Archive for 2018

26 October, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Tips to crack CAT 2018



1. Studying 'more' isn't key
  • For most of you, "more study" is better but with an important caveat.
  • Studying more will help provided you are able to concentrate and learn.
  • If you find it difficult to concentrate on or understand what you are studying, it is time to take a break.
  • Most of you who are not working or do not have any other major demand on your time, can study 6-8 hours a day.
2. Good concentration
  • It is difficult for most people to study with good concentration at a stretch.
  • We recommend that you study for about two hours and take a break for 10-15 minutes before you start the next study session.
  • Studying different areas in a day helps in better concentration.
  • For example, if you plan to study 8 hours a day in chunks of two hours, you may do Quant, RC, DI and LR for two hours each with about 10-15 minutes breaks between every two sessions.
  • However, please ensure that you should cover all areas every week.
3. Weaker areas
  • Further, weaker areas should be allotted more time.
  • The general rule is that the weaker you are in an area, the more time you allocate for the section.
  • Ironically, most students allot more time to those areas which they prefer and are therefore stronger!
  • Resist this temptation and spend more time on the areas you like relatively less! 
  • This will help you with the sectional cutoffs, which are present for the IIMs and other good management institutes.
4. Time management
  • As the exam gives you lesser time than required to solve the entire paper, time management is the most crucial element that is being checked in the examination.
  • Thus, always work with a 'time deadline' when you are tackling or solving questions/exercise/tests so that you are accustomed to the time pressure.  
  • Keep a watch running to simulate the exam pressure. 
  • You may not use the alarm when you are learning something, but always use it for taking even the simplest of the tests. 
  • The standard guideline is that the time you set should be sufficient for tackling around 75 per cent of the questions.
5. Importance of AIMCATs
  • While taking AIMCATs seriously is extremely important for you to know your relative strengths and weaknesses, it is even more important that you analyse your performance thoroughly and have an action plan to improve upon it.
  • Initially, taking around 1-2 mock tests per week with complete analysis and taking action based on the analysis is sufficient.
  • By the end, taking around 2-3, full-length tests in a week will be sufficient, followed by analysis. When analyzing, look at what you solved but took too much time, got wrong, what you left but could have been solved easily (i.e., in less time).
  • This will give you targets to work on for study. 
6. Mathematics concepts and important formulae
  • Revision of mathematics concepts and important formula can be done in the last one month.
  • For now, focus on improving your conceptual clarity.
  • Do not memories formula since the CAT is not looking at your ability to memories, but rather the ability to apply concepts.
  • Working on lots of questions in practice tests that test your concepts is a much better approach than just working on formula-based questions.
7. DI and LR
  • For DI and LR, do look at all types of questions, so that there are no nasty surprises in the exam.
  • If you are familiar with various types of problems in the exam beforehand, you are more likely to do well on the test.
  • Your mock tests can serve as an excellent source of a large number of sets which are the level of the examination.
8. English
  • For English, please note that a bulk of the English section is reading-oriented, whether it is RC or VA questions like Logical Completion of Paragraphs, Logically ordering the Paragraphs, error in usage etc.
  • Surely, there are some Vocabulary and Grammar questions, but the effort you put in them is not going to be as fruitful as improving reading skill. So, focus more on reading.
9. RC section
  • Try to attempt an RC exercise in a time-bound fashion. 
  • Without checking the answers first, try to understand the tough words and concepts from a dictionary and a search engine/encyclopedia. Then, redo the exercise and recheck your answers. You will get a lot more right.
  • You may continue reading some newspaper articles etc. but now the time is for solving the material provided to you, which will give you reading practice and question practice.
  • Do not worry too much about lots of grammar rules, new vocabulary words, etc. Whatever new words you do find in a passage, those you may revise, but do not focus extensively on improving vocabulary now.
10. Some other miscallaneous tips
  • Do not start anything new in the last two weeks before CAT.
  • Focus only on strong areas in the last two weeks.
  • Gradually reduce your study in the last 3-4 days and relax on the day before you will take CAT.
  • Some students fail to do well in mock tests and feel demotivated.
  • Be realistic in your assessment of your caliber and set realistic and achievable goals.
  • Performance improvement takes place slowly since everyone is studying and is trying to improve Even if you improve on an absolute scale, you may not see much improvement in your relative performance.
  • You should therefore set a target of 'achievable improvements' for your next AIMCAT and keep on repeating it.
  • One sees enough cases of students who never crossed 90 percentile in the AIMCATs but got 99 percentile or more in the CAT.
  • In fact, most students tend to get higher percentile in CAT than they were getting in AIMCATs. 
  • So, keep your confidence in yourself and believe that "I shall crack the CAT" till the 180 minutes of the CAT are over.
Courtesy - India Today (Education Today)
17 September, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration at SBS

