAIAN Business School

ICFAI Annexe, G.N Khalsa College Campus,

Matunga, Mumbai-400019 022-24178300, 022-24097824

ICFAI Panjim : 106, Ist Floor, ,Patto Plaza, Behind Kadamba Bus Stand Panjim - 403001 Tel.: (0832)2437211/2437050. 

ICFAI Margao : 4th floor, Reliance Plaza, Behind Grace Church, Margao.Tel:(0832)6694190, 2732094.  I

CFAI Pune : 6 Rachana House Fergusson College  Road  Shivjinager, Pune Tel: 020: 66026975 /660266976

Siddivinayak PLAZA Vimannagar  Pune14  (020) 41282191-96

9. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies

Dadabhai Navroji House,164,

Backbay Reclamation,

H.T.Parekh Marg, Opp. Hindustan Lever Office

Churchgate, Mumbai-400 020

Email:  jbims@vsnl.com

Website:  http://www.jbims.edu

Tel No: +91 - 022 - 22024133 / 22024118 / 22025153

Course:

Masters in Management Studies (MMS) (2 years Full time)

Jankidevi Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies

Sir Vitthaldas Thakersey Vidya Vihar,

Juhu Road, Satacruz (West), Mumbai-400 049

E-Mail: jdbims@rediffmail.com / jdbuims@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.jdbims.net/mpmir.htm

Tel. No. : 022-26606626 / 8624 / 8493

Fax No. : 022-26606615

Jankidevi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies,

S.N.D.T. Women University,

8th Floor, Patkar Hall Building, 1,

Nathibai Thackersay Road, Mumbai 400020, Maharashtra

Tel no:   (022) 203 1879 ext. 309, 203 4206

Fax: (022) 203 4206

10. Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD)
Symbiosis International University Symbiosis Infotech Campus,
Plot No. 15, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park,
MIDC, Hinjewadi,
Pune-411057 INDIA
Phone: +91 20 22934304 / 05 Fax: +91 20 22934306
E-Mail: director@scmhrd.edu Website: www.scmhrd.edu

11. Wigan & Leigh College, West India

The New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills Pvt Ltd,

Mathuradas Mills Compound,

Senapati Bapat Marg,

Lower Parel(W), Mumbai - 400013

Phone No. : 022-40571900/1919,
Mobile No.: 09323781477
Email: mumbaienquiry@wiganindia.org

Plot No. 14,

Lane No. 14, Galani Chambers,

Near Income Tax Office,

Prabhat Road,Pune - 411004

Phone No. : 020-25459588/89/90/64015205/06,
Mobile: 9970016136
Email: pune@wiganindia.org

S/1-2, Chanson building,

Next to Maruti Showroom,

Dayanand Bandodkar Marg,Miramar,

Panjim, Goa.403001

Phone No. : 0832-6450391/6451393
Email : goa@wiganindia.org

Bangalore Campus

Ground Floor, No. 30,
Dickenson Road
Phone No. : 080-25574311/12/41477204
Email: bangalore@wiganindia.org

K.J.Somaiya Trust'S K.J.Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research

Vidyanagar,

Mumbai - 400077.

Phone No.91-022- 6644 9300 / 6644 9350

Fax No. 91-022-2515 7219

Phone (Dir) 022-55846064, Mob: 9870260395

Placement Office: 022-25027221 / 25157220

Email: registrar@simsr.somaiya.edu

Web: http://simsr.somaiya.edu

Managing And Protecting Intellectual Property.

The world economy is slowly but surely moving towards the knowledge economy, innovations and new inventions are increasingly intangible in nature. This makes it difficult for the innovator or the inventor to apply for patents for these new kinds of innovations. This changed scenario led to the development of the concept of IP.

As more intellectual advancement takes place in a developed country, the perils of intellectual theft are frequently faced by them. The situation is worse of in a matured economy than a growing one. A still not-much-publicised career is that of a Patent Attorney OR  Manager.

Mind business

Intellectual property, also IP, is all about allowing people to own their creativity and innovation like they hold any physical property. IP protects innovation and ideas, thus paves way for intellectual work to flourish without any hindrance.  Whatever comes under creations of the mind is called IP.

IP Management

Dividing IPR Management across industries would be as follows:

IT and Telecom Technology.

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology

Energy, Oil and Gas Technology

Of these three options, currently the most business is focused on IT, Telecom, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology. However industry players believe that the next 20 years will belong to IPR Management to the Energy field. There are many other forms of patents based on industry.

Within each of these paths, it can further be divided into the following roles.

    * Commercialization analysis

    * Identifying useless IPR

    *  Determining the royalties

    *  Market dynamics of technology sub-segment

 Work

The role of an IPR specialist is to help the inventor gain patents on his invention. The inventor can be a large corporation, a small business a team of scientists and even a lone inventor that's working out of his garage. The first step taken by the IPR specialist is to understand the invention itself. he then researcher whether such technology already exists in some form. After this he goes about understanding how best the invention can be patented so that maximum monetization is achieved. The final step is to file the patent with the Patent Office.

The IPR Specialist in India does about 80 percent of his peer in the US. This is because in India the specialist does not pursue litigation. Once Indian courts see more action in the IPR space, we can expert more IPR specialists that can apply their skills in court.

The thrill is picking up an unstructured problem and then fixing it. The work culture is extremely young and therefore they energy is enormous. They interact with people dealing in R&D for over 20 years, CFOs and CTOs, and so  the level of interaction is at another level all together," he says. illustrating the high points of job.

Skill Sets

An IPR specialist needs to degree in science or engineering and then supplement this with a degree in law. Considering that IPR Management covers a number of industries, specialists fro/for each industry is required. If the professional is moving laterally from, let's say, being a telecom engineer and into IPR Management of telecom technologies, then he comes with a certain amount of skill sets already. From here he would have to gain the legal acumen to understand how to apply his skills in IPR Management.

Training of a fresher usually takes two to three years.

The brand of your graduate or PG college helps only initially. After about two years this disparity disappears and growth is based purely on performance. A thorough knowledge of a technology field will always be preferred to high scores in tests. Experience gained on the first jobs in specific domain, like telecom or biotechnology, can be applied in the respective fields within IP management.

History

The first intellectual property law was passed in Venice in 1474 which protected the investor's interest against copying of their creation. England soon followed suit to grant intellectual property rights to its inventor for a limited period. With increase in international trade, intellectual property theft was on the rise. The  Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property  (1883)  allowed individuals in one nation to obtain protection globally. The Paris Convention and the Berne Convention brought in the intellectual property regime that we understand today.

