Babar Iqbal, the 12 year old cyber Maestro

Do you know what happens when you’re born in an overwhelming surrounding of computers & monitors, and that happens to be Mr Abdul Shahid Sadiq’s home in Dera Ismail Khan?

You get a family from Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. Just not a typical family, a family which has 5 kids; and all of those kids are extraordinary in their own self. How? Well quite simple, The family has 5 kids (3 boys & 2 girls), all of whom are Microsoft Certified Professionals. The list include Asif, Kashif, Babar, Saima and Asifa.

This in itself is an achievement to have a family of 5 MCPs, but no the story doesn’t end here. Asifa Khan is the second youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the family, she achieved the status at a minuscule age of 11 years, 4 months and 17 days.

Babar Iqbal

Whereas Babar Iqbal at just a mere age of 12 years has recently added a fourth crown in his elusive list of achievements. Babar a genius cyber kid just at the age of 10 years, achieved a whole lot more than many of us could dream of accomplishing in our entire life. When he was only 9 years old, he was awarded with Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Youngest Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA), at the age of 10 he was given Youngest Certified Web Professional Associate (CIWA).

More recently he made a fourth record in his 12^th year as he got the Youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) at Dubai. Hmmm I am wondering what was he up to for 2 years, no records?! The competition had participants from all over the world, they aged between 20 – 35 years. But this little Dexter from Pakistan stunned the IT experts’ world over as he just walked all over of them as he stormed towards yet another achievement. He also surpassed his compatriot Irfa Kareem Randhawa, who made this record at the age of 9 years and seven months.

I am starting to wonder what the world is coming to, with little kids at such small ages creating such headlines. People I warn you, don’t be surprised if a few years down the road the first word that a new born utters might be “Internet”.

Hopefully greater things can be expected of this exceptionally talented teenager, as he has plans to be the youngest PhD in the world and contribute significantly to the world by his skills of IT. I wish him all the best for his ventures in future and would like to pay tribute to the proud parents of Babar, it is because of them that this 12 year old is taking the world by storm and making our nation proud.

15 year old boy causes frenzy in the media/marketing industry

Matthew Robson a 15-year-old intern at Morgan-Stanley & Co. International, is shaking up the financial and media industries in London upon release of his report about teen’s media habits today. So far, much of the news coverage seems to be centered on his finding that Teens don’t use Twitter, although this has been documented in previous studies. What he has to say about all media channels is of interest.

Plus, like certain other precocious teens I know, Matthew presents his conclusions in a straight-forward, unambiguous writing style that more senior, highly educated financial analysts rarely achieve. Here are a few of Matthew’s main points , from the report.

Click here to get the complete report: Morgan Stanley Teen media consumption

Radio. “Most teenagers nowadays are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a program specifically.” The reason? “(W)ith online sites streaming music for free they do not bother…” (Except when in Dad’s car going to and from summer camps, school, or dog-walking chores.)

Television. Teens watch less TV nowadays “because of services such as BBC iPlayer, which allows them to watch shows when they want. Whilst watching TV, adverts come on quite regularly (18 minutes of every hour) and teenagers do not want to watch these, so they switch to another channel, or do something else whilst the adverts run.” (Except when ads come on that they actively enjoy like those by Comcast in the U.S. market.)

Newspapers. “No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarised on the internet or on TV.” (Except for the comics section and for The Onion, which is sort of a newspaper.)

Gaming. “Whilst the stereotypical view of gamers is teenage boys, the emergence of the Wii onto the market has created a plethora of girl gamers and younger (6+) gamers…As consoles are now able to connect to the internet, voice chat is possible between users, which has had an impact on phone usage; one can speak for free over the console and so a teenager would be unwilling to pay to use a phone.”

Food for Thought: Yes you can be a winner too!!

Tracking:

In today’s competitive society, we hear a great deal of talk about being a winner – but what does that really mean? Winners are people who have taken the time to find their special place and are running on that singular track that is right for them. This is called life skill tracking.

