A very interesting trip is coming up. I came to know of a small enterprising group of people who after doing various stuff ended up running a placement cell kind-of place for their alma mater, an engineering college in Bijapur. They invited me down to come and talk to the students about corporate world, interviewing, getting a job, stuff like that. Generally students from small-town engineering colleges don't get enough exposure to the life in companies in tech centers like Bangalore, so I think these kind of talks could potentially benefit them a lot. Also the area of training exiting students so that they can be absorbed into industry is something that I've been interested in for a while now. During all the recruitment at Juniper it was clear that the level of most freshers leaves a lot to be desired and there seemed to be a real business (and social) opportunity there. McKinsey did a study where they say that some large percent (75 if I remember right) of all engineering grads coming out of India are 'unemployable' (I don't know what exactly they were using as their benchmark for employability).
So these people have agreed to pay my expenses (a 12 hour bus ride!) and give me a small honorarium which makes the whole thing work very well for me. And if this thing works out well and there is scope to expand and do the same or similar thing on a larger scale it would be very cool.
I am very interested in comments of people in a position to know what I am talking about, regarding what I could usefully talk to them about.
3 comments:
Babu - I am going through some of your entries. In your older blog, you mention the Buru Quartet which happens to be an old favourite. Momentum took over and I had to write to you again. Keep up the good work. Also, Id like to find out more about your interest in biodiesel. As you may remember, I work on air pollution, and now climate change, issues for power companies here. There's all kinds of stuff happening in the energy/environmental field as you probably well know. Here is a recent report on the impacts of climate change: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm. Also, you might find something interesting at http://www.newventuresindia.org/nvi/Content/index.jsp or at http://www.winrockindia.org/, if you haven't already visited these sites. Id actually interviewed for a job with WRI/New Ventures, and would probably be in Hyd if I hadn't been greedy. I'd like to talk to you on the phone one of these days, so I'd like it if you can email your phone # to me. By the way, some great photos. And here are a couple of verses from TS Eliot for you to muse upon:
In your older blogs you sound like Prufrock:
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?,
or
And time yet for a hundred indecisions
And a hundred visions and revisions.
But you trip to Timbaktu puts you on the path to Eliot's still point:
When the tongues of flame are infolded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one
Finally, I think replacing Prufrock with Arjuna and Eliot with the Gita does no harm to the analogy - from Arjuna's doubts to his fulfillment as our very own Gita illustrates. So fare forward my friend!
Hey Sunil -- just great to hear from you, and lots of stuff to discuss in your mail. Here's some quick responses with more to come.
I took a quick look at the New Ventures, Winrock websites (I had heard of Winrock earlier).
So you interviewed with these people for a job in India huh ?! I guess the pay would have been very little especially for someone relocating. Not easy to make it work.
Re. Prufrock and the Gita: you cannot get away from yourself! A whole new can of uncertanities has been opened by Timbaktu/timeoff thing. Soldier on !
I'll send my contact info..
Great, great opportunity I think. Can you have it videotaped and posted here for us to see?
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