India in 2050

India is the Country of assorted variety. It is the excellence if assorted variety that makes india a one of a kind nation in each perspective be it specialized, logical, social, or natural. Each Indian is worth of achieving each errand that can prospers the economy of the country. Indeed, even history has demonstrated that Indians are worth diamonds for world as the vivekanand, mahatma Gandhi, mother Teresa, satuyajit beam, sam pitroda and numerous to determine. It is demonstrated that we Indians has more ingenuity than numerous other open on the planet. At that point the inquiry stuck in our brain that as per current circumstance how india will glance in 2050? What will be its financial status, science and mechanical turn of events, expectation for everyday comforts and other related fields?Though having occupied streets, tight calendar, populace thickness, wellbeing dangers and so on., we Indians are as yet pleased with our way of life. disregarding serving MNC’s with modes t work, despite everything being the main motivation of achievement of our way of life that attention on eco-neighborliness, our activities that we however by implication enjoy serving humanity.India has encountered unprecedented populace development: somewhere in the range of 2001 and 2011 India added 181 million individuals to the world, somewhat not exactly the whole populace of Brazil. Yet, 76 percent of India’s populace lives on under US$2 every day (at buying power equality rates). India positions at the base of the pyramid in per capita-level utilization pointers in vitality or power as well as in practically all other applicable per capita-level utilization markers, in spite of high paces of development in the last decade.Much of India’s populace increment has happened among the most unfortunate financial percentile. Generally socio-monetarily propelled Indian states had a richness pace of under 2.1 in 2009 †not exactly the level expected to keep up a stea dy populace adhering to newborn child mortality norms in created nations.But in more unfortunate states like Bihar, ripeness rates were closer to 4.0. Does this development mean India can depend on the ‘demographic dividend’ to prod advancement? This marvel, which alludes to the period where a huge extent of a country’s populace is of working age, is said to have represented between one-fourth and two-fifths of East Asia’s ‘economic miracle’ as watched late last century.But India isn't East Asia. Its populace thickness is just about multiple times the normal in East Asia and in excess of multiple times the world normal of 45 individuals for each square kilometer. In the event that India has anyplace close to 1.69 billion individuals in 2050, it will have in excess of 500 individuals for each square kilometer. Furthermore, as far as foundation advancement India as of now is not even close to where East Asian countries were before their blast. As far as delicate to hard framework, spreading over instruction, human services, streets, power, lodging, work development and that's only the tip of the iceberg, India is noticeably strained.For model, India has an introduced vitality limit of minimal more than 200 gigawatts; China has more than 1000 gigawatts and intends to produce 600 gigawatts of clean power by 2020. To exacerbate the situation, a significant number of the recently introduced power stations in India face an intense deficiency of coal, and future flexibly isn't ensured. China mines near four billion tons of coal for every year, which negatively affects both neighborhood and worldwide air quality.At some stage, it is presumably inescapable that India will require a lot more noteworthy limit than its current pace of mining 600 million tons of coal for each year, which is likewise causing nearby and worldwide contamination levels to rise †portions of India face air quality issues like those in China. On oil, India imports near 80 percent of its unrefined petroleum prerequisites, while it likewise runs an unreasonable current record shortage of more than 5 percent of its GDP, and stores for new vitality sources like shale gas don't look encouraging either.India’s food gracefully is in a far and away more terrible position. As an individual from India’s Planning Commission put it, ‘we have an issue and it tends to be obviously placed in the accompanying manner: around 2004â€2005,â our per capita food grains creation had returned to the 1970s level’. In 2005â€07, the normal Indian expended just 2,300 calories for every day †underneath the characterized destitution line in rustic regions of 2,400 calories per day. The pattern as of late is for Indians to eat even less.So, for India, rewarding delicately Malthusian forecasts about food flexibly until 2050 or past may not be judicious. Overall food costs have been on the ascent to unanticipated levels, a nd India also has been experiencing high food inflation.Finally, regardless of whether India figures out how to take care of its blossoming populace, its development may not be naturally feasible. The worldwide interest for water in 2050 is anticipated to be more than 50 percent of what it was in 2000, and interest for food will twofold. By and large, a thousand tons of water is required to create one ton of food grains. It’s to be expected, at that point, that universal debates about water have progressively been reproduced among states in India, where the Supreme Court is every now and again asked to intervene.The plausible answer is that strategy producers have flopped pitiably on every quantifiable tally. In the event that one looks at India to China this turns out to be clear. While China’s one-kid strategy has been censured as against human respect and rights †and there is no denying that such measures ought to be kept away from beyond what many would consid er possible †the historical backdrop of human progress instructs us that outrageous circumstances call for extraordinary activities. There will be abundant time for numerous schools to have their post-mortems on the achievement and disappointment of the one-youngster strategy, yet it has helped China to control its populace by a potential 400 million people.There are as yet a huge number of individuals despite everything getting by in india on pay of short of what one dollar daily . India will never be consider created nation except if and until the destitution, appetite and agony of the poor in the city and those living in the ghettos is controlled. As indicated by the riches report 2012 byâ knightfrunk and citi private bank, india will develop as the monetary superpower in 2050, beating U.S. what's more, china with a GDP of $85.97 trillion and india will likewise observe a monetary development of 8% by 2050.There must be upward versatility in financial terms and recognisatio n is through execution and results, and not through different measurements which suit specific vested parties. Indian cutting edge organizations ought to make their own top situation on the planet by indentifying world and satisfying those by utilizing advances. They ought to recognize what administrations should be created and conveyed to address the issue of our immature populace to improve medicinal services, instruction and new monetary models to profit in reverse segments of the general public. The cutting edge industry is experiencing problematic changes due to progress to cloud-conveyed services.Thus an Optimistic perspective on rising india as a completely created as a superpower country as well as a healthy improvement in the fields of wellbeing, training, business, urban and unique emphesis on provincial advancement with a neediness free, ghetto free, high work opportunity are the musings and dreams that each Indian may be seeing. with the endeavors of us all we will doubt lessly consider our to be INDIA IN 2050 as a prousperous, cheerful and overally created country.

