Category Career Query

What is the career in social media manager?

From the moment we open our eyes to the time we fall asleep, we are constantly checking or updating information on social media. But there’s more to social media than taking selfies and creating snappy posts.

Social media has opened up newer avenues in marketing. It has immense potential because it allows companies to directly connect with their users or potential customers and understand their likes and dislikes.

How it works

Social media managers need to be constantly on their toes. They need to know everything that is happening across platforms, follow trends and news stories from around the world and see how they can tweak them to their client’s needs, almost immediately.

Well-versed with different social networking platforms used by their target audience, social media managers come up with strategies designed to suit their brand promotions on these platforms. These strategies differ from platform to platform

For instance, during the lockdown on account of the COMID-19 pandemic many brands held live interviews with celebrities on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

Getting started

  • Handle low profile pages: Beginners usually start by handling social media pages for their school or college
  • Promote your school/college fest: On different platforms such as Facebook Twitter Instagram, etc. Come up with engaging online contests from time to time and create a campaign that will help you get hits.
  • Freelance work: You can start your carter in social media marketing Sites such as Upwork and Freelancer will help you land a freelance project to experiment a little.
  • Agencies With some experience under your belt you could choose to work in an agency handling digital marketing for multiple brands or work with a particular brand or business 
  • Specialisation: You may choose from areas such as search engine optimisation pay-per dick, web design etc.

What to study

** Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai: PG diploma in Digital Marketing.

Courses in Digital Marketing and Social Media Management are offered by many institutes. It teaches you about platforms, analytics, and essentials of framing campaign strategies.

Where:

India:

** Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Mumbai: Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Digital Marketing.

** Indian School of Business, Hyderabad: Diploma in Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategies.

Abroad:

** South New Hampshire University, the US: MBA in Social Media

** Barcelona Graduate school of Management MBA in Marketing in the Digital Era

** Concordia University, the US: MBA with a Certificate in Digital Marketing

** Excelsior College, the US: MBA with specialisation in Social Media Management.

A Career as a Stockbroker

Do you have excellent communication, negotiation and analytical skills?

Do you like working in a fast-paced and challenging financial environment?

Advising and counseling clients on appropriate investments and working as a stockbroker may be the career for you.

What’s this career about?

Stockbrokers deal with a variety of investments, including stocks, bonds and mutual funds. They invest in the stock market for individuals or corporations. Only members of the stock exchange can conduct transactions, so whenever individuals or corporations want to buy or sell stocks they must go through a brokerage house.

Brokers explain the workings of the stock exchange to their clients and gather information from them about their needs and financial ability, and then determine the best investments for them. The broker then sends the order out the floor of the securities exchange by computer or by phone. When the transaction has been made, the broker supplies the client with the price. The buyer pays for the stocks and the broker transfers the title of the stock to the client and performs clearing and settlement procedures.

In order to provide the best advice to their customers, stockbrokers continuously research publicly traded companies, their products and finances. They also stay abreast of market trends and know which stocks offer good long-term and short-term investments.

Apart from work, stockbrokers always remain in touch with their clients in order to understand their needs. They constantly update them about the fluctuations in the market and advice them when to buy and sell and at what rates. At the same time, stockbrokers also ensure that their stock trading company also makes maximum profit in the long run. Initially, brokers spend many hours on the phone building up a client base.

Stockbrokers may specialize in either private client or institutional client work; in dealing or in advising; or in certain types of securities. The work is, mainly, sales-oriented and is conducted on the telephone. Since the industry is performance-driven, one has to be on their toes all the time to keep pace with the market movement.

All the operations today are computerized, with highly –trained and qualified specialists keeping a close watch on the market. One can survive in the stock broking career only if they have a knack of thinking on their feet and be adaptable in an ever-changing environment.

How do I get there?

Minimum requirement is graduation in any discipline preferably Commerce. Since stockbrokers must be well-informed about economic conditions and trends, courses in business administration, Finance & Control and Economics are helpful especially in the larger securities firms.

Some big broking firms prefer MBAs with specialization in Finance or Charted Accountants. PG programmes in capital market studies, and in stocks and securities are also available in selected universities and institutes.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the authorized Body which regulates the operations of stock exchanges, banks and other financial institutions. All stockbrokers need to be registered under SEBI and are governed under the rules, laws and regulations of this authority.

Besides registering with the SEBI, stockbrokers must become members of one or more stock exchanges such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). To attain membership of the stock exchange, one has to go through training under a broking firm for a period of minimum 6 months. The training aims to impart knowledge of subjects like accountancy, law-related subjects, capital markets, securities and portfolio analysis, etc. most employers provide on-the-job training to help stockbrokers meet the requirements for membership.

Their application forms are closely evaluated by the exchanges before granting membership. Most major exchanges require stockbrokers to pay a security deposit and a membership fee, which usually involves a considerable expense.

NSE India has created the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) to educate stock brokers, sub-brokers and investors about the stock market. In some cases, having the certification of the NISM is mandatory by some broking firms.

What key skills do I need?

