Hey Girl - lean in!!!

Hey Girl- lean In

Its your turn now….

“Legendary investor Warren Buffett has stated generously that one of the reasons for his great success was that he was competing with only half of the population (the women population being left out or not so involved in most cases).” – Extracts from the book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.

Opportunities are pouring in for you girl to Lean In.  This is the time to make maximum out of the opportunities when the competition is still nascent. 

Calling all #WomenWhoCanCode for this coding competition which is by women and for women!

Who should attend?

• ·      Women who can code
• ·      Those who want to contribute their bit for safety measures
• ·      Women who love to network and learn
• ·      Women who want to explore the working opportunity with awesomely cool company – Hike Messenger

Hey first time Hackers…

• ·      Why not do it? 
• ·      Its not a rocket science
• ·      There is first for everything
• ·      Let your first be the best by contributing to society and for an awesome cause
• ·      Its your coding test under time constraint that’s all
• ·      All you have to do is use your coding skills and come out with some useful tool / website / technology to help increase women’s safety
• ·      Doors are open specificially for you; come brace the opportunity and be a hacker for a good cause J

Are you still thinking? Hey,

• ·      You are the same woman who can cook, as well as code
• ·      You are the same woman who rushes home on time to spend more time with your kids
• ·      You are the same woman who does home shopping on the way back home leaving at the same time as men in your team
• ·      You are the same women who works smart to come back in the growth race in company against your colleague who has not gone on 5 months maternity leave!
• ·      You are the same woman whose performance remains steady or only increases despite the mood swings or you just went through a sea of biological changes at the birth of your darling child
• ·      You are the same woman who cannot come on all weekends to finish the assigned task because of family commitments; so you  so manage to finish the work on weekdays
• ·      You are the same women whose mind can effectively work at the same time on the execution of project and family well being

Guess what you do all that and still look cool and beautiful.

If you can do all the above and much more with time constraint, aren’t you damn sure of doing the same on 12^th Sept just one DAY?

What happens if you attend?

• ·      You learn & network
• ·      You meaningfully spend the day
• ·      Contribute a bit to the society
• ·      Brace working opportunity with Hike (where other than awesome work & salary, the perks are Latest Smartphone, Latest MacBookPro/Air, Home BroadBand, Flexible working hours, Flexible leave policy, Medical Insurance, Yummy Lunches, Yearly team offsite, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED J)
• ·      Whether you win or get a job or not, your day has been an great learning experience at no cost.
• ·      Do you still have second thought………..YOU BETTER NOT LADY!!!!!

We are closing the registrations soon.  If not registered yet, register fast at www.dexterhack.com 

 #WomenWhoCanCode - by Dexter Talent Labs.

Organizing Hackathon –  the story of our first solo event!

Hackathons are the buzz these days.  Techies love it for the creativity it helps breed. For us, as recruiting company, it provides a great way to identity talents, do branding & connect our customers with prospective employees.

We have been co-organizing hackathons for a while now, primarily focusing on marketing the event for the main organizer of the event. Recently we organized our first solo event and it was a grand success. We wanted to share our experience from planning and executing the event, hoping it would help others. Even if not to organize hackathon (u can always get us to do one for you J), we hope the experience helps drive home a very key point! Your ability to do anything is based on your ability to network and connect with others in your eco-system! If not for the help of so many, we would not have been able to conduct such a successful event! This is our ode to all those who helped and made this possible.

First things first!

First up, here is a list of things that one needs to organize a hackathon -

• Location with wifi to host the coders
• Food (includiing breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner).  A  coder with a full stomach is a happy coder J
• Drinks (only the soft variety unfortunately J)
• Tech Mentors (the awesome people who provide a helpful ear and can wip up magic on the keyboard)
• Prizes for winners (Motivation to go extra mile in coding ;))
• Goodies
• List of contests (to keep the techies engaged through-out the day)
• Certificate of participation
• Last but not the least – Techies

We made an estimate to host a successful hackathon for a group of 150 hackers and it came upto 2.5+ lacs for the whole event (conservative estimation).

P.S: Hackathons are two day affair (starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday)

We were disappointed and felt it is going to be a dream for a startup like ours.  However this did not stop us from dreaming.  There should be some solution for this.  Here is our journey in achieving the same.  Hope you find it useful in some way.

First suggestion in cost reduction:

Experts whom I met in multiple occasions and continued to keep in touch with them suggested that we can conduct one day Hackathon also.

This brought our confidence backJ. 