Accounting Statement Analysis Rogers Communication

Question: Examine about the Accounting Statement Analysis for Rogers Communication. Answer: Presentation Rogers Communication is a Canadian interchanges and media organization with its home office situated in Toronto, Ontario. The organization principally works in the matter of remote correspondences, link TVs, phone and web network, telecom and broad communications. In this manner it has an enhanced business spread entire over Canada. This organization has been in its business for over 50 years. In this report we have investigated the budgetary report of Rogerss correspondence for the year 2015 from a financial specialist perspective (Rogers Communication Inc, 2015). We will check if the companys budgetary condition is steady and worth contributing for. All other significant focuses are additionally canvassed in the report underneath. Synopsis of Rogerss correspondence budget summaries Rogerss correspondence is a creating organization which has been indicating acceptable outcomes in its monetary reports. Synopsis of the asset report of Rogers Communication is given underneath: Rundown (in million Canadian $) Points of interest 2015 2014 Current Assets 2,622 2,345 Non-Current Assets 26,553 24,177 All out ASSETS 29,175 26,522 Current Liabilities 5,017 4,920 Non-Current Liabilities 18,413 16,121 Value Shareholder's Fund 5,745 5,481 All out LIABILITIES 29,175 26,522 By and large we can see that the money related resources of the organization have expanded by more than 10 percent in the present year. This has been the refection of expanded tasks by the organization in the present year. The organization has accomplished gigantic improvement in the present year by executing the utilization of different methodologies; not many of such procedures remember finding a way to drive development for the business market, contributing and creating individuals, activity to convey convincing substance all over the place, and so forth (Rogers Communication Inc, 2015). Articulation of Income Rogerss correspondence detailed working income of $ 13.4 million in the year 2015 when contrasted with the income of $ 12.9 million in the year 2014, that is, it announced a positive difference of just about 4 percent in the present year. The working benefit of the organization was accounted for was accounted for as $ 5 million in the present year which is same as the benefits of the most recent year. The organization didn't any expansion in working benefits regardless of increment in income because of expanded working expenses in the present year. Likewise the organization detailed an other salary of $ 32 million as against the cost of $1 million in a year ago; this pay was seen from increases earned from obtaining of Mobilicity and other venture wages (Rogers Communication Inc, 2015). Thusly, by and large a positive presentation was seen by the organization. Proportion Analysis Proportion Analysis causes us break down specific properties of the organization and its presentation. It sets out the turn of events and development made by the numerous in quantitative figures. This apparatus isn't just utilized by the speculators, however it likewise utilized by the administration of the organization to consider its monetary exhibition (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2011). Following are the couple of proportions which will assist us with thinking about the monetary state of the organization in a superior way. Gainfulness proportions These proportions assist us with evaluating the businesss capacity to gain pay when contrasted with its costs. Not many of the benefit proportions are: Profit for Assets Ratio This proportion causes us to figure winning earned per dollar spend on the advantages of the organization. This enables the organization to assess what returns it creates over its interest in resources (Choi Meek, 2011). Profit for Assets 2015 2014 Total compensation 1,381 1,341 Complete Assets 29,175 26,522 Profit for Assets (Net Income/Average Assets) 0.05 0.05 FOR Rogers Communication we have just observed before that the organization has not accomplished a lot of positive difference in net gain of the organization. The organization has figured out how to remain stable in its pay position. Additionally, income per dollar spend on resource stays at $ 0.05 per dollar similarly as a year ago. Net Profit Margin This proportion is determined so as to decide the edge of net benefits earned by the organization in the present year. In the event that this is considered exclusively it won't be very useful, however on the off chance that it used to contrast figures on year with year premise, it shows companys advancement and development (Deegan, 2011). Net Profit Margin 2015 2014 Overall gain 1,381 1,341 Deals Revenue 13,414 12,850 Net Profit Margin [(Net Profit after expense/Sales Revenue)*100] 10.30 10.44 The organization has had very little advancement in progress of its net overall revenue in the present year. The net benefit of the organization keeps up it levels at 10% simply like a year ago. The present year is apparent of increment in deals by 10% of the organization, however because of increment in working costs the organization has set off this expansion in income. Net Profit Margin This proportion is like gross benefit proportion. The gross benefit proportion ascertains the net revenue thinking about pay and costs just from the working exercises of the organization (Burke et. al, 2010). This proportion is determined so as to discover the proficiency of the organization, with respect to how successfully the assets are utilized. Net overall revenue 2015 2014 Net Income 2,559 2,665 Deals Revenue 13,414 12,850 Net Profit Margin [(Gross Profit/Sales Revenue)*100] 19.08 20.74 The organization works at a normal degree of 20% gross benefit. The organization has in the present year worked at a gross net revenue of 19% though the gross overall revenue of a year ago was practically 21%. This decrease in net overall revenue was seen because of increment in working costs of the organization, this lead to bring down gross benefits as contrast with income. Dissolvability Ratio Dissolvability Ratios are the proportions which assist us with figuring the companys capacity to repay its liabilities and meet its commitment. For the companys solid execution it is extremely vital for the organization to have legitimate capital structure (Christensen, 2011). Obligation Equity Ratio This proportion encourages us figure what extent of the organization is financed by monies of the pariahs and what is the own segment of capital of the investors. Higher the claimed piece of capital better it is for organization (Christensen, 2011). However, there are barely any organizations which work better when they are financed with outcasts support. Obligation Equity Ratio 2015 2014 All out Debt 18,413 16,121 All out Equity 5,745 5,481 Obligation Equity Ratio 3.21 2.94 We see that the obligation value proportion of the organization has gone up from 2.94 in 2014 to 3.24 in 2015. Despite the fact that it isn't suitable for the organizations to put a lot under water, in the ebb and flow situation we see that, the organization has expanded its obligation venture when contrasted with a year ago. This has furnish the organization with reserves which has been proficiently utilized by the organization and has created additional 10% income in the present year. Different Ratios These different proportions will assist the speculators with reading the presentation of the organization and advantages they give to its investors. These proportions give data from the financial specialists perspective. Value Earnings proportion The value profit proportion enables the speculator to figure up to what greatest occasions of the income of the organization the financial