World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO), the leading body governing Intellectual Property rights issues defines  Intellectual Property as "Creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce."

IP is not limited to, domains like Software, Architectural and Industrial design, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Music, Literary Pieces.  Intellectual property encompasses the entire gamut of intellectual inventions that cannot be quantified.

Intellectual property can broadly be sub-divided under two categories - Copyright and Industrial property.

- Copyright includes primarily artistic and literary creations like Photography, Poems, Painting, Plays, Novels including films,  music, photographs, performing arts, radio or television programmes, Architectural Designs, Music and Sculptors.

With the advent of the Internet and the developments in digital technologies, copyrighting of movies and music are in demand. But patenting and copyrighting is not only limited to entertainment industry because almost everything is at a risk of being replicated. Access to all important information has made IPR a must-have in the present world. There is an increasing need to control and stop intellectual theft because one company's brain drain is benefiting the other.

b Industrial Property caters to commercial domains like patents, geographical indications Industrial Designs, New Technologies, Processes and Methodologies and Trademarks.

Software piracy is one of the menaces that are taking place in developing countries like Russia, Vietnam, China, India and other South Asian countries which are causing a huge loss to the software companies. Hence patenting becomes important for the software companies.

Eligibility

Anyone who is at least a graduate in science, technology or engineering can become an IPR attorney. There is no need to already have a law degree to become an IPR attorney. Students have to pass an exam to be registered as a patent attorney. The exam would be held every year in November, comprises two papers (100 marks each) followed by a viva voce (100 marks). If the candidate does not have a degree in law, a qualifying exam is conducted at the patents office in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi.

 Course Area

The IP Law course generally comprises of Biotechnology patent policy, Chemical and Biotech patent policy and practice, Comparative and International Intellectual Property seminar, Comparative patent law seminar, Computer law, Copyright Law, Electronics and Computers' Policy and Practice, International and Comparative Patent Law, International and the Country's regulation of foreign trade, Licensing of Intellectual Property Rights, Patent Enforcement, Patent law, Trademark law, Unfair Trade Practices

Colleges, Institutions and Universities

Study Here

• Institute of Intellectual Property Studies (IIPS), Mumbai- 1 year PG diploma in patent law and a four-month certificate course on IPR

• Institute of Intellectual Property Development (IIPD), New Delhi

• Bioinformatics Institute of India- Noida- A PG diploma in IPR

• Nalsar University of Law,  Bangalore 

• Symbiosis Law College, Pune

• ICFAI Law School, Pune/Mumbai/Goa 

* National Law School

* National University of Juridical Science

* Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law at IIT, KGP

* University of Delhi – law school,

* Indian Institute of Managements,

*Indian Law Society (ILS) Pune

Prospects

With the advent of the Internet, the world has witnessed two tectonic shifts in the market dynamics - Free flow of Information and Globalization of the world Economy. In addition to the obvious positive aspects of instant access to the global storehouse of information, this boon brought along it its own set of evils.   The major drawback being, information ceased to be proprietary. New innovations were quickly assimilated and applied in business organizations without benefiting the inventor. And since national economies became more interlinked, manufacturing powerhouses from emerging economies threatened companies that invest a large amount of their top-lines in research and development.

IPR attorneys are integral part of in-house teams of business organizations formed with the sole aim of identifying and stopping copyright and IP infringements. IPR attorneys are also being actively employed by a whole range of organizations like Specialty Law Firms, Corporate houses,  Government and Self -supported Think Tanks, Law Enforcing bodies, Universities and Independent Research Organizations,  Faculty at Law schools.

If somebody wants to become a patent attorney and be recognized as one he or she has to first register oneself. Generally the same methods are followed to become a patent attorney everywhere in the world. The completion of the course and the at least two years of practice under professional supervision can ensure a bright career for the IPR attorney.

Patent Attorneys set up their own consulting units similar to lawyers. An attorney’s regular day generally involves all those mentioned above and for maintaining certain standard of efficiency and professional integrity in the field the Patent Act has prescribed qualifications and norms for their registration. Only those who satisfy that qualification and are registered under the Patent Act are allowed to practice as Patent Attorneys in India. They are legal advisors, specialist in their fields, who advise their clients regarding protection of their intellectual property and also perform the following on their behalf by:

- Drafting of patent applications

- Manage correspondence with the patent office on the objections raised

- Represent the applicant at the hearings

- Filing opposition proceedings

- Defending the application against opposition

Public Sector

•    Government agencies, R & D units in Pharmaceutical Industry, Cosmetics & beauty product, all design departments/units, Agri based units, law firms, research organisations, voluntary organisations, publishing houses, all media units, software industries.

Private  Sector

•    Corporate houses hire intellectual property lawyers as in-house counsellors, various MNCs, Knowledge Process Outsourcing companies etc.

India is set to jump into the bandwagon of the global patent regime and national patent laws, thus needing a vast pool of people with expertise in patents, copyrights and trademarks. Generally speaking, intellectual property rights (IPR) is the current buzz in India. At the same time, the Indian market is facing a huge deficit of talent in the field with just 607 registered patent attorneys.

 With the arrival of new patent regime, the need of skilled people to fight for a business’ or individual’s intellectual property would jump manifold to fight with the global business houses. A good patent attorney will have to lead businesses towards suitable research and development to always remain ahead of their rivals.

 Work

An IPR attorney is primarily responsible for safeguarding the commercial interests of his or her client. He  protects the Intellectual Property Rights of individuals as well as organizations. As a part of this job, the IPR attorney is responsible for assessing if any given innovation, improvement or invention can be patented or not. He is responsible for creating draft patent applications, and protect the client in case of an infringement.

The specific works include:

•    To enhance the work environment for higher innovativeness for all those who are responsible for innovation and to explore.

•    To guide the technology transfer in a competitive manner.

•    Protection and safeguard of the Intellectual Property.

•    Securing IP rights for original innovations.

•    To maintain patent databases, dissemination of related information and train people on finding patentable inventions.

•    Providing legal assistance to innovators and help them in drafting and filing patent applications.

•    Coordinating with various IPR organisations and attorneys,

•    To create awareness about protection of Intellectual property.

Skills Required

 To be a successful IP Attorney,  a grasp of the law with a good knowledge of IT and technologies is essential. The internals and workings of technology, products and processes would come handy while doing research. Knowledge of technology is more important than the law itself, since the IP attorney is dealing only in the Copyright Act and nothing else, unless of course he or she is practicing in other forms of law.