We also felt if we have sponsors for few of the stuffs that help in reducing the cost further and also tying up with such brands gets our hackathon the much needed visibility.

Next Challenge: Saving on Venue / Location with wifi: 

While searching for venue, I posted on my facebook page asking for sponsors for our Hackathon. I got lot of likes than suggestionsL.  Then changed the strategy put the same post in one of the groups in facebook dedicated for startsups – Bangalore Startup Connect and one of the suggestion was to check with Thoughtworks, Bangalore J.

How to reach Thoughtworks, Bangalore?

Linkedin.  I searched for employees at Thoughtworks.  Found the right contact and when I approached they immediately agreed to sponsor the Venue.

Cost on Prizes:

While preparing for the hackathon, we reached out to our existing customers and got immediate acceptance to sponsor first two prizes from 42Gears Mobility Solutions.

Another thought was to reach out to creative startups to check if they can sponsor some prizes or goodies and that is when Giftxoxo came to our thought and they immediately agreed to sponsor the 1^st three prizes and gift vouchers for all the participants.

Again with great power comes great responsibility.  Sponsors are coming, so now it is our responsibility to get them good visibility too.

Branding & Marketing:

We reached out to another startup Invictus - who specialize in digital marketing for branding / communication part.  Yes they agreed to it as it is win-win situation, they do our communication part and we will include their logo while branding.  We registered a website for Rs.600 and free hosting (this suggestion I got from our Tech Intern Abhishek Kumar Gupta just  a 3^rd year engineering student of PES.  Initially when I registered for Dexter Talent Labs domain, I paid closed to 10k for both domain registration & hosting).

Facebook Ad:

We got the initial flier done for posting in Facebook for facebook ad – it is called boost.  Our ad reached very few people – around 500 while we wanted the ad to reach close to 10k.  When we analyzed the data we came to know that the success for facebook ad is to have few words in the image.  Only image with no workds will surely get you maximum reach.  Then we changed our flier to have more images and fewer words in it.  Please note even the logos of companies with name in it is treated as words only and not image.    Again we went back and this time put only DexterHack without any sponsor’s logos in it(as logos are anyways it is there in the website).  This helped us to get the reach upto 3k people from 500 initially.  It could have been more if we had time but we found the solution in the last 1 week prior to the event.

Huge Cost on Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee/Tea:

We were taught to ASK and not ASSUME when we need something by Mr.Sampath Iyenger (CEO, Blue Tiger).  So we decided to give it a try by asking Thoughtworks for sponsoring lunch and they immediately agreed to sponsor Lunch, Coffee/Tea.  Boom!!! Got little more breathing nowJ.

Breakfast:

We took quotation from lot of vendors and while searching for the same thru a family contact I met the owner of restaurant joint By2Coffee and he immediately agreed to arrange breakfast at no cost or less cost (still pursuing him to give the bill)

Tech Mentors:  The awesome people who provide a helpful ear and can wip up magic on the keyboard; a very crucial team who adds to success of hackathon.  How to get them?

Networking: Thanks to our meetup, app fests & our own contacts from previous companies, we were able to get the best tech mentors.  We met them in multiple forums and continued to be in touch with them thru facebook and when we reached out to them, they immediately agreed to become our Tech Mentors. 

Drinks / Snacks:

Thru just dial we reached out to the distributors, negotiated with them and got the juices & snacks at negotiated rate than the market rate.  We were able to save few hundreds here.

Mentor Gifts: We loved to give big gift but again our budget did not support our wishes.  After huge discussions on multiple options, we got the suggestion to give caricature as one of the Thank You gift.  We felt that people will like this.  Again negotiated with a creative art startup and got awesome caricature.  All of them really liked the gift.  Even if it is small it had an awesome impact.

Last Surprise: When all is set is when we got a pleasant surprise from Nasscom’s 10k startup that they want to become our outreach partner J - what else you need.

In short we would like to say that organizing hackathon is like organizing a marriageJ.

Now we can organize any number of Hackathons with ease.

If you try with true effort, anything is possible.  Where there is will there is a way.

You want to conduct Hackathon? Just drop in a mail to us at janaki@dextertalentlabs.com.

Hey Recruiter - Did you know this about you!!!!

Hey Recruiter - Did you know this about you!!!!

Hey Recruiter - Did you know this about you!!!!

• You have capability to read a resume thoroughly. 

• You have strength to match the profile with requirement in less than a minute’s time.

• You can predict the right source for right requirements.