specialist is prepared to pay for the offer (Brigham Daves, 2012). Higher proportion showed that the financial specialist is prepared to pay high sums for the portion of the organization according to the profit of the organization; this is so in light of the fact that the organization will be relied upon to develop. Value Earnings Ratio 2015 2014 Cost 47.72 44 Income 2.68 2.60 Value Earnings Ratio 17.81 16.80 We see that the cost of portion of Rogers Communication has gone up to $ 47.72 from $ 43.69 in the most recent year. The organization has clearly accomplished some great work which has been reflected in the offer cost of the organization. Besides, the cost income proportion of the organization has expanded to 17.81 from 18.80, which shows that speculators are prepared to pay more sum than they were happy to pay a year ago for the portion of the organization (Fields, 2011). Profit per share The profit per share shows the amount of the income have been appropriated by the organization as profits per offer to its investors (Brigham Daves, 2012). Profit per share 2015 2014 Profit per share 1.92 1.83 The profit paid by the organization a year ago was $ 1.83 per share held by the investors. In the present year the organization has paid $ 1.92 per share as profits to its investors. Installment or non-installment of profit by the organization is an absolute circumspect factor. In the event that the organization expects that the assets accessible can be put to increasingly profitable utilize then it might choose to deliver low or no profits and the other way around. Riches augmentation ought to be the fundamental thought process of the financial specialists of the organization (Brealey et. al, 2011) End The organization appears to have acted in a reasonable way. The exhibition of the organization according to other perspective additionally is by all accounts fine; the general execution of the organization has furnished the investors with positive outcomes. The organization should continue executing its tasks in a similar way, with the exception of it should discover intends to improve its working consumption. Improvement in this factor of the organization will give it progressively positive outcomes. In general as a speculator, putting resources into Rogers Communication is by all accounts a

The Solar System Essay Sample free essay sample

1 ) What do we expect by a geocentric presence? Balance a geocentric situation with our cutting edge position of the presence. Geocentric portrays the idea that everything spun around Earth. contrasted with current comprehension that everything spins around the Sun ( our star ) . 2 ) Briefly portray the significant degrees of development (, for example, planet. star. cosmic system ) in the presence. Planet: ( a ) Orbits a star. ( B ) large bounty for its ain inclination toward do it round. ( degree Celsius ) has cleared most different items from its orbital way. Sun: The star of our sun powered system.Star: Large. sparkling wad of enkindled gas that produces heat and noticeable radiation through nuclear merger in its core. Cosmic system: An extraordinary island of stars in unbounded. joining two or three hundred million or trillion stars held together by attraction. rotating a typical focus. 3 ) What do we plan when we state that the presence is spread trip? How does development lead to the idea of the Big Bang? Perceptions of removed cosmic systems show that the presence is spread excursion by a mean separation expansion between universes. We will compose a custom paper test on The Solar System Essay Sample or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page We can follow back in light of present conditions to discover what we were each of the one presence and where the Big Bang may hold began. 4 ) What did Carl Sagan mean when he said that we are â€Å"star stuff† ? Star material alludes to the comprehension that all the components in the presence are made from stars. counting ourselves. The greater the star. the heavier the components. 5 ) How quick does light go? What is a light-year? Light goes at a speed of 300. 000 km/sec. From Moon to Earth. it takes around 1 second for obvious radiation to go. From the Sun to the Earth is takes around 8 proceedingss. On light-year’s travel = 10 trillion kilometers ( 6 trillion detail mis ) . 6 ) Explain the announcement: The farther off we look in separation. the farther back we look in cut. Since light takes such a long time to go these significant distances. the obvious radiations we are seeing are extremely a huge number of mature ages old. 7 ) What do we mean by the detectable presence? Is it a similar thing as the full presence? The noticeable universe incorporates everything that we can conceivably observe. anything short of 14 billion light a very long time from Earth’s place ) . It is non a similar thing as the full presence. only the part that we can see. 8 ) Describe the close planetary system as it looks on the 1-to-10 billion graduated table utilized in the content. How distant are different stars on this equivalent graduated table? The closest star framework to our ain. Alpha Centauri. is around 4. 4 light-years off. That separation is around 4400 kilometer ( 2700 myocardial dead tissue ) on the 1-to-10 billion graduated table. or on the other hand roughly equivalent to the separation over the U. S. 9 ) Describe at any rate one way to set the graduated table of the Milky Way Galaxy into position and in any event one way to set the size of the recognizable presence into position. On the off chance that you chop down our close planetary system by a scale factor of 1 billion. the breadth of the Milky Way Galaxy become 100 meter. ( a football field ) . furthermore, our infinitesimal nearby planetary group is situated on the 20 pace line. In the event that you remained at our place. 1000000s of star frameworks would exist in the scope of your weaponries. 10 ) Use the vast schedule to portray how mankind fits into the graduated table of clasp. The full human civilisation falls into only the keep going half moment on the vast schedule. where one month is more than 1 billion mature ages. 11 ) Define galactic unit. ecliptic plane. what's more, pivot joust. Clarify how each is identified with Earth’s rotating movement as well as circle. Astronomic unit: Earth’s mean orbital separation. equal to around 150 million kilometers or 93 million detail mis. Ecliptic plane: Earth’s orbital plane. level way Axis joust: 23 1/2 evaluations opposite to the ecliptic plane. focuses about unequivocally to Polaris ( current Northern Star ) 12 ) What is the type of the Milky Way Galaxy? Depict our sun powered system’s area and signal. The type of the Milky Way Galaxy is a spinning. pinwheel-like plate. Our close planetary system is situated in a 230-million-year circle. around 28. 000 light a long time from the focal point of the Galaxy. 13 ) Distinguish between our galaxy’s plate and atmosphere. Where does the enigmatic dull issue appear to shack? The majority of the mass of the cosmic system lies outside of the seeable plate in what we call the atmosphere. The undertaking outside is called dull issue since we have non identified any light originating from it. 14 ) What cardinal perception drives us to reason that the presence is spread excursion? Utilize the raisin bar hypothetical record to elucidate how these perceptions suggest augmentation. A spread excursion raisin bar shows that if individual was populating in one of the raisins inside the bar. they could compute out that the bar is spread excursion by identifying that the various raisins are going off. with increasingly removed raisins going off quicker. In a similar way. we realize that we live in a spread excursion presence since all universes outside our Local Group are going off from us. progressively far off 1s voyaging quicker.