Sensing intellectual theft and trying to curb the situation is very important for an IP Attorney. If the situation goes out of hand an IPR attorney should have a sound knowledge of law to bring the responsible persons to books.

A good writing, presentation skill and research oriented are few of the soft skills which are looked for in an IPR Attorney.

Remuneration

The remuneration of an IPR attorney is quiet high but to be frank it depends on the industry where one is seeking a job. For those who start, the salary will depend on the base qualifications. A  BSc graduate can hope to start with around Rs 8,000, while an MSc student can reach about Rs 10,000 as the starting salary. In case of a B. Tech, BE or an M. Tech, the starting salary may touch around Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

The Prestige of Press Journalism

If  you’re  looking for real challenges,  a great amount  of  excitement, prestige and glamour,  risk and reward, then journalism has all these to offer and much more.  This article focuses exclusively on Journalism in the Print Media.   

Its Purpose

Journalists play a major role in the development of nation. They keep us  informed about daily happenings in society. The purpose of journalism itself is to analyse, interpret and inform, educate and enlighten people,   and shape opinions and exert a  great influence of people’s lives. The growing awareness that knowledge is power has also given an impetus to the regional and vernacular press to expand and strengthen its scope in the past few years.

Lucrative And Competitive 

Journalism is a lucrative and competitive profession as well as a highly paid one, with media barons opening newspapers or publishing houses quite frequently.  The competition in fact is so rife that each newspaper tries to produce something exclusive, which in turn has given the readers a great deal of variety and this in turn has led to a lot of job-openings.

Inborn Talent

To ensure one's success in the field one must have an inborn ability to write and produce new stories in correct, concise and interesting style.  

No course or training can claim to make  a journalist.

Getting Hired

* Traditionally, the tough part of breaking into journalism and publishing was the long apprenticeship period you'd have to survive. This still holds true on the editorial side for many traditional newspapers and magazines.  

* Although journalism is open to non-graduates, large media organisations have expressed a preference for graduates in recent years.  Although formal academic qualification to  be a reporter, copy writer or correspondent is not essential,  it  very useful, as it gives  you an edge over the others.  And, recent trends  have shown  that big groups of newspapers  in metropolitan, national  and international  newspapers advertise the posts of trainees for which all graduates are eligible.  

* Many newspapers  conduct  entrance  exams to screen potential employees.  After this,  suitable graduate trainees, with flair for writing are selected and employed.

*  Many publishers are bringing in people with real business skills. Most of these spots still get filled on an ad-hoc basis with either entry-level or experienced people, but a few of the bigger players may have internships available for candidates coming out of college.

If you'd like to land a spot in the industry, consider the following:

·        For those applying for editorial slots, however, you too walk a fine line in publishing, journalism, and public relations--in writing, research, and editing.

·         The obvious criteria include enjoying reading, writing, and news. If you're on the business side, you should not only share these interests, 

·         You  must  be able to deal effectively with large egos and a lot of sanctimonious grief.

·         No need to update your resume fonts or enclose your clips in an expensive-looking portfolio. You're only as good as your words, and visual distractions won't fool anyone in this business. Keep it short and simple. Less is almost always more.

·        Competence and calmness count for a lot in this business. So does modesty. Don't oversell yourself, even in ad sales.

   

Eligibility

Minimum eligibility for a Bachelor’s degree in journalism is 10+2.  For Post graduate degree courses a Bachelor’s degree in journalism is prerequisite. Some institutes also provide a  one year certificate courses in journalism for which eligibility is 10+2.

Course Areas:

The courses train aspiring journalists  only  in the technical aspects  of the job. Students of journalism are taught:

• A general humanistic education as well as skills in communication and analysis, for different media-writing, speaking, gaining skills in oral expression,  and producing for all media that are essential in most careers.
• How to interact with people and discuss current issues that may one day become important facts of history.
• A major in journalism prepares a student for work in communications, public relations, government and public service, sales, publishing, journalism, advertising, education, and business.  
• There are also courses in specialized areas of journalism like sports,  photo, press law etc. Additional courses that provide a good foundation for careers in journalism include: computer science, business, history, sociology, political science, economics, and psychology.
• Some jobs also require fluency in a foreign language.

Types of Journalism

 In journalism, there are  feature writers, leader writers, writers for multimedia and web, etc.

Journalism is classified into two on the basis of media- (i) Print Journalism. It includes newspapers, magazines and journals. In print journalism one can work as editors, reporters, columnists, correspondents etc.

 (ii) Electronic (Audio/Visual) Journalism includes working for Radio, Television and the Web. In the web, skilled people are required to maintain sites by web newspapers (which cater only to the web and do not have print editions) and popular newspapers and magazines who have their own web editions. In electronic journalism one can be a reporter, writer, editor, researcher, correspondent and anchor.

India  News Agencies

India has two main news agencies- Press Trust of India (PTI), established on August 27, 1947 when it took over the operations of the Associated Press of India and the Indian operations of Reuters; and United News of India (UNI), which began its operations on March 21. Apart from these, there are other agencies too.

Print Media

 Newspapers remain the biggest segment of the publishing world, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the industry's revenue. They differ in size, distribution, language, format, affiliation, purpose and issue (morning or evening). These differences determine the number of people who work for the newspaper. Most large newspapers aim to provide a wide coverage of news for their readers.

Today, a large number of accredited journalists, together with countless stringers, critics, commentators, and others,  seek out, report on and publicise occurrences of consequence happening in the world around us. Their stories are published  by numerous newspapers and  magazines. Some of these cover a general mix of political, financial, social, environmental and sports news and articles. Others focus on the specific needs of professional or special interest groups.

Seriously Speaking…

If  you  are  interested  in serious  journalism, this  career choice  is for anyone who has a nose for news and wants to make a difference to the society and work even in erratic shifts.  Press journalists usually work as part of a team in the office, but will often be working alone whilst reporting.

It involves…

Journalism entails  the  collection and dissemination of news. This involves various areas of works like reporting, writing, editing, photographing. Legend tells of a time when people were employed just to check the facts in submitted articles. That's rarely seen nowadays.

Writing news and feature stories:  

Writers choose themes or subjects for written work, conduct research into the subject, assemble background material and obtain other necessary data.      

• News stories are short and focus on telling readers  what's just happened – the most important thing first.
• Feature stories often need a topical 'peg' (or reason) for publication, but they're more in-depth and less rigidly structured. They might be interviews, travel reports, how-to articles or opinion columns.