• You can sense the further suitability of a candidate for your requirements in just one call.

• You have the calibre to interview most of them irrespective of their background or your background.

• You understand market trends better than anybody else.

• You know which branding activity suits you best.

• Your eyes are strong enough to judge the candidate’s feedback even before their interview starts.

• Your common-sense is great enough to identify the right panel for the right candidate.

• Your knowledge on the requirement is so good that you easily predict the ageing of the requirement.

• You have the capability to feel what is running in candidates mind during interview process.

• You are not from technology background but still can gauge the technical understanding of your candidates.

• Your communication skills are so strong that you decide what to tell whom and when.

• You are obviously creative because of your creative way of reaching out to the right resource.

• You can easily point out the validity of information provided by your candidates.

• You know the salary structures of most of your target companies.

• You know which designation means what in each of the organizations.

• You can gauge the candidates joining in just one interaction with prospective.

• Your networking skills are so strong that your handset is filled with contact numbers from security guard to CEO.

• Your skills on technologies are so strong that you can easily be criticise the social website on their strengths and weaknesses.

• You are not master of all but definitely jack of all.

• You know the approximate take home salary of any offers.

You are the best and your profession is the ultimate.

SMAC – Social, Mobility, Analytics & Cloud - in a Layman's language

SMAC – Social, Mobility, Analytics & Cloud - in a Layman's language

SMAC – Social, Mobility, Analytics & Cloud

 (OR ;-) Senses of Motions of world Available & Captured)

World is evolving quite fast.

When I realized the existence of a computer it was called PC – personal computer.  Only one in my whole family had it.  I was so excited to just watch it from far.

I started learning the subject by coding in DOS.

I was able to pass my exams by rehearsing  PASCAL / COBOL code.

Studied hard to write code to just to say “Hi buddy” in “C”.

Also learned that I can save all my contacts in Excel than on small book bought on street side at the beginning of every near.  Books were sold along with a free new-year calendar on those days.

I upgraded myself by learning Oracle.

I tried to refresh my knowledge with the then buzz word ERP

Later found that you have to connect different data to different models and analyse it.  So I understood the benefits of DWH (Data WareHouse).

However thanks to the internet, thanks to the connectivity, thanks to IT companies who send our brothers and sisters to different parts of the world, we are all provoked to find means & ways to reach out to them thru different applications.

All in all there is no limit.  This is also now proved by giving the name of Cloud to it.

Every news channel talks about SMAC.  Newspaper has one dedicated page to give us update on technologies like SMAC.  Companies are shifting to top gear and becoming aggressive on SMAC technologies.  Small companies are budding to tell the world that they are SMEs in SMAC.  Children aged anywhere between 10 – 17 years are coding to design games for SMAC.  My 1+ year old niece is an expert in iPad again part of SMAC.  My 5 & 6 year old niece & nephew are downloading their favorite games in my mobile themselves – SMAC?.  Recent addition is my technologically innocent parents who want to see their grandchildren, sister’s grandchildren, far away relatives in their cell phone – again SMAC?

I wondered then what is SMAC?  I am not a techie.  I know something but always my understanding was in Cloud ;-). 

As per my study and understanding, below is what SMAC is, mostly from a layman’s language.  Hope it gives some idea for all non-techies like me.

(I am open to learn.  So if any of my techie friends feel they can add or remove certain things I would be deeply gratified).

•     Foto uploading to Facebook
•     Telling the truth thru Twitter
•     Googling on friends with Google +
•     Linking the contacts thru Lindkedin
•     Pinning your interest thru Pinterest
•     Is all Social 

• Doing the same thru your handsend / mobile
• Need not have to go to office to reply to a mail
• Want to book movie tickets from whereever you are?
• Want to order cake online?
• Is done thru Mobile – Mobility

• Analyse the type of items your customers are looking in web.
• Note down the items they keep ordering for
• Track customer purchases from their web browser to mobile bookings to mall purchases
•  Get realtime suggestions on supply chain management thru these analysis
• Gap analysis on business that can be done thru mobile or web or on the brick & mortar store
• All these and more are done via Analytics

• You are doing marketing thru websites
• Your branding is done on mobile
• You party on a Friday with colleagues you want to take a photo and share with all
• You join cycling group and publicise it to the whole world of yours
• You want to sell your stuff just click, post and get the money transferred to your account
• For every occasion starting from your first Sandwich preparation to celebration of a festival to proposal to ditching to one more proposal etc - all on the net.
• You would have hardly spoken to a relative but would have liked the status update on social website hourly
• Typhoon Haiyan in Philippines gets aid from all over the world
• Voting of Super Singer is done from every corner of this universe
• Sachin’s farewell is a breaking news not just in Indian news channel but all over the world
• Literally all these information storage cannot be done on one PC or one room equivalent server.  You really need more than that.

