Don't change job unless you have valid reason

This is not the time to switch jobs, unless you have a compelling reason to do so. India Inc is slowing down on recruitments as the Indian economy loses steam.

Aviation, BPO and financial services, which went on a hiring spree during the economic boom, seem to have developed cold feet. Fresh recruitment in manufacturing and infrastructure has also hit a rough patch, according to industry experts.

Aviation, which is passing through a major crisis after oil prices rose to a record $145 a barrel, seem to have lost its yen for talent. Expats, who came rushing to India with the onset of low-cost airlines, have left their jobs.

Retrenchment seems to be the new buzzword in the sector. Budget carrier Go Air has cut 400 jobs in the last six months.

Deccan has frozen recruitment and is reviewing its business plans due to the sudden increase in jet fuel prices."We don't want to hire people and then lay them off as done by some airlines," said Hitesh Patel, Executive Vice-President, Kingfisher Airlines, which controls budget airline Deccan.
In the next few days, employee salaries will also see a reduction. "We are moving away from fixed costs to variable costs.

Since January, we have frozen fresh recruitment and cut manpower by 30 per cent as we withdrew from several sectors," said Edgrado Badiali, CEO, Go Air. Aviation training schools, which mushroomed in anticipation of the boom, are eyeing jobs for their students in the Middle
East where the industry is still growing.

The story is the same in other sectors. "The slowdown in the job market is really happening.
ITeS, infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, banking and BPOs that were well recruiting last year, have taken a hit," says James Agrawal, consulting director and amp; head, BTI Consultants. Companies like IBM, TCS and Patni Computers have slashed jobs in their software and BPO operations.

"A 30 per cent hike in salary is the least you can expect when changing jobs. Last year, it was a minimum 50 per cent.

The job scenario also depends on the position you are joining at, it is easier in the junior level," says Shrikant Rege, CEO-India, American Express Bank Ltd.

A first glimpse of Miss Universe 2008

The new Miss Universe was crowned in the Vietnamese city of Nha Trang earlier today. Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza vied with beauties from 79 other countries to take home the title.
Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori (Miss Japan [Images]) presented the crown to the 22-year-old stunner as the crowd in attendance applauded and a television audience close to one billion looked on.

Dayana is the 57th winner of the annual pageant, which sees beautiful young women from all over the globe compete against each other in a swimwear round, an eveningwear round and a question-and-answer session with the judges. With each successive turn on stage, a few contestants are eliminated.

"I am excited. I cried a lot. I am really glad I made it," an excited Dayana told reporters shortly after her triumphant win. She will soon take off on a year-long tour of the globe as an ambassador for humanitarian issues.

As for the other four finalists who made it to the last round, they were ranked as follows:
First runner-up: Miss Columbia, Taliana VargasSecond runner-up: Miss Dominican Republic, Marianne Cruz Gonzalez Third runner-up: Miss Russia [Images], Vera Krasova Fourth runner-up: Miss Mexico, Elsia Najera

The Best National Costume Award went to Miss Thailand, Gavintra Photijak and Miss El Salvador, Rebeca Moreno, was voted Miss Congeniality.

Kuselan Music Review

What started out as a simple venture in remaking a simple story from Malayalam to Tamil has now turned into a massive exercise of glitz, glamour and superstars.

The Malayalam hit Kadha Parayumbol has morphed into the Tamil version Kuselan, and with the larger than life persona of Rajnikanth [Images], under the aegis of K Balachander's Kavithalaya and Seven Arts, even the music being a hit isn't far off.
Tuned by G V Prakash Kumar, with the lyrics penned by Vaali, Pa Vijay and others, it is interesting to see if Kuselan touts an aural fare on par with the rest of the movie's stature.
The much talked about Cinema Cinema...begins with a blast of Omen-like chorus and music, which then segues into a catchy tune that extols the virtues of cinema. Shankar Mahadevan's [Images] voice lifts off with characteristic fluidity, alternating between feathery-smooth and strong. Vaali is on his home-ground here, as he weaves the magical world of cinema into words.

The musical medley reminds you of the instrumental piece in Veerapandi Kottaiyie, but it does bring about a sense of magnificence, which makes you want to see how it might be picturised.
The second half of the song is full of the superstar and his many merits. And then it's back to the ominous choral effects, and the virtues of the superstar again. It's catchy, and certainly will become a national anthem for Rajni fanatics!

Hariharan's [Images] voice starts softly, sweetly, and with gentle rhythm in Sollamma, Sollamma. Sujatha's voice joins Hariharan's seamlessly. You can see traces of A R Rahman's style -- a la Mudhalvan, but melodious nevertheless. As it moves from plain romantic to sorrow-tinged tones, you wait for more such fare. More choral notes and clear tones of flute follow. And then there's a section on the children singing -- Ranjani and Pooja -- presumably about their parents. The second half is all about the travails of raising a family on meager resources; Pa Vijay's words are slightly idealistic, but simple.

Om Zaarare begins with a medley of voices and instruments, which then segues into Daler Mehndi's [Images] characteristic Punjabi tones; strong and throbbing. Then there's Sadhana Sargam, adding to the mix. The beat is interesting -- and again, with the lyrics peppered with the names of the superstar's movies such as Chandramukhi and Ejamaan, this one too is sung in his praise. The use of violins is neat.

Chitra's voice comes as a welcome respite even if it's so shrill that you're tempted to wince. Daler's pronunciation is passable -- and when he says Paayum Puli and Annamalai, you're pleasantly surprised. Guitars make a pleasant interlude and then there's some disco-esque music as well.

But you get the feeling that the composer has fumbled around for the perfect note to segue into the next section -- which happens to have a classical base complete with flutes and thavil. This is also the longest number, clocking at seven minutes of a queer mixture of the old and the new.
Chaaral starts with the soothing sounds of rain, and crickets and thunder. Shreya Ghosal's voice begins with musical notes. This one is full of beats and rhythms that remind of the pop band of yore, ABBA in places.

Dr Kridhaya's lyrics indicate a trip down memory lane. A guitar interlude segues into violins, and again, you're conscious of the music-director's attempts to travel down a different lane. With flute interludes blending with guitar strings, you are assailed with classical dance beats and then it's slap-bang into a mix of English and chaste Tamil. The number ends with, appropriately enough, a clap of thunder.

Perinba has more Punjabi beats and a jig-along rhythm that leave you in no doubt of superstar's status again. Rendered by Kailesh Kher and Prasanna V V, this one is plain, simple and retreats into almost rustic simplicity. With harmonica interludes, this is a nice number to listen once. Yuga Bharathy's lyrics will make Rajni fans do a joyous jig.

You can't help but notice that G V Prakash Kumar's music has shades of his famous uncle's work, but that's only to be expected.

Kuselan promises some interesting fare, and manages to deliver some of it.