SBS believes in the celebration of each and every festival, this year too, we organized Ganesh Chaturthi at our campus. It was a sight to behold when the students of SBS welcomed Lord Ganesh with lots of cheers and smiles. Everyone was as happy as Lord Ganesh was, to be with his lovely devotees, who every year, welcome him with the same enthusiasm as always.




The entire event was organized by the students themselves. From decorating the Pandal to serving the Lord Ganesha. The entire 5 days program have cherished everyone with lots of blessings and empowerment. Students, faculties & staff were equally happy to be in the divine presence of Lord Ganesh.




The entire program ended with the Visarjan Ceremony, where students bode final goodbye to their lord promise that he will be back soon next year to bestow his blessings on them.

Courtesy Anam Kathawala
PGDM 2017-19
14 September, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Vibrant Celebrations at SBS Campus


Janmashtami Celebration at SBS
Shanti Business School witnessed the birth of Lord Krishna at the campus which marked the ending of evil days and the beginning of an era full of happiness and prosperity.

The students of SBS organized Krishna Janmashtami on 2nd of September. The entire college gathered to celebrate the birth of their beloved Kanha by organizing a Garba Night followed by the birth ceremony of Lord Krishna.
Janmashtami Celebration at SBS
One could tell by the zeal of students and the way they took the dance floor to another level that they were in a different zone while waiting for the clock to strike 12 to welcome their savior, their Kanha.

The next day was even more fun-filled when the students organized a Dahi Handi Program where the race of who breaks the handi first was between seniors and juniors. The entire college was cheering and the entire aura was filled with enthusiasm and happiness, and why won’t it be, after all the blessings of Lord Krishna were with everyone.

The entire program was a hit as students of both the batches had a great time and also witnessed the arrival of happiness at the campus.

Badminton Tournament at SBS

It is often said that “Academics cannot strive forward without a slight push of sports”. By keeping this line in hearts, SBS has started with their Inter House Sports Tournaments which will be conducted throughout the year to challenge students in areas other than academics and to see which one has the strength to have it all.
Badminton Tournament at SBS
The first tournament was that of Badminton. They were conducted in 2 separate batches, i.e. Girls and Boys. Every house had players which fought through all the rounds to reach the finals. Everyone enjoyed this break from studies and had a great time playing.

It was an epic beginning of a whole year of challenges and victories. Let’s see who takes the cup this time.

Courtesy Anam Kathawala
PGDM 2017-19
20 August, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Digital Storytelling - Communication to another level

Storytelling has always been a part of communications. And as a fair chunk of PR has migrated to online, the concept has become even more noticeable.
First came blogs, which allowed storytelling to become optimised. As online mirrors of copy-based communications, it was easy for blogs to replicate the style and function of traditional storytelling techniques. However, as digital communications has shifted from blogs to social media platforms, we need to ask ourselves: can the same principles of storytelling still be applied?
In short, the answer is yes, but this does not mean that storytelling is the same as it was. Rather the nature of storytelling has changed – evolved even – in line with the new digital era.
First  to examine how blogs and social media function differently. A blog is a multi-paragraph format that allows the author to craft various extended messages. In contrast, the likes of Facebook and Twitter limit content. A message has to be delivered in short bursts of texts — one or two sentences at most.
Reach is also different. Whereas on a blog platform, the reader may have found the blog post through a shared interest or a specific keywords search, a social media audience is more indirect, most often accessing a message through a timeline or content feed. As such, audience attention spans are notoriously short – five seconds or less for each post — so each message needs to be positioned perfectly.
So what does this mean for storytelling? For one thing, it makes it much more difficult. Telling a story in one or two line is an art form in itself, not to mention the challenge of trying to grab the attention and interest of a non-committed audience. At the same time, though, getting digital storytelling right can lead to a much deeper level of communication and engagement.
In terms of copy, it is important that basic elements of storytelling are being adhered to. Does your post contain an introduction — an initial point of interest to intrigue the reader? Does it have a narrative or is it simply introducing an event or product? Have you incorporated a climax or twist? Is it short enough to communicate the message in a manner concise enough to communicate the message to the casual readers?
A second important consideration for digital storytelling is the use of imagery. More than ever before, images perform a central role in the storytelling process. An image is as powerful for delivering a message than any long-form copy. Again, we need to ask a number of questions. What is the image trying to say? Is the core of the message clear? Is the construction of image effective? Are the image and text complimentary, or are they just duplicating the same message?
Social media is different to a blog, which is itself different to a magazine or newspaper. For storytellers, the challenge remains the same — engaging your audience and communicating your message. However, by adapting for new platforms and new consumption habits, we will enter into a new era of digital storytelling.
13 August, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Seher 2018 – Fresher’s Party for PGDM batch 2018-2020