  

Editing is the process of reviewing and then condensing, correcting or arranging written material and images, sound, video, or film with the objective of preparing it for final presentation.

You could be a newspaper or  magazine editor.  Your designation could be that of a copy editor, a sub editor, a features editor or an editor in chief.  An editor’s job description depends  on the level and field  you are  working in.

Multitasking is becoming more and more a part of life in media.  So photography is a useful skill for all writers to have. Some people work as photojournalists and use their pictures to tell the story with very few words. Reporters on small newspapers cover all aspects of local news and photographs, write headlines, lay out pages, etc.

Nature of Work & Personnel

Newspaper work is broadly divided into two streams: the field and the desk.

FIELD WORK

 In large newspaper offices each field worker has a special assignment

Reporters& Correspondents:  

Reporters: are the eyes and ears of the newspaper. Chasing news stories, covering national and local events, telling the world what is happening where, why and how is the work of a journalist or correspondent.  They report events as and when it occurs and present them in an unbiased manner. They prepare stories that inform us about local, state, national and international events, present different view points on current issues and monitor the actions of public officials and others who exercise power.

The local reporter, the national affairs correspondent, the foreign correspondent, sports, travel and other specialist writers all go outside the office to cover their particular beat and file news reports or ‘stories'. To cover a ‘story' or news item they may have to do background research, review public records and interview all people related to a theme. They may take notes, tape record statements and write their stories upon returning to the office. Their job involves a lot of travelling.    

A Chief reporter is in charge of the team of reporters, and assigns work to the reporters.  National and international newspapers employ reporters in all major cities. Reporters on small newspapers cover all aspects of local news and photographs, write headlines, lay out pages, etc.

 Change in Scenario

Simple reporting of events is no longer sufficient. More specialization and professionalism in reporting is required. Often newspapers assign specific ‘beats' to journalists in big cities, to cover all happenings in that area-political issues, law and order, sports, finance and economics, investigation, culture education, local affairs, courts, religious sites, on a regular basis,  primarily to write about events taking place in these areas.

So, while journalism may seem exciting, it really takes lots of legwork. The main thrill is in witnessing events and reporting in a lucid style so as to influence people to react to the changing scene.

Correspondent/Special Reporters:

are reporters for special purposes and their task involves reporting on a particular topic like politics, foreign affairs, sports, finance etc. They often report on news covering their area of expertise from a place where the particular event is happening. Their aim is to interpret or explain news, and comment on the events, trends and causes behind it. Special correspondent must choose the concerned field in which he has special interest to make a success out of it. Usually one must have sufficient experience as a reporter to become a special correspondent. Newspapers frequently station reporters known as correspondents in large cities and in other countries to prepare stories on major news events occurring in these locations. Reporters with general assignments write up local news as assigned.

Professional  Skills:

* Writers and editors can clearly and logically express themselves.

* Creative and  intellectual curiosity, a broad range of knowledge  and keen interest in  current affairs,  self- motivation and perseverance, physical fitness an  open-minded and  unbiased approach,  the ability to judge neutrally; curiosity ; wide-ranging interests ; sensibility to the atmosphere; an instinct for the story’s appeal to people ; ability to sum up situations and people quickly ; ability to draw people out; resourcefulness ; resilience willingness to  work  at unearthly hours, knowledge of regional and foreign  languages and empathy  are valuable assets.

* Journalists need to have a broad based education, good general knowledge and a style of writing that is accurate, readable and informed

* Reporters must possess an inquisitive mind, will power, an analytic approach, an ability to sense news,  the faculty of keen observation, a sharp mind and memory, and the ability to perceive what lies beyond the obvious, perseverance, cool temperament, and self-confidence;

*An aptitude for presenting information in an accurate,  thorough,  clear and concise, lucid and effective manner, organize their thoughts and to express themselves clearly both orally and in writing, in easily understood English is also essential.

*Reporters should have good contacts with various news resources.

* When he/she is reporting, he/she has to define the parameters, which would ensure that he /she is not indulging in any type copyright violations and that his/her  reporting is not amounting to any kind of defamation.

* He/she has to gather quality news through various sources, do research that would act as a backup to his report and present it in such a manner that is easily understood by anyone. At the same time a journalist has to be tactful, confident and organized while interviewing people from all walks of life.

*They must have the ability to sift relevant facts from the irrelevant. They have to distinguish the newsworthy stories from those which are not.

*  They must have the ability to accept criticism and willingness to do considerable rewriting are also necessary.

 Special Beats

Court Reporters make detailed records of what is said during court proceedings using specialized equipment designed to record or quickly input spoken words. Court Reporters learn the necessary skills through educational programs or on-the-job training. Licensing for Court Reporters is required in some states.

DESK WORK

Generally,  a team of journalists work in a newspaper office. Reporting and subbing are complementary and equally important functions in the editorial department.

The editorial department, in fact, has a tremendous role of compilation, at times, piecing together news in the right context. Staff journalists are expected to handle a variety of tasks including picture research and sub-editing, depending on the number of staff employed.

The editorial department is headed by the editor under him there are sub-editors, correspondents, special reporters, reporters and freelance journalists, photojournalists etc. Newspaper editor and sub-editors sit at a desk most of the time, however, editors may attend local events.

THE TEAM

INTERNAL

In the editing section there are various key positions and duties involved with it. These titles and descriptions vary, depending on the segment of the industry and the specific organization. And since the overall industry trend seems to be toward the incredible shrinking of editorial staff, expect to see many of these jobs conflated soon if they haven't already been.

1. Editors: work tirelessly every day to produce daily papers, filling long hours with a wide variety of roles. They have to work within a time frame, a budget that must make a profit. In large publishing organizations, editors usually preside over specific desks—national, foreign, finance, arts, new fiction, or biography. They plan the contents of the publication and supervise its preparation.  They decide what will appeal to readers, assign topics and oversee the production of the newspaper. They must be able to co-ordinate the efforts of a team. In smaller publications, they do it all—and a fair amount of the writing and layout as well.

 Edition Plan

Editors working on newspapers and magazines should have sound knowledge of newspaper law.  

Their duties include:

Writing

Although newspaper editors have many duties, they are still expected to write original articles frequently. News editors will generally write analysis-based copy that allows them to remain in the newsroom to coordinate their sections; features editors can expect to write lengthier profiles or features, including interviews.

Leads

Story leads and tips from the community are also often sent directly to the editor. It is her job to discern which leads can produce interesting and informative stories, and to match them to writers capable of "running down" the lead to produce good copy.