Management in a Globalised World Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The board in a Globalized World - Assignment Example Expanding number of organizations concentrate more assets, time, and endeavors for being a genuine corporate mindful residents. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an idea has numerous different definitions and translations. CSR is characterized as a â€Å"management idea whereby organizations incorporate social and natural worries in their business tasks and collaborations with their stakeholders† (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, n.d.: n.p.). In this way, CSR is an idea based upon three significant columns, including: financial, social, and natural. There are various social and ecological issues, which the organizations may deliver so as to improve social government assistance and add to positive natural impression. The key CSR issue fluctuate from natural administration, capable sourcing, and eco-proficiency to work guidelines, social value, representative and network relations, and so forth. (Joined Nations Industrial Development Organization, n.d). As it is determined that the total populace will surpass 9 billion by 2050, the issue of new water gracefully will be very genuine (Brownlee and Elias, 2014), the board of rare water assets stays to be one of the significant conversations among the researchers, hippies, and different experts. Careful utilization of rare characteristic assets such a water is additionally a significant issue in motivation of numerous enormous companies working in food and drink industry. Either being driven by moral contemplations or by business gainfulness issues many organization embrace different CSR activities identified with dependable water the executives. One of such companies is a worldwide innovator in drinks industry, Coca-Cola. Water stewardship is one of the key components of Coca-Cola’s framework and worth chain (Sustainability report 2013/2014). The organization perceives the need to keep up a â€Å"sufficient amount of sheltered, open water from manageable supplies† (Coca-Cola

Project Management for Opening Street Food †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Examine about the Project Management for Opening Street Food. Answer: Sydney Metro Station in NSW, a great spot for road food opening Sydney Metro Station is one of the most alluring spots for the clients to come and profit food from the food trucks and vans (Sainsbury, Colagiuri Magnusson, 2107). Clients visit the metro station as it is a day by day part of their excursions. Road food keeps client associated with the seller. Considering the Sydney metro station as one of the busiest station in North South Whales in Australia, it draws in the vast majority of the clients for profiting food from the road trucks and road vans. Food vans and food tucks are worked to unite design and food in one grounds. There are for the most part two sorts of versatile food distributing Food vans and food trucks. Food vans are those which sell food that are not unsafe and incorporate practices that include low dangers. Though Food trucks are those versatile nourishments distributing that faces challenges (Zhao Li, 2017). Food that are cooked in the spot itself or the food in which temperature are to be kept up are considered as dangerous food. Food assumes a significant job in working of the urban areas. The individuals are strictly and socially associated with food. Sydney metro station, a significant plays for every day visit for the residents of NSW helps the food merchant outside the metro station to set up their business in selling of food. As an initial business, limits on nourishments are given to the profiting clients. The condition that is worked outside the metro station of Sydney makes an effect on communication of individuals with food making it a decent spot for a new company to sell their food. Authorizations required for nearby merchants The neighborhood road seller needs authorization from the nearby proprietor or the committee they are selling food at. The authorization and the measure of assessment that they need to provide for the legislature contrast in better places. The endorsement arrangements of the neighborhood given to the versatile food sellers in Sydney. There are specific laws for treatment of safe food and the practices that require in planning of food (Hal et al., 2016). The conditions that are required for exchanging on the road that incorporates the all out number of hours for selling of food and the specific area of the territory where to sell the food and the event of different organizations. The methods for profiting authorization for various kinds of food dealer are extraordinary. Arrangements are distinctive in each region including the quantity of hours and the sort of food that they are selling. The various territories in Sydney where various arrangements are based are as per the following- Approaches for food truck Approaches of food van Endorsement approach of portable food distributing The board activity plan The approaches for versatile food distributing are that any of the enlisted vehicles that are utilized in the region of the metro station are either towed down committee or is self-propelled (Ahmed et al., 2014). The vehicles do exclude bicycles or vehicles or no fixed shop. These kinds of vehicles are not given enlistment. On side food readiness is finished by vehicles distributing versatile food, for example, tacos and burgers and food that needs one stage planning, for example, espresso, popcorns and any sort of food that are pre pressed. Under vehicles of portable food distributing, there are two classes Food vans incorporates Category 1 and Food trucks incorporate Category 2. Food vans incorporate nourishments that are not dangerous, for example, planning of espresso or frozen yogurts. A food truck includes risky food, for example, creation of food and keeping the temperature directly for the food that needs the temperature. The merchants of versatile food vehicle ought to guarantee that they have the authorization for utilizing the street possessed by the Council before beginning their business. The sellers ought to fulfill the prerequisites of enactment of the metro region of Sydney and the Policy. References Sainsbury, E., Colagiuri, S., Magnusson, R. (2017). A review of food and drink promoting on the Sydney metropolitan train organize: guideline and strategy implications.BMC open health,17(1), 490. Zhao, P., Li, S. (2017). Bike metro combination in a developing city: The determinants of cycling as an exchange mode in metro station zones in Beijing.Transportation examine section An: arrangement and practice,99, 46-60. van Hal, S. J., Espedido, B. A., Coombs, G. W., Howden, B. P., Korman, T. M., Nimmo, G. R., ... Jensen, S. O. (2016). Polyclonal rise of vanA vancomycin-safe Enterococcus faecium in Australia.Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy,72(4), 998-1001. Ahmed, R. M., Irish, M., Kam, J., van Keizerswaard, J., Bartley, L., Samaras, K., ... Piguet, O. (2014). Evaluating the eating variations from the norm in frontotemporal dementia.JAMA neurology,71(12), 1540-1546.