Despite the presence of some clouds, the stars were out and shining at Shanti Business School this night. Seher,2018 - the Fresher’s Party of SBS PGDM batch 2018-2020, had come up with yet another unique theme of geek and gorgeous. And true to its title, the event was full of fashion and interesting geeks and beautiful ladies covered with masks. Every participant was dressed and domed to match the theme in order to demonstrate the oneness and cheerful camaraderie of SBS students.
Masked based, Geek & Gorgeous theme of Seher 2018

  
It was indeed a nostalgic night with DJ beats and delicious food augmented more curiosity and eagerness in the students for upcoming events at SBS Student Council committee said “We have selected this theme as it gives full opportunity to every student to present themselves the way they want to be.” It was a visual delight, watching the freshmen students walk the ramp. 

The audience applauded the contestants for Mr. and Ms. Fresher for PGDM batch-2018-2020. Sunanda Banik was crowed Ms. Fresher 2018 titled as Ms. Gorgeous 2018, and she said “Every single day spent in college is part of the cherished memories and now becoming a Ms. Fresher is like gathering more happy memories, it makes me feel special”.  Devashish Pandey was crowned Mr. Fresher 2018 titled as Mr. Geek 2018. The first and second runner ups winners were Ms. Sakshi Singh as Ms. Mystic 2018, Mr. Rohit Bag as Mr. Marvelous 2018, Ms Nidhi Chauhan as Ms. Devilicous 2018 and Mr. Vivek Kumar as Mr. Dapper 2018. The participants were asked incisive questions by their seniors, which were the part of overall assessment. 

Winners of Seher 2018

The SBS Plaza was decorated as a giant “Gazebo” with mellow lights and paper lanterns and beautiful masks. It was no less than a fashion show. The evening started with the couples setting ablaze the ramp, heading towards a glam photo shoot. It was a delight to see the theme well appreciated with lavish tuxedos by boys and trendy beautiful gowns by girls.
09 August, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Industry Expectation from a Candidate : Degree is not the ONLY factor for selection



For a recruiter finding a right candidate with necessary skills to do a particular job can feel like discovering a giant emerald. However, is this search that difficult...? In today’s era where competition is growing at a rapid pace, is finding a right fit has become a major challenge? We checked with some of the industry experts to throw some light on this issue and based on their feedback, have derived on following FOUR major factors, which they consider while hiring a candidate:
                                                                                                       
1. Fundamentals – Most Industry experts strongly believe if a candidate is good with his fundamental knowledge – it will be easier for him to channelize any major or minor tasks. A fundamentally strong candidate will take less time to deliver the results irrespective of complex nature of a problem.

2. Problem Solving – Logical thinking and Problem Solving skills are major “Go to” for recruiters. Companies like Google believe if a person has an ability to do problem solving they will definitely be able to absorb new things and will be far ahead of their competitors.

3. Communication Skills – Hiring Managers are looking for candidates with ability to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues at all levels. Weather it is written or verbal; they both play a critical part in selection.

4. Integrity – Subject knowledge is one thing and character build up is another. Our value system also plays a critical role in selection. A person with high level of integrity towards his job is always well regarded.


