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Shital

Shital Kakkar Mehra  | Answer  |Ask -

CEO Coach, Business Communication Expert - Answered on Feb 09, 2023

With over 20 years of experience, Shital Kakkar Mehra is one of India’s leading coaches for CEOs. She has personally trained over 45,000 professionals across Asia, including numerous CEOs from leading multinational and progressive domestic companies. Mehra is an All-India gold medallist in hospitality administration from the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Mumbai and an executive presence certification from Cornell University.... more
Abhishek Question by Abhishek on Feb 09, 2023Hindi
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Hi Mayank , I am an industrial automation engineer aged 43 , I am earning a CTC of 26 LPA , I have changed my all previous jobs after every 5-6 years span , from last 12 years my profile has been a combination of team leader and engineering contribution, but in my current job I am on bench from 2 years now , good thing that getting the salary , but due to less salaries in my core area of industrial automation I am not finding any suitable job and even got rejected many times as all positions comparable to my salary are plant HODs for which I do not qualify , I have no option but to look for job outside india which is again not easy for my domain , kindly suggest what is the best possible solution for candidate like me ? Thanks in advance

Ans: Dear Mayank,
Please connect with a reputed recruitment specialist/ career counsellor who should be able to guide you.

Thanks
Career

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Nayagam P

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Aug 16, 2024

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Hello Sir! I have total versatile experience of 20 years in Back Office Operations (5 years), Procurement Manager (5 years), Program Manager of Content Development Team (4 years), Marketing – Onboarding companies for placing our students for a 3-year internship (Earn and Learn) (2 years) PA to JMD along with Recruitment Officer (at present) in one company only, working from 2003. However, when I received the role of Recruitment, I found it interesting and quite challenging and to discover new networks and studying the vast topic of HR. After 2 years of recruitment (self-learned the process), I enrolled in two certification programs viz. HR Analytics (from CHRMP) and HR Generalist (Payroll, Talent Acquisition and Strategic Human Resource Management) – (from Protouch with SHRM and HRCI Certification). I am trying internally for a shift in my present company however, I can’t proceed here. Simultaneously, I am looking for Talent Acquisition or Recruiter positions outside my office and applying the same but could not succeed. I feel and think, that companies might be thinking why she is shifting now and secondly, my overall experience is good, but core TA experience is 4 years. I am looking for a CTC of Rs. 18 Lakhs. I request you to please guide me how I should proceed further – should I stay in my company or look outside. If looking outside for the opportunities, then what measures I should take for receiving a good job offer and salary package. Thanking you Regards, Madhuri Shinde
Ans: Madhuri Madam, You have NOT mentioned about your Current Salary Package.

Please note, as you have correctly mentioned that your Core TA (Talent Acquisition) Experience is just 4-years, for which it is very difficult to get a job with 18.00 Lacs CTC. (almost 1.5 lacs/month). Also, please note, you have been handling only one of the functions of HR i.e. Recruitment/Staffing. If you expect 18.00 Lacs CTC, you should have had PRACTICAL experience in maximum number of HR functions such as Pay Roll, Training & Development, Staffing, MPP (Manpower Planning), Performance Appraisal, Labour Law Compliance, Employee Benefits, Knowledge of about various Labour Laws such as Industrial Disputes Act, Workmen's Compensation Act, ESI, PF, Gratuity etc.

As you have been doing 2-Certifications & have worked in the 'Staffing/Recruitment/TA' Function, you might be well-aware that 'Line' Function attracts more salary than 'Staff' Function.

Suggestions:

(1) It is better to continue with current employer and keep upgrading skills and researching about all Functions of HR/Personnel Management/Industrial Relations.

(2) Have a Professional LinkedIn Profile, Connect with HR Professionals (not to ask for jobs) but to gain knowledge/views from them, Keep writing views/articles in LinkedIn on 'HR', put Job Alerts for Senior HR Position, get notifications & if you feel, your profile matches with the JD of job vacancies in HR, you can keep applying for the same.

(Views based on my experience: Having Completed PGDIR/PM from Delhi, Labour Law from Madras University & Diploma in Training & Development from ISTD-Delhi & Worked in Delhi/Muscat/Chennai in HR/Administration Department).

All the BEST for Your Bright Future, Madhuri Madam.

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Onkar

Onkar Singh  | Answer  |Ask -

Career Management, Skills Development Expert - Answered on Aug 23, 2024

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Hello Sir! I have total versatile experience of 21 years in Back Office Operations (5 years), Procurement Manager (5 years), Program Manager of Content Development Team (4 years), Marketing – Onboarding companies for placing our students for a 3-year internship (Earn and Learn) (2 years) PA to JMD along with Recruitment Officer (at present) in one company only, working from 2003. However, when I received the role of Recruitment (from April 2021), I found it interesting and quite challenging and to discover new networks and studying the vast topic of HR. After 2 years of recruitment (self-learned the process), I enrolled in two certification programs viz. HR Analytics (from CHRMP) and HR Generalist (Payroll, Talent Acquisition and Strategic Human Resource Management) – (from Protouch with SHRM and HRCI Certification). I am trying internally for a shift in my present company however, I can’t proceed here. Simultaneously, I am looking for Talent Acquisition or Recruiter positions outside my office and applying the same but could not succeed. I feel and think, that companies might be thinking why she is shifting now and secondly, my overall experience is good, but core TA experience is 4+ years. Present CTC is Rs.14 Lakhs and I am looking for a CTC of Rs. 19 Lakhs. I request you to please guide me how I should proceed further – should I stay in my company or look outside. If looking outside for the opportunities, then what measures I should take for receiving a good job offer and salary package. Thanking you Regards, Madhuri Shinde
Ans: Hi Madhuri,
You have impressive experience and a great mindset of constant learning. My suggestion would be to continue looking for relevant roles inside your current company, where you have greater chances of success. There's no harm at all in trying outside. I would suggest reaching out to relevant folks within your company and even outside using platforms like LinkedIn. Your expectations are realistic, and you should soon land a role and the package that you're aiming for. All the best!