Phone Interview Questions How to Master Them

Phone Interview Questions How to Master Them After a long search, you finally found a job you’re sure you qualified for. Now you’re waiting to be called for the interview.As you wait to be called for a face-to-face interview, you could be called for something different. A phone interview.Many companies have turned to phone interviews before conducting the face-to-face interview.Many candidates are at times caught unawares by this.They have prepared for the “real” interview only to be asked to undergo a phone interview.Are you among these that are not expecting this turn of events?WHY DO COMPANIES CONDUCT PHONE INTERVIEWS?The process of filling a vacant position in a company is never an easy one.This becomes even more difficult when it’s a big company with a good reputation. Every job candidate wants to work there.This means that the number of applicants will be very high.Apart from those who are currently jobless, others want to leave their current jobs for this new opportunity.So what do companies do?The current tren d is to use online submission where candidates upload their resumes. At this point, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will do the first analysis and delete most of the resumes.From that point, a real human beingâ€"hiring manager, HR officer etcâ€"will look at your resume. This is to determine those who qualify for an interview.However, the interview, as you know it, might not be what comes next. Instead, you might be taken through a phone interview first.Why is this?To Shorten the List of CandidatesThe shorter the list of candidates to be considered, the easier to make a decision.This is also the reason why you may be called for the first interview but get no other call.Companies are always working towards minimizing the number of people to be interviewed.The phone interview provides a great way of doing this. Although you’re not visible to the hiring manager, she can make very accurate conclusions from talking with you.With the other side understanding the importance of the phone interview, you also need to understand the value it has.As you go through the interview, you will need to present the best of yourself. See it like the face-to-face interview you’re waiting for.If you take it with the seriousness it deserves, you will stand a better chance of getting to the next stage.To Answer Questions About Your ResumeYour resume has a wealth of information about you.Still, there might be something the HR officer didn’t understand. Or maybe it seemed contradictory.The phone interview is the one which will answer this or other questions.With the answer, the interviewer will be able to decide whether you fit the bill.To Check Your AvailabilityThe phone interview will also serve to find out how available you are for the job.In many cases, you will be called and asked if that is a good time for the interview. Alternatively, you may be given a specific time for the interview.One very important thing in such a situation is to be available on time. Do not be late.Be ing late speaks about your general availability. It points to the possible arrival at work late. That could also mean company processes under your care might suffer.Obviously, that will show that you’re not the right person.Determine Your Interest in the JobThe interviewer is able to know your level of interest just from the phone interview. This will mostly be from the way you ask and answer questions as well as the sound of your voice.If you’re genuinely excited about the job, it will be evident from the way you speak.If you’re keen in listening, it will be clear from your answers and any follow-up questions you may have. If you’re not concentrating during the interview, the interviewer will know it.The reasoning behind this is that if you are interested in something, you will give your all to it. If the job is interesting, you will want to have no distractions during the interview.Assess Your Communication SkillsCompanies are made up of employees and for everything to run smoothly, good communication is a must.No employer wants to hire someone who is not good in communication.Such people can become obstacles in the flow of communication.In view of teamwork, this becomes even more important.From listening and capturing key information provided by the interviewer, you will prove yourself either good or wanting.Efficiency is at the top of many employers’ minds. As such, they will be quick to drop you if they concluded that you might need basic training in communication.Find Out Whether You Fit the Company CultureSomething else that hiring managers will want to know is your personality. This is crucial because it determines how you do the things you do.Personality traits make a big difference in how two people approach a situation. For example, one person may be quick to voice his concerns and give suggestions.Another one may be reserved. Despite having a good idea, he may remain quiet and flow with the majority decision. Source: humanmetrics.comFor a company which values creativity and ingenuity, such a person may not have a place. He may be smart but his personality will affect both his work and the company’s overall productivity.When speaking with you on the phone, the interviewer can tell where you stand.By gauging your greeting, how you answer questions, your confidence and many other aspects, she’ll be able to make an accurate conclusion.WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A PHONE INTERVIEWFor you to master phone interviews, you need to prepare yourself for them.The same way you anticipate the face-to-face interview, expect the phone interview too. You never know which one will come your way.Here is how to prepare yourself.PART 1: BEFORE THE INTERVIEWPreparation starts here. This is important as it will help keep your confidence levels high.Research the CompanyThis is the first and most important thing you have to do. There is no way you can pass an interview, phone or face-to-face, without knowing about the company.Researching the company starts when you decide to apply for the job. There is important knowledge you can acquire during this stage to prove your interest in the company.But apart from what you found out during the application, you need to go deeper.You received a call from the company asking you to schedule for a phone interview. The first thing to note is the name of the caller and their designation. It may be the hiring manager, a secretary or someone else.A look at the company’s website might tell you more about the person. If not, check out LinkedIn or popular social media for the caller. Find out their interests and see how you can connect with them.From your research, also find out more about the company. What do they do? How do they do it? What are their sales like? Are they profitable? Is their market share increasing or reducing? How is the competition in their industry? Are they ahead or behind their competitors?Answers to such questions will h elp you show how much you know about the company. This will be pleasing to your interviewer.The more you know about the situation, the easier for you to come up with solutions.Find the Right Location for the InterviewIt’s important that you do the interview in a quiet environment. This will help both you and the interviewer to hear each other clearly. You certainly don’t want to be asking her to repeat her questions again and again.It can even be worse if you heard the wrong thing, thereby giving an answer to a question not asked. The opposite can also happen. You could get the question right but the interviewer hears the wrong thing.Who loses? Definitely not the interviewer.With the quiet location, ensure the network reception is great. If you are in a position to use a landline phone, that would be best. These rarely have network reception issues.Have Your Resume at HandAs earlier mentioned, one of the reasons a phone interview may be conducted is to get clarity from you about your resume.There might be something in it which the hiring manager decided to seek clarification on.For this reason, it is wise to have your resume at hand. You may written something in it and