Tracking by definition requires a strong emotional identification with what you are doing To stay on track, you need to keep both eyes not just on what is happening in front of you but also on what is taking place on your flanks and your rear. Instead of thinking in a straight line look around for alternative opportunities and solutions. As you close in on your long range goals, keep adjusting your peripheral vision to accommodate changes.

People frequently ask what they should do when they feel unmotivated to act in their best interests. Oftentimes, they are mired in procrastination which is really nothing more than an expression of denial and fear. To overcome the fear that causes us to procrastinate, we must program ourselves mentally to guide our bodies into gear so that we can move ahead. For people who find this to be a constant battle, it is especially important to build in energizers and eliminate de-energizers.

Energizers are people, activities, and thoughts that inspire us to move ahead. De-energizers are people, activities and thoughts that render us frustrated and fatigued. The simplest way to raise your level of motivation is to increase your internal and external energizers by pursuing pleasure or rewards and avoiding pain or punishment.

Resourcing:

Mastering the resourcing life skill enables us to go out and find the means necessary to achieve our goals and solve our problems. There are three major categories of resources available to us: self, information, and people.

Wherever you are now, you have probably already acquired a good deal of valuable knowledge. Nevertheless, there is always more to learn. And there are several ways to accomplish this through creative resourcing.

First, make reading a habit. Read professional journals, newspapers, and other resources that pertain to your career. Always read with an open mind. Make it a practice to clip relevant newspaper and magazine articles. When you come across an article that might be helpful or of interest to one of your resource contacts, send it to that person along with a thoughtful note.

Recession Recession – A tale of wait and frustation, or is it?

The looming Recession and lackluster Job Scene has left many fresh graduates Feeling the heat Jobs are hard to come by and the wait is becoming frustrating.

Pay cuts, job losses and recruitment freeze have become commonplace in today’s market place, owing to recession. People with several years of work experience are encountering this unsavory trend. Evidently, the plight of recent graduates is also not looking up. However, tough times have strengthened these youngsters and many of them are working hard at coping with the recession.

An empty mind is a devil’s workshop and many graduates have taken these words to heart. So instead of languishing their free time, they are keeping themselves busy. A student, who recently completed an MBA in Finance and has been looking for jobs since December last year, has made a work out of the job hunt. He wakes up late and after getting ready and devotes most of his time hunting for job openings over the internet. He surfs internet for a job and company websites and cold call HR people of companies to check if they have any openings. The responses may not been very encouraging, but MBA student seeks solace in trying rather than throwing up his arms. He spends a lot of time meeting up friends. Thanks to recession a lot of my friends are in a similar situation. Meeting and talking to them makes me feel better. Besides, it’s better than staying at home all day.

She had been looking for some work experience before pursuing either an MCA or MSc IT. However due to recession, getting a job is tough, so she spends time studying for the CET, working out at a gym and meeting friends. Thinking too much about a problem makes it seem worse. So it’s best to keep busy and avoid over thinking

The viability of entrepreneurship in today’s market scenario is debatable. But that hasn’t stopped youngsters from exploring the option. After six months of futile job hunt, a recent management graduate, decided to explore entrepreneurship. He was not willing to short sell because of the market conditions. With good jobs hard to come by, he decided to head out on his own by starting a business that compromises training schools to help students with memory enhancement. The student has been devoting a lot of time to his upcoming venture and is hopeful about its prospects. Besides taking up his time, doing something he likes, keep his spirits up.

Education counselor feels that now may be the right time for graduates to hit the books. A lot of graduates are in a hurry to get jobs, despite the economy not fairing well. They can in fact use this time to get further qualifications because it helps in the long run. There are a variety of courses open to students looking at further education ranging from Master’s to PG diploma and correspondence courses.