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Nayagam P

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 14, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025Hindi
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Hello, I am currently in Class 12 and preparing for JEE. I have not yet completed even 50% of the syllabus properly, but I aim to score around '110' marks. Could you suggest an effective strategy to achieve this? I know the target is relatively low, but I have category reservation, so it should be sufficient.
Ans: With category reservation (SC/ST/OBC), a score of 110 marks is absolutely achievable and realistic. Based on 2025 data, SC candidates qualified with approximately 60-65 percentile, and ST candidates with 45-55 percentile. Your target requires scoring just 37-40% marks, which is significantly lower than general category standards. This gives you a genuine advantage. Immediate Action Plan (December 2025 - January 2026): 4-5 Weeks. Week 1-2: High-Weightage Chapter Focus. Stop trying to complete the entire syllabus. Instead, focus exclusively on high-scoring chapters that carry maximum weightage: Physics (Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Work-Power-Energy, Rotation, Magnetism), Chemistry (Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds, Electrochemistry), and Maths (Integration, Differentiation, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability). These chapters alone can yield 80-100+ marks if practiced properly. Ignore topics you haven't studied yet. Week 2-3: Previous Year Questions (PYQs). Solve JEE Main PYQs from the last 10 years (2015-2025) for chapters you're studying. PYQs reveal question patterns and difficulty levels. Focus on understanding why answers are correct, not memorizing solutions. Week 3-4: Mock Tests & Error Analysis. Take 2-3 full-length mock tests weekly under timed conditions. This is crucial because mock tests build exam confidence, reveal time management weaknesses, and error analysis prevents repeated mistakes. Maintain an error notebook documenting every mistake—this becomes your revision guide. Week 4-5: Revision & Formula Consolidation. Create concise formula sheets for each subject. Spend 30 minutes daily reviewing formulas and key concepts. Avoid learning new topics entirely at this stage. Study Schedule (Daily): 7-8 Hours. Morning (5:00-7:30 AM): Physics concepts + 30 PYQs. Break (7:30-8:30 AM): Breakfast & rest. Mid-morning (8:30-11:00): Chemistry concepts + 20 PYQs. Lunch (11:00-1:00 PM): Full break. Afternoon (1:00-3:30 PM): Maths concepts + 30 PYQs. Evening (3:30-5:00 PM): Mock test or error review. Night (7:00-9:00 PM): Formula revision & weak area focus. Strategic Approach for 110 Marks: Attempt only confident questions and avoid negative marking by skipping difficult questions. Do easy questions first—in the exam, attempt all basic-level questions before attempting medium or hard ones. Focus on quality over quantity as 30 well-practiced questions beat 100 random questions. Master NCERT concepts as most JEE questions test NCERT concepts applied smartly. April 2026 Session Advantage. If January doesn't deliver desired results, April gives you a second chance with 3+ months to prepare. Use January as a practice attempt to identify weak areas, then focus intensively on those in February-March. Realistic Timeline: January 2026 target is 95-110 marks (achievable with focused 50% syllabus), while April 2026 target is 120-130 marks (with complete syllabus + experience). Your reservation benefit means you need only approximately 90-105 marks to qualify and secure admission to quality engineering colleges. Stop comparing yourself to general category cutoffs. Most Importantly: Consistency beats perfection. Study 6 focused hours daily rather than 12 distracted hours. Your 110-mark target is realistic—execute this plan with discipline. All the BEST for Your JEE 2026!

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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1841 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025
Career
Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently a 1st year UG student studying engineering in Sairam Engineering College, But there the lack of exposure and strict academics feels so rigid and I don't like it that. It's like they don't gaf about skills but just wants us to memorize things and score a good CGPA, the only skill they want is you to memorize things and pass, there's even special class for students who don't perform well in academics and it is compulsory for them to attend or else the student and his/her parents needs to face authorities who lashes out. My question is when did engineering became something that requires good academics instead of actual learning and skill set. In sairam they provides us a coding platform in which we need to gain the required points for each semester which is ridiculous cuz most of the students here just look at the solution to code instead of actual debugging. I am passionate about engineering so I want to learn and experiment things instead of just memorizing, so I actually consider dropping out and I want to give jee a try and maybe viteee , srmjeee But i heard some people say SRM may provide exposure but not that good in placements. I may not be excellent at studies but my marks are decent. So gimme some insights about SRM and recommend me other colleges/universities which are good at exposure
Ans: First — your frustration is valid

What you are experiencing at Sairam is not engineering, it is rote-based credential production.

“When did engineering become memorizing instead of learning?”

Sadly, this shift happened decades ago in most Tier-3 private colleges in India.

About “coding platforms & points” – your observation is sharp

You are absolutely right:

Mandatory coding points → students copy solutions

Copying ≠ learning

Debugging & thinking are missing

This is pseudo-skill education — it looks modern but produces shallow engineers.

The fact that you noticed this in 1st year already puts you ahead of 80% students.

Should you DROP OUT and prepare for JEE / VITEEE / SRMJEEE?

Although VIT/SRM is better than Sairam Engineering College, but you may face the same problem. You will not face this type of problem only in some top IITs, but getting seat in those IITs will be difficult.
Instead of dropping immediately, consider:

???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

This way:

College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

...Read more

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