forgotten what message you intended to pass. Being caught off guard and unable to explain it can imply that you were lying.Otherwise, how can you justify not knowing what you wrote about yourself?Be Enthusiastic, Confident and ConversationalDo you remember the reasons for phone interviews as discussed at the beginning of this guide? There are many things you will be tested on during this interview.For instance, do you speak confidently and in a conversational manner?For example, from how you talk, you may indicate that you are non-conversational. This can mean that communication with you will suffer if you’re hired. Consider a scenario in which you have applied for a customer support position.This position requires that you engage customers in friendly and meaningful conversations as you e xplain company products and services.Your communication during the interview will then determine how well you can do this. The interviewer will be your first customer seeking information. How will you respond to this customer? Is it in a way that encourages her to ask more questions and eventually buy?PART 2: DURING THE INTERVIEWHaving worked on the above, the next set of preparations tips apply to the time of the interview.These have been laid out in a way that flows from the beginning of the interview to the end.Sit Up or Stand UpIt’s interesting how your voice varies when taking different positions. For example, it’s easy to know when someone is in bed just by how they talk.They may not be sleepy, but how the voice is projected will tell you that the person is in bed. Or at least lying down.When lying down, your voice will always have a lazy or overly-relaxed feel to it. In her keenness, the hiring manager will likely notice it.This position simply means you don’t take the job seriously.When you sit upright during the interview, your voice projects more clearly and will have the sound of alertness to it. Standing up is also an option but that can quickly get you tired.The best position option would be to use a comfortable seat which enables you to sit upright.Listen and Take NotesIt’s critical that you take the phone interview as nothing short of an exam. You did your research and are using that information to “pass” this test.As your interview speaks, she will be letting you in on a lot of things concerning the company.Some of the things she says may actually give you hints on how to answer the very questions she asks.More importantly though, is that they may come in handy during the next interview.For that reason, have an attentive ear.Listen to every statement made, every question asked and every comment made. If you think something is important, write it down. You will surely need it.Use Speech VariationOne big difference between the face-to -face and phone interviews, is that in the former, your body language is visible.With phone interviews, body language has to be communicated through your voice.This happens when using different tones of your voice. The volume at which you speak will also help communicating your points.Speech variation comes in handy when communicating certain aspects of your response. For instance, there will be strengths or preferences to be emphasized and weaknesses or dislikes to be downplayed.Knowing the company from your research, communicate your weaknesses while pointing out how you managed them. Or how you go around them.Find Out the Next StepsAs soon as the interview comes to an end, don’t just hang up. You can be proactive to your own advantage.Take the opportunity to minimize your anxiety levels and ask what you should expect.Should you expect another phone interview? A call to attend a face-to-face interview? How long can you wait?You’ll get an opportunity to find out the next steps when the interviewer asks whether you have any questions. Although you can ask different questions, one of them should be about the next steps.PART 3: AFTER THE INTERVIEWAfter the interview, there will still be one more thing to be done.Send a “Thank You” EmailIt’s time to be grateful.Yes, you don’t have the job yet. But even the phone interview was a good thing to have experienced. As such, you need to say “Thank You.”Get the company’s email address and send them an email showing your appreciation. If you got communication about the upcoming interview through email, then all you need to do is reply to it.In writing the email, do not be too wordy. Hiring managers are busy people and this is formal communication. Keep it short and to the point.Below is an example of how such an email could read:Dear [Name of interviewer],I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me for an interview. It is my sincere hope that I will be hearing from you soon concerning a follow-up inter view.Looking forward to working at [Company name]Regards,[Your name]COMMON PHONE INTERVIEW QUESTIONSAnd now to the questions you will possibly be asked during the phone interview.This list of 7 questions is not in any way exhaustive. Questions may be asked specifically about the company’s needs.The information you gathered about the company should get you sailing through such questions with relative ease.Even then, going through these questions and seeing how to answer them will keep you on top of things.You’ll be able to answer the questions with much confidence as opposed to if you didn’t know what to expect.Tell Me About YourselfThis is one of the questions guaranteed to be asked by the interviewer. It is her way of getting to know what else you have to say about yourself.As such, you are not expected to repeat what you wrote in your resume.At the same time, this is not an opportunity for you to open up about your personal preferences. All the information about your music, past time activities and the like will come if asked what you do in your free time.For this question, you need to only mention those things which are relevant and be general about them.The real reason for this question is usually an intention to know your personality.When you say that you are social, love collaborating with like-minded people and sharing ideas, it is clear that you are quite outgoing.If the position you applied for is customer-related or marketing-related, then the interviewer starts seeing a potential employee in you.Just keep in mind that she will be seeking to confirm what you told her throughout the interview. Social people speak in a certain way and so if you lie, you will be found out. Why do you want this job?This question gives you an opportunity to express your interest in the job. But you don’t do this by saying, “I’ve always dreamed of working at your company. You treat your employees well and give them opportunities for growth.”Whether that is tr ue or not, you won’t go far with that answer.Such an answer shows that you’re only interested in your personal growth and not that of the company. Therefore, the hiring manager might as well deny you the position.What you should do is show your intentions to use your skills and knowledge to improve the company’s overall standing.This way, you will wisely apply the fact that the company’s growth will result in your own growth.Here is an example response:I am interested in this job because it will give me an opportunity to utilize my knowledge and experience in a meaningful way. Knowing that there is a need for analytical skills, daily using these to provide solutions will give me great satisfaction.Tell Me About Your Current/Previous JobYour resume has the answer to this questionâ€"at least in part. The things you have listed as achievements in your current or previous job are what you should expound on.Be careful not to mechanically repeat what is in your resume.Mention some highlights and give two or three things which you love about it. If asked what you don’t like about it, don’t be extreme. Mention something that is a concern but keep things positive.Here is an example of how you could positively describe what you don’t like about your current job:The biggest challenge I face in my current job is the work schedule. It’s quite tight and doesn’t give me an opportunity to attend classes after work, something that is very important for my continued growth.Why are you