That is Cloud – Companies specialised in providing storage and related service from any corner of the word which you would not have visited also

In Short,

SMAC is

Friends we need to be ready for the next buzz word.  It can move from SMAC to SWAC also (as big companies are moving to watches with android applications).  Instead of Mobile, we might start encountering these in Watches also J

Hey by the way don’t forget – Bo & Yana

Happy Knowledge Refreshing :-)

Decoding – The First Impression

Dexter Gyan Session

Dexter Gyan Session

Decoding – The First Impression

Dear Candidate – do you know that a smart recruiter can assess your candidature within minutes?  Just one scan of yours and time spend of atleast 2 – 5 mnts will give the gut feeling whether you will clear the interview or not.

So it is essential to be prepared at each step.  When I say preparation I am talking about the soft skill behavior than your technical skills.  Most of the great companies have even hired candidates who are technically worst but have an amazing attitude. 

Here are few extracts for your reference on how to make a great first impression:-

• Enter the interview room confidently.  Take a deep breath.  Relax, think about nice things.  Smile without fail (A smile can brighten the darkest day).  Keep your back straight.  Re-align your body posture.  Enter straight & stiff.

• Hand Shake & Eye Contact.  Firm handshake (But be careful – once I had this experience where my hand became straight because of the candidates over-acting ;-).  I had no scope to bend my hand around the candidate’s as he was over firm rather stiff.).  Practice it.  A cool but little firm hand shake where the other person should feel the confidence in you when you shake your hand.  According to a psychological study, a proper eye contact clearly conveys to the opponent that you are an honest & open for feedback person.  So a proper eye contact is very essential.  (Again when I say proper eye contact, please don’t keep on staring the interviewer;-)) 

• Sitting: Sit straight, don’t slough. Comfortable clothing also adds on to your sitting posture.  Make yourself in a comfortable posture to answer better.  (In one of the campus interviews in Tamil Nadu during summer, I had come across students who were wearing full sleeve shirts with tie.  By the time their turn for interview came, they were exhausted / dehydrated) 

• Postures during discussion: Shaking legs / hands is a distraction to the interview discussions.  Have an open hand gestures, don’t fold your arms.  Folded harm means that you are a closed kind of person; don’t want to give away the information so easily.

• Listening: Listen to the questions completely.  Answer to the questions.  Go by interviewer.  If he/she is formal, you be formal.  If he / she is informal or fun kind you can be little casual.

Last but the never the least:-

Leave that wow impression with the interviewer.  You should be the best interviewee.

Best wishes to you all

Typical “No Shows”

Dexter’s Fun Friday Shares

Typical “No Shows”

This is what I have been hearing Saturday after Saturday for the past 1 decade of my recruiter life ;-)……… Need innovation here toooo.  Initially I used to get annoyed but now used to it.

• I met with an accident, cant come for interview.

• My grandmother passed away, cant come for ……. (poor grandma)

• My grandfather is serious and admitted to hospital, cant come ……..(how may times)

• Production issues at office, cant ………...(love to work only on weekends?)

• Personal emergency, ……...(Why only on Saturdays)

• Not keeping well, ……..(I thought weekends are all at their best spirit or over loaded with SPIRIT ;-))

• Some issue, need to travel to my native. ………...(Cant one weekend be skipped?)

• Attending another interview, …………. (grrrrrrr)

• Now rainy season started. …………………. (even this I need to consider ;-()

• Discussed with my family over the weekend. They said not…….(Now family is my enemy?)

• Have second thoughts on the location…….(Full week, multiple calls, multiple follow never felt this?)

• Forgotten that I actually have a company training to attend…….(Not fair, did your L&D manager reminded you on Friday and Saturday like me???)

• I cannot locate the office and had been spending the past half an hour looking for it. Tell them I'm not keen anymore………(Good if he cant locate the office how can he locate the solution for my work……I am fine with it)

• Car broke down…..(You have bus, auto, friends car…..If you want you will)

• Last but not the least “Phone is switched off” – (ESPECIALLY ON A SATURDAY?)

Note: This is only for fun and not to hurt any body’s feeling.