Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE


amitabh.kant@nic.in



Dear  Amitabh ,


Even as MakeinIndia initiative has already started creating thousands of new jobs , the problem of making available , job related info to jobseekers located in the farthest corners of India , still remains

To-day , there is no " Level Playing Field " , between city-based jobseekers and their poor country-cousins , without access to PC / internet connection

In light of this , you may like the suggestions contained in my today's blog below

With regards,

hemen

(M) 0 - 98,67,55,08,08

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National   Career   Service   Portal


On 20 July 2015 , our PM , Shri Narendra Modi-ji launched a career portal ,



NCS claims to bring together on a single platform , Career Centers ( re-named Employment Exchanges  ? ) /  Jobseekers  /  Employers  /  Career Counselors  /  Skill Providers  /  Local Service Providers  etc


Whereas this is a great initiative , it seems the web site has got launched despite any number of glitches , such as :

>   " Site Map " missing

>    Links not clicking

>    Pages not loading

>    Databases missing

>    Content confusing

>    Naming misleading... etc


As if this is not enough , most of the Registration Forms , carried unnecessary and irrelevant data-fields , such as :


>  Aadhaar Number for Employers / Placement Organizations !

>  Employer Company Executive to provide personal Aadhaar Number !

>  Employer Company Executive to provide , Gender / DOB / Father's Name !



A Local Service Provider does not need to select ( from a drop-list ) , what kind of service does he provide  ! But he must mention his " Affiliation "  !


A Jobseeker does not need to provide :


>  Edu. Qualifications / Institute attended / Exams passed - and when

>  Previous Employment History ( for experienced jobseekers ) / Exp Years



I suspect , there is some another form hidden somewhere , which , a jobseeker will be asked to fill in later , just when he is ready to click " Apply " against a job searched after several hours !


But , these are minor defects that can be rectified soon - and without much difficulty


But here is the worst part !


Apparently the web site does NOT want  jobseekers  and employers to get motivated enough to register  !


Here is how :


EXPERIENCING  THE  FEATURES


    Job portals all over the World , enable any casual jobseeker to be able to search the online database of posted / live jobs , even if he is not registered

But he cannot " Apply Online " , unless he is registered and logged in

It is no different than a shop-keeper allowing you to roam free thru the entire shop , without asking to see your Credit Card !

He knows that a customer gets motivated to " Buy " , only if he gets to see the goods on sale !

Ditto with a casual Employer Visitor

Job portals allow anyone to search and look at resumes

But he can download only if he is registered / logged in

Usually , job portals " hide " contact details on the resumes , when viewed online but downloaded resumes carry full contact details

This is because , job-portals , make their money from Subscriptions from Employers ( usually 95 % of the incomes of Indian Job Portals )

They cannot afford any casual visitor to reach out to the jobseekers , bypassing them !  They make their money , by acting as " Gate-keepers " between the jobseekers and the employers


I am sure , this ( making money by acting as an intermediary ) , cannot be the intention of National Career Service  !

I believe NCS intention is ensure that no vacancy remains un-fulfilled for more than a few hours  !



#   JOB /  RESUME  ALERTS  ON  MOBILE


On the web site , I could not find any provision ( downloadable Mobile App ) thru which ,

>   A jobseeker can " pull " job alerts " matching his resume and can apply online , directly , from his mobile

>   An Employer can pull " resume alerts " matching his posted job and download those resumes with just one click on his mobile


We must remember that millions of jobseekers in remote corners of India have no access to a PC

But , soon , all of them will have internet-enabled smart phones  !



#    JOB   FAIRS


On the site , there is a provision to search for info on ground-based Job Fairs taking place in different parts of India

But , for a jobseeker located in Coimbatore , there is no use getting info about a job fair taking place in Kolkata  !

Same with an Employer

Why have portal designers shied away from a " Virtual Job Fair " , where both , the jobseekers and the employers can conduct Online Interviews , using Video ?


Not difficult , considering that all mobile phones / tablets carry a camera and Skype / Face Chat are free !

A million online interviews can take place simultaneously , with no constraints of either time or of space  !



#   COMMON   SHARED   DATABASE


 Today , in India , there are hundreds of job-portals , each having its own database of Jobs and Resumes

And , barring a few big ones , most of these offer FREE service to both , the jobseekers and the employers

Many have only " local clientele " ( both jobseekers and employers )

But a jobseeker who is registered on portal A , can search only those jobs which are posted on that portal
Same with employers searching for resumes


Neither resumes , nor jobs posted on portal B can be accessed by visitors of portal A  !


This severely limits their usefulness

NCS should enable ALL such job portals to ,

Deliver their jobs and resumes , into the CENTRAL DATABASE  of NCS

Deliver / display  all of these to any visitor of any participating partner portal


Then there are many other features that can bridge the DIGITAL DIVIDE between the jobseekers and the employers


If desired , I would be happy to share my thoughts with NCS or Ministry of Labour and Employment


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hemen  parekh

21  July  2015

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