leaving your job?This has been a tricky question for many. Attempting to show how they already love the potential employer, some candidates say bad things about their current jobs.This is a terrible mistake. It can only get you as far as the phone interview you will have.The reason you are being asked this question is to find out your attitude towards others.Do you have general respect for your employer? If no, then how do you handle your misgivings? Are you the kind that works f or a company but badmouth it in the social media? What do you say to your friends about your past jobs?This is really a lot about your maturity level in regards to interacting with others.It’s understandable that your boss may not be the best. Working with him might be nothing but an endurance test. Still, talking ill of him is a sign that you are likely to do the same about your new boss.Borrow a leaf from the example response to the question above about your current job. If you have a bad boss, be gentle with him and just mention a “small” concern. Your interviewer will get it.What are your strengths and weaknesses?This question can be asked as it is or split into two. If split, you might be asked about your strengths separately from your weaknesses. If you’re asked about only one of these, stick to that only.When it comes to strengths, look at this question as asking, “What natural abilities do you have which make you the best fit for this job?”As for your weaknesses, be honest but don’t over-emphasize them. If by any chance you have weaknesses such as being disorganized, keep those to yourself. Those are for you to work on at a personal level.How soon can you start?In other words, are you available for us?Most companies desire to fill vacancies as soon as possible. They however understand that candidates often apply for other jobs while still holding their current positions.For professionalism, keep in mind your employment contract’s terms in regards to resignation and termination. Mention the resignation notice period as the time it would take you to join them if hired.For your own safety, include the words, “Upon receiving the offer letter” as part of your response. Let the interviewer know that you’ll be taking action once they make a commitment.This will also increase your bargaining power once you start negotiating the salary and other benefits. It is after the company gives you the agreed-upon offer, that you can then be availab le for them.Do you have any questions for me?This one will definitely come your way.After asking you the questions she thinks are important, she will give you an opportunity to ask her questions. Do not fail to make good use of this opportunity.One question you should not ask is about your pay. Despite what other people may tell you, the phone interview is too early for this question.Discussions about your pay will come up during the face-to-face interview.Here are some wise questions you can ask your interviewer:What is the company’s culture? this will help you gauge whether you can fit into the company’s culture. It also shows that you understand the importance of the work environment. Take note that after answering you, you might be asked if you think it’s a good fit for you.How do you evaluate employee performance? this will show that you are work-focused and are looking forward to being evaluated. That means that you will be eager to accomplish tasks assigned to you and will keep the company’s needs in clear view.What opportunities for career growth do you offer? quite similar to the above question, this shows that you are looking forward to experiencing personal growth. It will also make the interviewer tell you more about the company.How would you describe a typical day in this position? this is a great way of finding out what exactly you will be doing on a day-to-day basis. With that information, you can start preparing yourself psychologically and plan for the job.What is the most challenging part of the job? the answer to this question will give you a preview of the kind of problems you will be required to solve. You can then start preparing your mind accordingly. This shows the interviewer how ready you are to start working with them.What do you like about working with the company? this is a real challenge to the interviewer. Whether she expected it or not, you get to know her thoughts on her employer. You’ll also create a connection with her, guaranteeing a friendship upon joining the company.What is the time frame of making a hiring decision? this communicates professionalism and seriousness in valuing time. It shows that you understand that you may or may not be picked. It is the question referred to above regarding the next steps.CONCLUSIONNow you know how to prepare for a phone interview and know what questions to expect.You have only one thing to do: exceed the expectations of your interviewer.

NMSF Cutoffs

As NMSC began contacting high schools about student eligibility, we learned that the Commended Scholar cutoff was 209 rather than our original estimate of 207. Other data have also filtered in, so we updated estimated state cutoffs on April 19th. This post delves into the ways we approached the  task. Why Cutoff Estimates Will be Wrong: Explained In One Chart A Bad Bet The chart above uses the year-to-year changes in state cutoffs to emphasize my refrain on thinking of NMSF estimates as ranges rather than points. The chart shows, for example, that 53 out of 300 times (50 states x 6 years) a states cutoff has increased by one point over the prior year. It also shows that the best, simple estimate of a states cutoff is the previous year’s cutoff. This makes sense, as there is not a strong trend in NMSF cutoffs. But that best estimate is only right one time out of four. That’s a spectacularly bad barroom bet. Even taking a range of -1 to +1 ups the odds of guesstimating a year’s cutoff to only 60%. Not until we look at a range of -2 to +2 do we encompass 90% of actual changes. Sharp-eyed readers will note that there should be 350 data points rather than 300. The cutoffs for the class of 2013 are so anomalous that they need to be thrown away. When 49 states show a decline in scores — Alaska fell by 8 points! — and the n 49 states bounce back the following year to their historical averages (only Louisiana was spared), it’s best to pretend that the year never happened. The chart reflects old PSAT classes, so these years had stable content, a stable scale, and a relatively stable testing population. Yet the best estimates could still only hit the exact mark 25% of the time. Factor in an overhauled test, a revamped scale, and some important changes to the test group, and you have an even more challenging landscape. One offsetting factor for class of 2017 estimates is that the compression on the cutoff range means that there are simply fewer wrong doors to open. The old PSAT had state cutoffs that spanned a 20-24 point range of Selection Index values. Now that the Commended cutoff for the class of 2017 is known, we can say that this year’s span is likely to be no more than 12-14 points. We also have additional insight into some state data that allows ranges to be narrowed. Still, its an important reminder that even the best estimates will be wrong. Ive at least tried to develop the best estimates. A rough order of operation involves consideration of the following factors: Class of 2016 Cutoffs PSAT Concordance Commended Cutoff Change National Hispanic Recognition Program Cutoff Changes School/District Data (State Estimates) Best Fit Trend Line Weighted Average and Variability Historical Rank Order Special  Considerations Factors 1 and 2 helped establish our original cutoff estimates and Ill refer to those  with a  link to the previous methodology. A goal in revising the NMSF cutoff estimates was to throw away as much bad sample data as possible. With few exceptions, all College Board data released in January was based on sample groups. The most important bit of new information is the Commended cutoff of 209. This figure sets the baseline for all Semifinalist cutoffs. A less well-known merit program, the National Hispanic Recognition Program, is administered directly by the College Board. NHRP cutoffs are established by region. The four regions for which I have found data for the classes of 2016 and 2017 are Southwest, West, New England, and the South. Testmasters has published interesting data from the Houston Independent School District that narrowed down the Texas range. The school information we have received in California lets us narrow that states range. Texas and California are important be cause they tell us about the high end of state cutoffs and are useful when considering the rank order of states. Below Ive plotted out the class of 2016 Selection Index cutoffs versus the class of 2017 Selection Index cutoffs. A linear trend line fits the data well. The slope of approximately 0.7 also fits what we know about score compression from our earlier work. For a variety of reasons, scores on the New PSAT have been pushed up on the bottom and pulled down from the top. The test changes were not designed to intentionally impact the NMSF cutoffs in this way; the compression is more of a by-product. [See this post on PSAT score compression for more information.] The linear fit has one major problem it doesnt pass through the Commended point.  