Expectation can lead to much frustration for many youngsters on the look out for suitable jobs. A reputed psychiatrist says that the number of students visiting him owing to rising frustration because of a lack of jobs has tripled. He advises such students to keep it real. Many-a-times youngsters may have bragged about their prospects to their family and friends. So, it’s best that one doesn’t play hide-and-seek and admits that finding jobs is a problem because of recession. They must understand that the problem is an outcome of the market situation rather than their own merit. The parents play a pivotal role in helping their child cope with the pressure. Most youngsters are not as upset about themselves as they are about letting their parents down. They get depressed when they are unable to secure jobs or land up with low paying placements. They might feel that the money their parents spent on their education has been squandered. Parents need to support their children and help them cope with such feelings.

On the practical front, Students need to go beyond brand names. There are many small and medium enterprises that continue to hire people. Students should be looking at these as well. Being extremely specific about the job profile can create problems, especially when one is starting out with a career. Students should be willing to experiment with broader job profiles. The overall focus should be on learning not earning. Also, seeking immediate gratification can cause frustration. Just because one has a particular qualification doesn’t mean that s/he can get a job easily. Lastly, this is a good time to self introspect and ask if one’s soft skills are in place and the bio data is rightly presented.

People skills are what ultimately matter

The easiest way is to narrow down on the choices available to you before making a decision. Have set goals and then stick to them. Once set up in the path to education in your chosen field, don’t forget the importance of updating your soft skills – these will stay with you even outside your professional sphere.

Soft skills essentially represent the reactive nature of the individual, and are about looking at things with the right perspective.

Careers beyond 2009 and IT

The academic year has ended for most courses and students are busy planning their next career moves. Intense competition, limited opportunities and rising cost of education is making even the most competent students worry about their future. In order to help students of various backgrounds realize their true potential, Foreign Academic Consultancy and Training (FACT) a professional career guidance organization, is actively conducting research for availability of career opportunities and scholarships abroad.

Understanding the culture of the target market

Looks like, the marketing community has had an infestation of innovative ideas. Most ad folks are going for novel ideas and are thinking “why don’t we have clients who let us do this kind of work?” Clients are loudly wondering why their agencies can’t bring them such breakthrough ideas may be they need added motivation in the form of a reduction in fees.
Meanwhile, consumers of every stripe, love the zany critters, unmindful of the deep introspection going on in the hallowed halls of marketing.

Let’s get back to us, as in “us” who wish we had thought of, or bought, the Zoozoos campaign. Or an idea just as big that. We can’t get there from where we are.

Communicate.. the vision will present itself

Three patterns with respect to communication are all very common. In the first, a group actually does develop a pretty good transformation vision and then proceeds to communicate it by holding a single meeting or sending out a single communication. Having used about .0001% of the yearly intra company communication, the group is startled that few people seem to understand the new approach. In the second pattern, the head of the organization spends a considerable amount of time making speeches to employee groups, but most people still don’t get it (not surprising, since vision captures only .0005% of the total yearly communication). In the third pattern much more effort goes into newsletters and speeches, but some very visible senior executives still behave in ways that are antithetical to the vision. The net result is that cynicism among the troops goes up, while belief in the communication goes down.

“Ammar Afzal” Pakistani Student Makes a World Record in Winning a Software Course

Tribute to Young Brilliant Pakistani Student Ammar Afzal

Ammar Afzal a 9th class student from Okara city wins world computer software course. According to the details published in newspaper Ammar Afzal 15 years old student of 9th class studying in the district public school and college, got the distinction by winning first global position in Stanford University England’s (SUE) World Computer Soft ware Course. On 1st May, 09, on scholarship from SUE he had moved to England for further education in his field.  According to Ammar Afzal his Internet Trainor Mr Simond had challenged him in an angry mood to solve some question, and had pledged that if he succeeded to solve these questions, Mr Simond would resign from his job. Ammar solved the computer soft ware riddles within an hour.  He got 4.99 marks out of 5 in the test which is a world record. Mr Simond stuck-up to his pledge and resigned . Ammar said that he would always maintain high regard for Mr Simond as a teacher though he might be angry with him, as he had gained a lot from him.

I personally congratulate him for his success and wish him further look in futuere. This is a lesson for us that how people get success when there is a firm belief & greater will to learn.