Assignments

Editors are responsible for scheduling daily and weekly assignments on their "budgets," lists of the contents of their sections that they produce every day. Editors hear pitches from their writers, and assign stories that they or the editor-in-chief believe will be of interest to writers.

Copyediting

The editor is responsible for all of the copy that runs in her section. Spelling and grammar errors, inconsistencies, incorrect facts or fabricated reporting are ultimately her responsibility.

Layout

At most newspapers, especially small- to mid-range papers, the editor is also responsible for "laying out" his own section- the process of fitting articles and graphics on a section's pages so that they are readable and aesthetically pleasing.

Other Duties 

In addition to copyediting and writing and layout work  , newspaper editors manage writers and  interact with the local community on a regular basis. Administrative duties  include hiring writers, planning budgets, negotiating contracts with freelance writers, etc.

Professional Skills

 A good editor must have all the qualities of a good reporter, the ability to write and  edit articles, take speedy decisions, a questioning mentality and an awareness of current affairs, and be well informed about a broad range of subjects. Also essential is an excellent sense of language and grammar, as well as basic computer skills.

Editors must possess a sound knowledge of their market, and take the initiative in looking for new authors and new subjects. They need to put forward innovative ideas and establish the style of the publication.

Editors have to pay close attention to readership surveys, market trends, and everything that's happening in new media in addition to just making sure that the news is covered.

Educational Qualifications

Most editors hold a college degree in either English language or journalism. Sometimes, other college majors are acceptable, more so in the fields of technical or special-interest writing. School and college experience in your field of editing is always an added advantage.

Responsibility

If an editor’s job description sounds like the kind of work you would enjoy,  you  must first  understand that the pressures of the job are great, and one is constantly working against time to meet deadlines. The job also carries great responsibilities, for the editor is the one who takes the fall for printed inaccuracies. Working as a newspaper editor can be a rewarding experience for those who love news and hard work. But it is not a job for the faint of heart. 

2. Managing Editor: In most organizations, he  sees to the daily functioning of the news department, and news/feature/sports editors assign work and the copy/sub editors edit a reporter/writers material for accuracy, content, grammar, and style.

Personal attributes: He should have excellent journalistic vision- awareness of the major or minor political and current affairs, communication skills, leadership quality and long term experience as an editor.

3. Chief Editor: is in charge of the over-all functions of the publication. His primary responsibility is to supervise the functions of collection, selection and presentation of news. He reads and corrects  the copy for publication, decides on the editorial policy and the content of publications.

4.  News Editor:  is the right-hand man of the chief editor. He decides on the news to be published in the newspaper each day. He collects news, controls the network of correspondents, reporting staff and other news sources, allocates assignments and attends editorial conferences.

5. Executive Editor:  is at a senior position, and may thus oversee the work of other editors, who may deal with specific areas such as international news, local news, feature stories, or sports. However, he/she has the final word on which stories are published and the perspective taken on them. They also have to ensure that the editorial stance of the material is in keeping with that of the publication.

6. Resident Editor:  is in charge of a particular edition (Eg: Pune edition, Mumbai edition, Goa Edition etc.).

7. Associate Editor: In very large newspapers,  there are associate or assistant editors who have responsibility for particular subjects.  He directs the preparation of a section of a newspaper or magazine. He prepares news, feature articles and critical reviews, and plans the layout of the publication, assigns reporting staff and photographers to obtain coverage of matters of news or interest related to his section.

Features

There is the editor, associate editors and journalists who write specific stories assigned to them. The work involves researching, interviewing and stimulating writing. There are freelance contributions, columnists and special commentators involved even in magazine journalism.

8. Chief Sub Editor is in charge of the team of sub editors- he assigns work, co-ordinates and supervises them. He acts as a link between the chief editor and sub editors.

Sub-editors:  Within the office is the news desk where sub-editors or copy editors. Sub-editors work behind the scene so to say while the reporter enjoys the limelight. There are number of sub editors for each newspaper.

 They assist chief editor in selecting and  sorting the contents. They are   almost like a ‘gate keeper' editing, re-writing stories to fit the space assigned, improve the language, reformatting, objectively presenting each report or story  keeping in mind the general policy of the newspaper. The sub-editor goes through the original and final scripts with a truly informed yet critical and unbiased outlook, giving the  final shape to the story submitted by a reporter. They also help in page layout.

9. Features /Magazine Editor:

A big newspaper or magazine would employ several types of editors. There may be a News Editor, a Features Editor, a Sports Editor, and possibly several sub-editors. They also oversee the layout and appearance of articles, which may include duties such as overseeing artwork, design, photography and sometimes attending photo-shoots. They may occasionally have to negotiate payments with freelance writers and network at industry events.

Feature writer: writes detailed stories or presents commentaries on specific news topics. Feature writing is more descriptive and detailed than news reporting and can cover any topic of general interest.

 They research and analyse facts and draw conclusions on a particular topic. They can cover any topic of public interest like interviews, organising data and evidence, feature story leads etc. Feature writing is more descriptive and detailed than news reporting.

Leader Writer: gives ideas on news topics in the editorial columns of newspapers or magazines and discusses prospects of improvement with trainee writers.

Copyeditor or Proof-reader

A job that involves chasing the commas and checking the facts is a bit like that of a CPA. No one loves you. No one pays any attention to you. But without you, the paper/magazine/book/online feature programmes goes out riddled with typos and errors. If you don't mind cleaning up after others, this is flexible, steady work. It's also one of the last truly democratic institutions in the industry: You take the copy test, and you pass or you fail. Either you know the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses or you don't. You have an edge if you're also knowledgeable about a particular subject, but meticulous attention to detail is the only qualification necessary. Proofreaders compare proofs and edited copy (Written, typed or printed material) to ensure that the final text is complete and accurate, and that the spelling and punctuation are correct before final printing. They mark proofs for corrections, check revised proofs to ensure that the corrections have been made. They must have sound knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar should be able to pay particular attention to detail and retain concentration for a long period.

Layout Artists  

In smaller publishing companies, journalists might be expected to lay out pages as well as write them. For a long time, the standard application for layout was Quark XPress. Now Adobe InDesign is gaining in popularity. It's a valuable skill to be able to edit documents in layout applications.

Photographer or Graphic Artist

We know it's not fair to lump these two together, but if you're interested in visual information, you understand the differences between the two. Increasingly, this work is outsourced  to freelancers. Job seekers who need a steady income. Once you have a good portfolio and can pick and choose your assignments, you may decide you prefer the diversity and freedom anyway.