04 August, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Growing demand of Decision Science and Analytics




In this age of swift digitization, big data analytics is empowering enterprises to sum up  tasks in real time with unexceptional ease. Data science and analytics are reshaping marketing strategies and has opened new doors for profit growth and business expansion. Data science and analytics incorporates statistics, mathematics along with other strategic scientific mechanisms to analyze data which is mounting with each passing day.
The entire data which an unit has power over be it regarding asset maintenance or any other equipment, workforce payment and attendance, distribution, customer growth or something else, data can enable it to procure a comprehensive expansion plan. Furthermore, data science also creates streams to get a detailed understanding of a possible scenario when it comes to a specific expansion.
Diving deeper, data science is also facilitating competition analysis helping businesses understand the key areas where they need to zero in their focus to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive environment.
Strategic insights of business performance have also made it convenient for enterprises to predict sales trends and turnover growth. With the numbers in hand, developing new business plans comes with much lower risk factors than ever before.
Looking 15 years back, Computer Science ranked among the most lucrative career options with the internet flexing its potential across the globe. Every engineering aspirant aimed to become a programmer and owing to the demand-supply gap, the salaries were skyrocketing in the CS domain.
However, with the flow of time, the gap bridged and payouts started to shrink. Data Science industry is observing a similar trend at present with an exceptional demand and low supply, the salaries are ‘’among the best’’ in the IT segment if not the best.
A recent report by apex IT industry association, Nasscom depicts that 1.4 lakh jobs remain vacant in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics domain across numerous sectors in India, out of the total demand of 5.1 lakh employees in the country.
The report also highlights that about 3.7 lakh jobs are filled at present and the employee deficit would rise to 2.3 lakh by 2021, as the total demand touches a whopping  8 lakh employees.
Data based decision making is hastily gaining popularity and while analysts till a few years back utilized  tools such as Excel to comprehend data, new tools have emerged for better analysis including-:

·       Google Analytics a tool widely used by marketing departments
·       Sophisticated ERPs which process information and furnish visualizations
·       Exceptional improvements in programming languages including Python and R

While data science has managed to claim a significant footprint in the IT segment, for a consistent investment the technology will have to overcome the challenge of shortage of high-quality skill sets which are crucial to make an entire data science setup business viable.
Surveys depict the evolving of the data science and analytics on the rise and are expected to stir towards enhanced discovery, innovations, and insights: It is the future!




Courtesy - Ms. Liji Jacob 


03 August, 2018
by Harneet Kaur

Recruitment Trends in BFSI Industry



The Banking and Financial Services Industry is expected to recruit about 8.4 million people as per the growth rate each year. BSFI workforce requirement between 2008 and 2022 is expected to be about 4.2 million and sector may create up to 20 lakh new jobs in the next 5-10 years. 

Rise in Fintech

It is predicted that the growth of fintech companies will see a rise in hiring by at least 20%. It will turn these set of multi-taskers to a multi-skilled workforce, suitable for taking on the challenges of economic and technological changes.
Source: EY Global Generation Survey,2016

  • The state of Gujarat is targeting overall skill training capacity to reach 2.5 million by 2017.
  • Incremental human resource requirement in banking & financial services with skilled and semi-skilled between 2017-2022 are 44,800 and 1, 34,400 respectively.
  • Financial Institutions are realizing the importance of technology infrastructure, in order to capture larger markets, gain competitive edge & improve overall customer experience.


01 August, 2018
by

Digital Advertising – Where is it leading to…?



Programmatic advertising is the future of digital advertising and it will soon command a big share of the traditional advertisers recognizing the benefits. Programmatic content will no longer just dominate digital display advertising, but will shortly see the mass adoption of programmatic TV advertising.  It offers great transparency to advertisers as compared to traditional advertising and media buying with locked-in contracts. Advertisers can track the success and effectiveness of their ads in real-time and have option of modifying geographies, target audience and more, in the middle of a campaign. The capability ensures that advertising dollars are not spent unnecessarily and maximum ROI is achieved.


 As per KPMG, Digital The new normal of marketing, 2017 report, At a projected 15.5% growth in 2016, India is one of the fastest growing advertising market globally with a large consumer base and burgeoning e-commernce industry. Although the share of digital advertising spend remains low at 12.7% in 2016, it is one the fastest growing mediums at a CAGR of 33.5% (2015-2020) with expectation of crossing INR 225 billion in 2020.