  • Assertive, quick and decisive regarding other people’s money.
  • An aptitude for numbers.
  • Able to work in a stressful and competitive working environment.
  • Excellent sales skills.
  • Energetic and willing to work hard.
  • IT competence.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Institutes

  • National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), Mumbai (nism.ac.in)
  • National Stock exchange, Mumbai (nsindia.com)
  • Mumbai Stock Exchange Training Institute, Mumbai (bseindia.com)
  • Institute of Charted Financial Analysts of India, Hyderabad (icfai.org)
  • Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi (icsi.edu)
  • Indian Institute of Capital Markets, Navi Mumbai (utiicm.com)
  • The Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (nmims.edu)
  • BSE Institute Limited at various places (bsebti.com)

Pay package

Stock broking is a lucrative job. Most brokering firms pay performance based commissions along with a salary. Earnings from commission vary and are likely to be high when there is much buying and selling and low when there is a slump in market activity. They can start with 5-8 lakh rupees per annum; those with MBAs and post-graduates with a qualification in stock broking earn more. Some receive a bonus, if they meet certain established goals.

Employment profile

Stock broking work in the stock exchanges, business houses, financial institutions, or investments banks. They can also start their own consultancies.

The easing of regulation of the banking industry, and the many new stock options made available are rapidly creating new employment opportunities. Though the use of the internet for online trading can hamper the growth, still many investors rely on stockbrokers to assist them in selecting the proper stocks, mutual funds, and other financial products.

The demand for securities sales representatives fluctuates, as the economy expands and contracts.

 

Credit : Dr. Vibha Gupta (Teenager Today)

Picture Credit : Google

Indian Air Force DRDO Netra AWACS Planes To Look Deep Into Pakistan And China

Netra is an Airbome Early Waming and Control (AEWC) aircraft fitted with indigenously developed electronics and hardware. It is useful for surveillance, tracking, identification and classification of airbome and sea surface targets. It is also useful in detecting incoming ballistic missile threats. It played a key role during the Balakot airstrike, carried out by the IAF in February 2019. It provided surveillance and radar coverage to the five Mirage jets that bombed terror launch pads in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was designed and developed by scientists of the DRDO, with assistance from the Bengaluru based Centre for Airborne Systems.

China is equipped with better capabilities. As TOI reported earlier, China has over 20 AWACS, including the new KJ-500 ones that can track over 60 aircraft at ranges up to 470km, while Pakistan, on the other hand has four Swedish Saab-2000 AeW&C aircraft and four Chinese-origin ZDK-03 (KJ-200) AWACS.

Keeping this in mind, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in March 2016 cleared building of two Awacs, which will involve mounting indigenous 360-degree coverage AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars on Airbus A-330 wide-body jets.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Which country has ASAT missile?

India launched its first anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), as part of its Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme, in 2019. The interceptor successfully shot down an out-of service Indian satellite in a low Earth orbit. The test dubbed Mission Shakti, was a joint programme of the DRDO and the Indian Space Research Organisation. With the successful completion of the test, India became only the fourth country after the U.S., Russia and China to have this space weapon technology. Anti-satellite weapons, called ASAT systems, are capable of attacking enemy satellites in space by jamming communications or destroying them. ASAT missiles also act as a space deterrent in dissuading rivals from targeting the country’s satellite network. Satellites are important for a country’s infrastructure as a large number of crucial applications such as navigation and communication networks, banking, stock markets and weather forecasting, are now satellite-based. Destroying satellites could cripple these services. An ASAT system can even target a ground station and stop transmission of information from the satellite attached to it. The system can also direct a manoeuvrable satellite to smash into another satellite!

India has a long standing and rapidly growing space programme. It has expanded rapidly in the last five years. The Mangalyaan Mission to Mars was successfully launched. Thereafter, the government sanctioned the Gaganyaan Mission which will take Indians to outer space.

India has also undertaken 102 spacecraft missions consisting of communication satellites, earth observation satellites, experimental satellites, navigation satellites, apart from satellites meant for scientific research and exploration, academic studies and other small satellites. India’s space programme is a critical backbone of India’s security, economic and social infrastructure.

The test was done to verify that India has the capability to safeguard our space assets.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is Astra Missile?

Astra is a Beyond Visual Range (BVR) class of Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) system designed to be mounted on fighter jets. With a 15-kg high-explosive pre-fragmented warhead, Astra has a range of over 70 km and can fly towards its target at a speed of over 5,555 km/hr. It has an all weather day-and-night capability. The missile is being developed in multiple variants to meet specific requirements.

The missile has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with almost 50 other public and private organisations, which were involved in multiple variants to meet specific requirements.

For the IAF trials, the Astra Mk-I Weapon system integrated with SU-30 Mk-I aircraft was carried out by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

 

Picture Credit : Google

India’s indigenously designed Arjun Mk-1A clears trials, ready to go into production

Arjun Mk-1A dubbed Hunter Killer, is an all-weather 68-tonne battle tank featuring a 120mm main gun. An improved version of the indigenously developed Arjun main battle tank (MBT). Arjun Mk-1A has successfully completed necessary trials. The Mk 1-A sports a sophisticated gunners main sight integrated with automatic target tracking. This would enable the tank crew to track moving targets automatically. The gun is controlled by a computerised fire control system, giving the tank higher kill capability.

The battle tank will have a crew of four — commander, gunner, loader and driver. Keeping them out of harm’s way is paramount. For this, Arjun Mk-1A comes with a slew of new features.

Balamurugan said Track Width Mine Plough (TWMP) is a significant addition which provides capability for the battle tank to cross minefields with ease as the plough mounted to the front of the vehicle creates a mine-free path by ploughing through mines and throwing them to the sides of the tank.

Another key feature added is a Containerised Ammunition Bin with Individual Shutter (CABIS) that gives crew enhanced protection from inadvertent burning of ammunition stored in the ready round bin.

The hot gases generated due to ammunition burning is vented out by blow-off panels from the roof of the turret, thus saving the crew.

 

Picture Credit : Google