Artist - Besides illustrations, more so in magazines, a special group of artists are the cartographers who specialize in maps and charts to illustrate data. Cartographers are generally geography graduates. This is a growing field as most magazines have begun to rely on illustrations and charts.

Cartoonist - A comical or satirical sketch on political, cultural events is the job of a cartoonist. While established cartoonists are working for some big groups, others are generally freelancers.

Photojournalist - A photojournalist is not a photographer who can write as well as take pictures. He is a photographer who is able to tell a story with pictures.  He/she is a visual reporter. Photo journalists accompany reporters on assignments to take pictures that support a news story, feature or interview. They must know what makes a good news picture; be able to write accurate captions, work well with reporters, be quick and often work under difficult conditions. They must have good knowledge about technical aspects of photography like lighting, speed etc. to take photographs apt for the particular situation.

More than a decade or so ago the economic climate was such that magazines had few opportunities for the work of photojournalists, but during the past few years there has been a trend towards the use of such material.

Editorial Assistant

It used to be a lifetime stigma, stamped somewhere on your forehead for every editor to see; it's now something of a badge of honour. This is now the gateway for those with fire in their belly, the pay-the-bills job for actors taking a break, the catchall job for all the overflow from the copy desk and every other overworked, understaffed department. Editorial and desk assistants now have significantly more responsibility than they did in the past. Some publications rely on editorial assistants for major articles instead of hiring experienced staff writers or freelancers

Work Environment

The work of reporters and correspondents is usually hectic. They work under pressure to meet deadlines and may work under trying conditions. They work while people make loud conversation and amidst the confusion of people constantly on the go. They work even under the curious eyes of onlookers, police, and emergency workers. They handle assignments which may be dangerous.

Erratic Hours

Many journalists work long and irregular hours, with evening and late night work common. An assignment cannot be dropped just because a shift has finished; a journalist must see it through to the end. Often they are called back to work to cover an unexpected development, and they are frequently required to work when other people are not-at night, on weekends, on public holidays. The unusual work hours can make social life difficult. Besides the open-ended work hours, there are also pressures to meet tight deadlines and to ensure the facts presented are accurate. Working hours vary with the employer. Morning newspaper reporters work from late afternoon to midnight. Radio and television reporters work in shifts. Magazine reporters may schedule their work. To meet deadlines they often work late.  

 External

Freelancers: Newspapers cover a wide spectrum of events, issues and areas. People with interest in specific areas contribute occasionally to newspaper features. They often work alone in their own home. They are paid for each piece or article they write.   Because of the nature of magazine writing, many magazine writers work as freelancers. Some have cushy at-large positions, while others may live assignment-to-assignment. Freelance magazine writers who don’t have steady gigs - i.e. stories for a certain section that magazine editors regularly assign to them - can find it stressful to constantly be chasing assignments. Some full-time freelance magazine writers find success pitching stories, but many rely on editors to assign them pieces. And the key to being a top-of-mind writer to editors is producing good, timely work. Because so many freelance magazine writers rely on assignments from editors, many people who get into this field come from full-time jobs at magazines.

Columnists:  A newspaper appoints specialists for regular columns on  general  or specific subjects. They write a regular segment within their particular interest category, e.g. gardening, fashion, food,  politics,  music & dance, theatre, films, art etc. . The columnist usually projects a point of view, and could either be a commentator or a critic. They review developments in special areas they write on and  may contribute to a number of news papers at the same time. Columnists, being assigned a column, have to keep up contributing to the column on a regular basis for which they receive a fixed amount.

Critics: can also be  columnists.  He/she needs to be well read, have adequate knowledge and experience in his respective field. One can be a critic in various fields like film, art, drama etc. Only persons having good knowledge about the particular subject/art can authoritatively write about the subject.

Commentators:  Very prominent personnel, an authority in a field, are invited to write on topical issues or leading articles on a selected subject. Often special commentators are eminent social/political scientists, economists, social workers, authors, etc.

 There are  positive and negative aspects of being Journalists  or Media Persons. 

*  So what’s so great about being  Journalists? 

The Power of the Press

The pay may be lousy, the hours may be long, but even the cub reporter for a small local paper can break very big stories. And this is still a fairly honourable crowd. You'll usually get the credit you deserve for your scoop. Move on up to a bigger job at a more recognized publication and captains of industry and PR people earning three times your salary will actively seek to curry favour. Most journalists and publishers won't openly admit it, but their jobs are ego trips. The power you wield can be immense.

Work with Words

Sometimes it's tedious. Sometimes it's repetitive. But you won't find a lot of jobs out there that allow this much creative expression and diversity, with money as compensation. Working with words—or words with pictures—is stimulating. Even working with people who work with words is stimulating. "This will sound a little corny," says one editor, "but I really think my job is exciting. I've been doing it for a long time, and I still think it's really cool to be on top of the news all the time."

Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

If you've been told ever since first grade that you have a problem with authority, you're too opinionated, too blunt, and too outspoken; this is the career for you. With the possible exception of sales and promotion, people in these jobs tend to be nonconformist and even downright eccentric at times. They're sceptical and tough, but they're also honest and fair, for the most part. No one minces words or pretties them up for the greater corporate benefit. Of course, earnest beginners and senior management are regularly tempted to try, but as their efforts are usually met with gleeful derision and scorn, they invariably wish they hadn't.

Perks and Advantages

Who could blame people who are trying their best to launch a journalism career when a list of opportunities awaits them? Here are some of the perks and advantages of being a journalist:

1. The opportunity to influence other people’s way of thinking. The biggest privilege that journalists have,  is the opportunity to be a catalyst of social change. How? Since they are given the opportunity to get their thoughts printed, they have the chance to influence a lot of people who will be reading it. This may sound petty to some but real journalists consider this as a very big opportunity to change the society that is why they are doing everything to be responsible for their writing.

2. Getting a dose of fame. The computer keyboard these days is indeed a mighty weapon to be successful. People,  who, given the privilege to hold it and use it are considered lucky because they have the chance to gain popularity for writing stories that could create an impact to the society. Once this impact has been acknowledged by prominent people in government and in the society in general, he or she will get a dose of fame right away. What makes it all worthwhile is the by-line. Everyone else may only get to be famous for 15 minutes, but reporters get their name and, increasingly, their faces out there all the time. Now a number of them have graduate degrees in journalism or communications. But the profession is one of a dwindling number to embrace people with a well-rounded, liberal arts degree. Glamour quotient: very high. Work quotient: even higher.