It would not make sense to use such a line at least without adjustment since it would be guaranteed to get many states wrong. There is always a danger of overfitting data when you spend too much time poking and prodding a thin data set, so I wanted to keep the basic model simple. With a quadratic solution, I was able to achieve a better fit and, most important, pass through the (202, 209) point. Does this mean everything is solved? No. The equation can be wrong for example, we dont know the Texas and California cutoffs with certainty. And any state can be above or below the curve. I think its an excellent starting point for cutoff ranges, though, and have tried to vary from it only for specific reasons. One thing I wanted to assess was how well the class of 2016 represented a states historical performance. I decided to look at a weighted average of cutoffs from the last 7 years (really only 6, because the class of 2013 was eliminated). I arbitrarily applied weights of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 to favor more recent years. Below you can see that the class of 2016 represented a significant down year for some states and a significant up year for others (most were in a range that I consider a toss-up). I present that data so that you can make your own decisions  as to how to consider it. I chose to keep the differences in mind  when establishing my  most likely estimates and my ranges, but I decided not to slavishly adjust things (the overfitting dilemma again). StateClass of 20166-Year WeightedDifferenceStateClass of 20166-Year WeightedDifference Alabama209209.2-0.2Montana204206.1-2.1 Alaska206210-4Nebraska2092090 Arizona215213.21.8Nevada211209.51.5 Arkansas204204.7-0.7New Hampshire213213.5-0.5 California223221.91.1New Jersey225223.71.3 Colorado215214.10.9New Mexico208209-1 Connecticut2202200New York219218.50.5 Delaware216216.3-0.3North Carolina215214.40.6 Dist of Columbia225223.91.1North Dakota202202.4-0.4 Florida214212.81.2Ohio215213.91.1 Georgia218216.61.4Oklahoma208207.80.2 Hawaii214214.6-0.6Oregon215216.1-1.1 Idaho208209.8-1.8Pennsylvania217216.20.8 Illinois215215.2-0.2Rhode Island212213-1 Indiana213213.1-0.1South Carolina2112101 Iowa208208.6-0.6South Dakota202204-2 Kansas213213.4-0.4Tennessee212212.3-0.3 Kentucky210210.2-0.2Texas220218.51.5 Louisiana211209.31.7Utah206206.9-0.9 Maine211212.4-1.4Vermont214214.5-0.5 Maryland222221.60.4Virginia222220.41.6 Massachusetts223223.1-0.1Washington219219.1-0.1 Michigan210209.90.1West Virginia202202.3-0.3 Minnesota214214.5-0.5Wisconsin208208.6-0.6 Mississippi209206.92.1Wyoming202202.9-0.9 Missouri209210.5-1.5 A useful way of applying a reality check to the estimates is to look at historical rank order. For example, over the last 8 years, Californias cutoff has been 2 to 4 points higher than Texas. Compression is likely to reduce that to 1-3 points, but estimates that have them closer or further apart are likely flawed. Readers have been kind enough to point out when Ive deviated too much in this regard. Special Considerations and Investigations Here is where I will provide any updates on special cases as well as miscellaneous information that I find useful or interesting in analyzing NMSF cutoffs. In a reply to a comment from a Michigan parent in our cutoff post, I gave an example of one such special case.  Michigans cutoff may  increase beyond its historical norms. The state began universal PSAT testing in October 2015. We dont know exactly how this will impact scores, but Ive explored one way of thinking about it. Is there a relationship between the Selection Index and the percentage of test-takers qualifying as Semifinalists? Since the number of Semifinalists is fixed by student population, more students taking the PSAT lowers the percentage of test-takers qualifying. For example, if a state has an allocation of 100 Semifinalists and 10,000 test-takers, 1% of test-takers qualify. If the number of test-takers increases to 20,000, then only 0.5% of test-takers qualify. Below is a chart for the class of 2014 (the last group for which data are available) mapping NMSF cutoff to a states Semifinalist to test-taker percentage. States with the lowest ratio of NMSFs to testers such as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tend to have the highest (or higher) cutoffs. States with the highest ratio of NMSFs to testers such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa tend to have lower cutoffs. The 11 states with 2% or more of testers achieving NMSF honors had cutoffs ranging from 203-213 (old PSAT). The 14 states with 1% or fewer testers achieving NMSF honors had cutoffs ranging from 214-224. Why is all of this math important? If Michigan tripled or quadrupled its PSAT testers in October 2015, it would move from the first group to the second. Correlation is not causation, so its highly speculative as to whether Michigan will see a big cutoff change. In another reply  to that post, I speculated that the same thing could happen with Illinois. However, that state has not yet implemented wide-scale changes in PSAT testing. As of April 2016, I dont know of any states that could see as dramatic a test-taker swing as Michigan. A problem unique to this class year is that College Board has been unable to publish the PSAT state reports that it typically releases in January (all resources have been devoted to the New SAT launch and reporting). We dont expect to see these until at least May. While it is unlikely that they would impact our estimates much, they can provide another point for triangulation and confirmation. The Problem with Percentiles I sometimes see students and parents trying to estimate cutoffs by looking at percentile scores. I can not emphasize enough how flawed that is. For example, we estimate that as many as 100,000 students had reason to believe that their 97th percentile or higher Selection Index scores would qualify them for National Merit honors (Commended, Semifinalist, or Finalist). In fact, only half that number actually qualify. Students with a 205 Selection Index were reported at the 99th percentile and were misled into thinking that they might be Semifinalists. We know that no student in any state will make Semifinalist without a 209 or above. Why are percentiles so problematic? Reasons 1, 2, and 4 are applicable to the New PSAT, and you can read my in-depth post on the topic. The other three reason are applicable to percentiles more generally. Percentile definitions changed for the New PSAT from percentage of students below a score to percentage of students at or below. The percentiles reported with October 2015 reports were based on unrepresentative samples. Percentiles are rounded, so even the same values can represent varying numbers of students. Score compression on the New PSAT means fatter score levels (more students at each Selection Index) and an exaggeration of problem #3. Percentiles lag a class year or are based on samples only. Cutoffs are at the state level and percentiles are at the national level.