3. Experiencing things one has never experienced before. A career in journalism opens the doors and windows to a different worlds  a person has never experience before. These may include travelling to the most beautiful places for free and meeting people from all walks of life. These may also include getting special treatments from people from different sectors of the society.

4. Experience freedom through writing. People in other fields are restricted to do the things other than their job requires. In journalism, while there are minor restrictions, this doesn’t affect the fact that they have better chances of relishing their freedom since they can always write about things without the fear of being questioned in doing so.

So what’s to hate about  being  Journalists?

Sheer Hard Work

While it can be glamorous or prestigious, in reality it is hard work, learning on the run, handling the pressure of deadlines and not knowing what your working day will be like from one day to the next.

Holier Than Thou

Thou refers to anyone unfortunate enough to work on the business side, in television, or in Public Relations. In fact, thou probably includes any human not currently filing from a war zone or writing a blistering exposé of corporate malfeasance. Think of the worst snobs you know. Journalists and the lonely few still publishing worthy books are much worse than that.  American author  David Eisenhower once said, “Journalists are an interesting bunch, but nowhere near as interesting as they think they are.” How high is your moral superiority quotient? It needs to be very high to survive in this crowd.

Faster! Faster!

The daily deadlines for newspapers are beginning to look positively leisured and calm compared to the exigencies of online media. Television news upped the deadline ante years ago and radio and wire reporters have always had to write faster than they think, but now even “in-depth analysis” is done in 25 words—or 25 seconds—or less. If you like to reflect before putting pen to paper and you don’t work well under pressure, even book publishing may be a bit too revved up for you these days.

Those Who Can, Do…

…Those who can't, go into journalism and publishing. Chroniclers are by definition the ones who stand on the sidelines of life and observe. With the passage of time what they chronicle becomes history, but they are not the actual players. Sooner or later everyone in this industry, even the publisher, has to come to grips with the fact that he or she is not the one who matters in the story or book or show. Sportswriters usually can't play the games they cover; finance writers typically can't make killings in the market.

ADMINISTRATION

Publisher

This is the business side of the industry—the world of money first, words second. Publishers make sure that enough advertisements are coming in, that enough people are buying or clicking to keep the editorial wheels turning.

This is a thankless job, mostly because you get none of the credit and all of the blame. But it also offers a good deal of satisfaction to those who manage to turn a profit or rescue a failing venture. And amidst all the upheaval and change in the industry right now, publishers enjoy increasing amounts of leverage in editorial direction and development.

 ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Ad Sales

Folks in these careers sell space (in the newspaper or magazine—or on the website—they work for) to anyone willing to pay, from local merchants to foreign tourist boards, to finance editorial operations. The sales force makes cold calls, follows up on leads, and takes clients out for nice dinners and rounds of golf.

This is discouraging and difficult work—only the most zealous survive and move up to the less-demanding plateaus of publishing. It's one of the only areas in this business where you don't need a college degree for an entry-level position; enthusiasm and the ability to persuade most of the people most of the time are the only musts.

Sales Representatives

This is known in book publishing as being in the field. You trundle around to bookstores, colleges, and any other possible sales outlets for your wares. If you're lucky, you follow in the well-worn path of cordial relations established by your predecessors. The less fortunate find that their best orders are snatched up by competitors, and they spend all their time cultivating new and non-paying customers. It's usually a three-year stint, and if you survive, you'll be welcomed back to headquarters and given a less difficult desk job. Anyone who has endured this rite of passage swears by it. "It's the only way to really know the customer," says one. "You can read all of the [marketing] data you want, but being in the field is what really matters."

Marketing and Promotion

This job varies from one segment of the industry to another. In magazines and newspapers the marketing staff's job is to get the publication into as many hands as possible. It may involve developing new subscription programs or checking out newsstands. In the book world, it may involve arranging book tours for your hot author. In the Internet world, it probably involves trying to get as many visitors as possible to your website. Despite grumbling from the hard-core editors, this job is increasingly important to the success of publishing ventures in all segments of the industry.

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MAGAZINES/PERIODICALS

Periodical publishing includes two main areas - consumer press and business press. This is a multibillion-dollar industry that expands each year, with top publishers focussing on  niche publications  with special magazines  published on health, nutrition, travel, golf, and such are a growing presence, too—they've been thriving for the past 20 years and are slated for even more impressive growth. Magazines may be produced weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, with journalists working to tight deadlines to ensure that production schedules are met.

The structure in a magazine publishing house is almost the same as that of a magazine/supplement  in a newspaper. The nature of their work  is very similar to  those in newspaper journalism.   

 Magazine Editor

When you flip through the first pages of a magazine, before you hit the table of contents (or “toc” in industry parlance), you’ll come across the masthead. This list of names and titles includes, among others, the editors who put that publication together. And, while much of a Magazine Editor’s job, deals with editing stories.

One of the biggest differences between what a magazine editor does and what a book editor does,  has to do with the type of content they’re working with. Magazines come out, usually, on a weekly or monthly basis, so editors at magazines work on more stories in a shorter period of time. Magazine Editors are also more involved in coming up with story ideas and shaping specific sections of their magazine. They are not, as book editors are, sifting through material looking for good things to publish.

Overseeing a Section

If you look closely at any magazine, you’ll notice that there are recurring sections and specific kinds of stories that run in that magazine. Editors determine the look and feel of these sections. Just as editors at newspapers work on specific sections of the paper, magazine editors also specialize. Magazines are generally (though not always) broken down into three sections: the front-of-the-book (or FOB); the feature well; and the back-of-the-book (BOB). Generally, the FOB caters to smaller, newsier stories, while the well contains the longer stories and the BOB has a mix of recurring columns and shorter stories.

Often Magazine Editors will work on a specific section of a magazine coming up with story ideas, finding good writers and, sometimes, writing the stories themselves. Magazine Editors are therefore major idea generators as well as occasional writers and traditional editors.

Finding Magazine Stories

Magazine stories usually come about in one of three ways: A writer comes to an editor with an idea (or “pitches” him), an editor approaches a writer with an idea, or the idea is born in an editorial meeting. Editorial meetings are essentially brainstorming sessions that most editorial staffs hold. During these meetings ideas are batted around and, often, group discussions will help flesh out and focus general ideas.

What Defines a Magazine Story?

Although there is a lot of overlap between stories that run in newspapers and magazines, the big difference between magazine content and newspaper content is the time devoted to them. For the most part, newspapers work on daily deadlines and therefore newspaper stories are more driven by things developing moment-to-moment and day-to-day. Because magazines plan their content weeks and months in advance, they can’t report on breaking news the way newspapers - which get printed every day .That said, there are exceptions. Some newspapers, for example, will put reporters on a single story for many months and then run a series about it, or a long magazine-style story. But, like newspaper stories, all magazine stories need hooks.

Finding a Hook

Hooks come in all shapes and sizes or, more specifically, some are obvious and some less so. Hooks are the piece of a story that makes it relevant right now. Although there are stories that are considered “evergreen” - i.e. they have perennial relevance - the majority of magazine stories (like newspaper stories) need a hook. If you work at, say, Entertainment Weekly, you will usually work on stories about an actor or a musician when they have a current project coming out. So the hook of the story - the reason you’re writing a piece at that moment in time - is because he’s about to release a new movie. An evergreen piece, however, might be a summer movie round-up. Every summer EW might do a rundown of what the big movies are in theatres because the idea addresses new content every year.

Magazine writers: are, in essence, journalists. The kind of journalism that magazine writers  are involved in  can vary widely from what a journalist working on a daily newspaper would produce. Generally, magazine writers do more feature-oriented pieces. Some magazine writers focus on smaller stories, while others produce long-form, or narrative, pieces.

Job  Profile

Full-time positions as magazine writers are some of the most coveted in the print media world. Some lucky - and of course talented - magazine writers work   as staff writers. Staff writers usually work in the office and have a more 9-to-5 schedule. Other magazine writers have official affiliations with magazines and may have "at large" titles - i.e. writer-at-large or editor-at-large - which means they usually get assigned a certain number of stories for a set fee. At-large positions often require no time in the office.

Employment Avenues

The opportunities for journalists are endless and at the same time the job has become more challenging, as the new world is proving the adage that "the pen (and the camera) is mightier than the sword."

Journalists trained and interested in the print medium have job opportunities with Newspaper groups of the English/Vernacular medium, News agencies, News Bureaus, Press Trust of India, English/Vernacular magazines and journals, Indian Information Service (Group A) of the government, Directorates of publicity. Many journalists are free lancers.

Remuneration

The wages differ in newspaper groups and magazines.  Salaries can vary from place to place and time to time. You can expect to start off with a salary of Rs.6000-Rs. 10000 as a trainee. As a reporter, you can expect to make Rs.12000 - Rs.18000. Editors draw a salary of Rs.20,000-Rs.35,000 besides Perks like housing and travelling concessions are also provided. Private sector even offers higher remuneration including lucrative various fringe benefits. However salaries offered depend on the company one is working with. Field journalists are given travel and stay expenses as well as allowances are additional with all pay packets.

The minimum salary according to  Government directives has to be Rs. 5500 to 9000 for reporters, and senior reporters, Rs. 6500 to 10500 for chief reporters and sub-editors. Editors get Rs. 7500 to 12000. Travel and stay expenses as well as allowances are additional with all pay packets.

Freelancers are paid for each piece of work they submit. They do can earn well, depending upon the nature and extension of their business. Journalist with convergence skills may earn anything between 20,000 - 1 lakh a month.

Newspaper and Magazine publishers scales are as follows :-

* Managing Editor , Rs. 25000 to Rs. 35000 per month

* Senior Content Writer/Editor/Senior Editor, Rs. 15,000 to 25,000 per month

Women in journalism

Women are increasingly coming to the fore in journalism. They hold permanent positions in newspaper and magazine offices. Journalism in all its branches provides the uncommon opportunity of doing work at home without being tied down to any one employer. During periods of enforced inactivity between jobs or at times of one's own convenience, it is possible to do a wide variety of writing, research, editing, design and graphics job work either on assignment or in reasonable anticipation of a customer.

IIMC, New Delhi
JNU new campus, Aruna Asif Ali Marg, New Delhi
Phone No - 91-011-26109268/60940/60
Email: pbapaiah@yahoo.com
Courses Offered: Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism (English and Hindi), Radio & Television Journalism and Advertising & Public Relations.

Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune
Senapati Bapat Road, Pune 411 004
Phone No - 020 - 25652303 / 25660972
Website: www.simc.edu
Courses Offered: MBA in Communication Management (Advertising, Public Relations. Masters in Mass Communication (Journalism and T.V and Radio Production)

Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
Shela, Ahmedabad (380058)
Phone No - 2717-237946-51
E-mail: admissions@mica.ac.in
Courses Offered: Executive Diploma Programme in Media Management. Certificate Programme in Managing Integrated Media, Retail Communications, Crafting Creative Comm and Visual Merchandising. Post Graduate Programme in Communications Management and Entrepreneurship (PGP CME)

AJ Kidwai Mass Comm Research Centre, Jamia, New Delhi
Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi
Phone No - +91(11)26981717
Courses Offered: Ph.D and M.A. in Mass Communication. Post Graduate Diploma in Development Communication, Journalism and Broadcast System Maintenance.

Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore
HRBR Layout 3rd Block, Kalyananagar Post Bangalore 560 043
Pone No - 91-80-28437907 / 7903
E-mail: admin@iijnm.org
Courses Offered: The Post-graduate programmes offer courses on Reporting and Writing for Radio and Television, Ethical and Legal Issues in Journalism, Advanced Media Concentration and Business and Financial Reporting.

Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai
Mumbai, Maharashtra- 400 001
Phone No - (91-22) 262 1366/1639/2877
Website: www.xaviercomm.org
Courses Offered: Journalism & Mass Communication, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, Advertising & Marketing, Digital Animation and Television & Video Production.

Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
Kasturi Centre, 124, Wallajah Road, Chennai - 600002
Phone No - 91-44-28418254/55, 28526227/49
Email: asian_media@vsnl.com
Courses Offered: The Masters Degree course includes Reporting, Writing, and Editing, Modern Issues in Journalism, History of the Media, Law of Media.

Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
Law College Road, Pune
Phone No - 91 - 020- 25431817 / 25433016 / 25430017
Email: tutorial_sec@ftiindia.com
Courses Offered: Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Art Direction and Production Design, Audiography, Animation and Computer Graphics, Editing, Feature Film Screenplay Writing.

Manorama School of Communication, Kottayam
PB No: 229, Kottayam, Kerala
Phone No - +91-481-2300851
Website: www.manoramajschool.com
Courses Offered: Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism.

Times School of Journalism, New Delhi
Times Centre for Media Studies, Darya Ganj, New Delhi
Courses Offered: Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism