Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Celebrity personal trainer David Michigan and my experience in an interview

Main Uddin: A personal trainer is an individual certified to have a varying degree of knowledge of general fitness involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments. These fitness assessments may also be performed before and after an exercise program to measure their client's improvements in physical fitness. They may also educate their clients in many other aspects of wellness besides exercise, including general health and nutrition guidelines.Personal trainer accreditation is a process that provides certification of competency as a personal trainer. Qualification standards for personal trainers vary between countries.
Qualified personal trainers recognize their own areas of expertise. If a trainer suspects that one of his or her clients has a medical condition that could prevent the client from safe participation in an exercise program, they must refer the client to the proper health professional for prior clearance.Proper exercise prescription may result in improved body composition, physical performance, heart condition and health outcomes.The decision to hire a trainer may be related to a perceived ability to facilitate these factors through proper prescription and instruction or factors related to motivation and adherence. A trainer pays close attention to their client's exercise form, workout routine, and nutrition plan.
Recently, Indilens News Team talked with one of the celebrity personal trainer David Michigan. It is mentioned that David Michigan is a personal trainer and fitness coach, and has a mission : helping as many people as possible by giving them the body and the spirit they truly want, deep inside themselves.
When our team member asked , "How to become a personal trainer?" then Mr David Michigan replied politely- 
With a rising interest in achieving healthier lifestyles, due in part to greater awareness about the obesity and chronic disease epidemics, more people are being drawn to careers in health and fitness. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, between 2012 and 2022, employment in the field is expected to increase by 13%. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a Certified Personal Trainer, here are a few steps to make the process seamless.
Again our Team member has asked to David Michigan ,"Does any certification carry any value?" then  Mr David Michigan  replies- 
Once you’ve decided that becoming a health and fitness professional is right for you, the first (and extremely important) step is choosing a certification program. There may be hundreds of options available, but the pool narrows quickly when you take accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) into account. Considered the gold standard in health and fitness, NCCA accreditation ensures programs for a wide range of industries meet defined standards of excellence for performing a specific job. It’s also the standard recognized by leaders (and employers) in fitness and medical communities. The ACE Personal Trainer Certification, along with other programs for Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach and Medical Exercise Specialist, is accredited by the NCCA. To learn more about pre-requisite requirements for each, check out our Certification Handbook.
Mr David Michigan again replied that It’s important to note that you can’t be everything to everyone, no matter how great you are at your craft. You must have a clear idea of your target market to connect with clients who will be a good fit for your services. ACE has created a series of Specialist Programs to help you focus your expertise in specific areas like sports conditioning, fitness nutrition, weight management and behavior change. Although anyone can pursue the education in a specialist program, only those who hold NCCA-accredited certifications will be recognized as ACE Specialists. To find out which area you should pursue, consider the needs in your community, what you are most passionate about, and your preferred training style when it was asked to him about security concern.
Mr David Michigan has replied when he was asked about the job opportunities about a personal trainer.
There are a lot of factors that go into finding the right position. First, you’ll need to determine which environment you want to work in (a health and fitness club, specialty studio, medical fitness facility, or if you’d like to venture out on your own) and where. It may help to check out our salary report to find out what ACE Certified Pros are making nationwide. Whichever career path you pursue, ACE has a number of tools to help you get started. Some of the top fitness clubs in the country have guaranteed interviews for ACE Certified Professionals who apply for qualifying positions, and others have instituted discount programs for equipment, liability insurance and other products you’ll need to get started. For more information on these benefits, visit Pro Resources or log in to your My ACE Account once you earn your certification.
Finally,Mr David Michigan has replied on the question
If you're interested in pursuing a career as a Certified Personal Trainer, here are a few steps to make the process seamless.
  1. Do your research. ...
  2. Choose a Study Program. ...
  3. Register for Your Exam. ...
  4. Pass your Exam. ...
  5. Get a Job. ...
  6. Define your Specialty. ...
  7. Maintain your Certification.
David Michigan will help you to get on track with your fitness and life’s purpose, to overcome any fears and blocks you may have, and to take action toward your meaningful dreams and goals.For our respected reader, we suggest to check his official website at http://davidmichigan.com

Friday, August 15, 2014

Colour of Indian Journalism and career opportunities with the bondage of corporate world

India is currently experiencing extraordinary media expansion, with intense competition between players in the industry. Newspapers and broadcasters are anxious to get the inside story out first. The promise of investigative journalism has finally evolved with the times.

Colour of Indian Journalism and career opportunities 


Iconic NDTV Journalist Ravish Kumar with a group of fans

Journalism in India has considerable employment scope these days, with media houses opening new channels or newspapers on a regular basis. While salaries are shooting up, the pool of skilled and qualified journalists is not keeping pace. Without a sufficient number of good reporters and editors, the challenge that the profession faces is of enforcing more rigorous professional standards.

Though print media is read widely and makes money, Indian news organisations are now using online technology to deliver the benefits of the Internet: the most current and up-to-date information, ability to search the content and instantly share information with others. All major newspapers and TV stations in India have launched their own websites to supplement their traditional forms of news delivery. Some are also applying multimedia technology, integrating text, video and audio in news reporting, and in some cases, real-time. Users are able to obtain information on their computers, cell phones and several other hand-held devices.

In this media environment, aspiring journalists will benefit most from training on a concentrated, hands-on curriculum designed to familiarise them with each and every aspect – theoretical, practical and technical – of digital reporting.

As never before, India needs more skilled young journalists who have the ability to cover the story well. There are many well-meaning, sincere journalists in the field who lack adequate training, especially in digital reporting. This suggests a considerably broader mission for journalism colleges to fill that need. Breadth of curriculum, background of faculty, resources available at the institution, and job placements and awards received by graduates are obvious indicators of the quality of any J-school.

A writing career is not an oxymoron. The writing life can be a vocation. Consider a career in journalism, for instance. It can be something that you do full-time and it can be something that can be as gratifying as any career. It can pay bills and put food on the table and fruits in the basket. Like any other professional option, a career in journalism in India requires planning and passion but importantly patience. 

Among the dozens of journalism colleges in India, there are only a few that have an adequate curriculum. The Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore is a pioneer in the field of digital journalism education, introducing the multimedia stream in India. Its trainee journalists may opt to study in the Print, Broadcast or Multimedia streams and gain both a practical focus as well as instruction in sound theory. IIJNM is independent of any news agency or organisation, which allows it to tap all media sources for greater placement opportunities.

Get a Career in Journalism

Journalism has an inevitable impact in our lives. Be it broadcast journalism, print or the web, media has always brought the world to our living rooms. Recently I saw an advertisement on Television which stated that, “In this age of technology, it is absolutely criminal to say you are lost!” Journalism has that effect on you; can you ever be lost with the media buzz around you.

So, what exactly is Journalism?

Simply described, journalism is all about collecting information and disseminating the facts and figures to the public via print, television and Internet. Journalists present the news in a manner that is useful, informative and thought-provoking.

Various Roles in Journalism Careers

When we speak of the term journalist, you could be a reporter working on the field or a sub editor, “subbing” a reporter’s copies. That’s why you should have knowledge on the hierarchies in journalism.

i. Reporter

The journalist, in the capacity of a reporter is the most basic but essential position. He is the one who collects the story information and is also, often the one who gets the story idea! If you want to be a reporter, you need to have that “go-getting” attitude, the desire to pull out facts of a story, conduct interviews and gather first hand information (strictly!). Some of them take a professional photographer along too. A reporter needs to have a sense of time and accuracy; the person shouldn’t shirk from going at odd hours to seize a ‘breaking news’ story.

Remember, it’s all about right timing and a different angle brought to your story that ‘clicks’! So, a reporter is the one who senses a story out of a rather mundane piece of news! There are Special reporters also hired at times who specialise in a particular field like Education, politics, crime or Sports.

ii. Feature writer

A regular in all tabloids, a feature writer gives the readers that much required respite from the regular routine news. Feature writing is about telling the readers a story, a thoroughly researched, meticulously presented story. The difference between a feature writer and a reporter is that a news writer may not have enough preparation time owing to the urgency and timing of news. A feature writer can plan a story for months. These are human interest stories. That doesn’t mean a feature writer’s life is easier – they have to spot and juggle multiple stories at the same time.

iii. Intern

It is not as easy to start off immediately in the field of journalism. To hone and fine tune your skills, starting off as an intern for a newspaper/tabloid is the best option. Not only would you get maximum exposure but also an inside knowledge on how a newspaper works. Many students while pursuing their degree/diploma for journalism take up an internship and by the time they are pass out, they are ready to hit the floors! As an intern, you are either paid per article or a fixed stipend.

iv. Proof reader

The story has been written by the reporter but needs an initial check:
Is the punctuation in place? Any grammatical errors in constructing the sentence? Wrong synonyms used? A proof reader scans the reporters’ copy giving his nod on spelling and grammar checks!

v. Sub editor

Once the proof reading is done and accuracy of data is checked, the sub-editor takes the copy in his hands. ‘Subbing a copy’ involves rewriting the article to suit the requirements of the paper/tabloid. He also needs to give an appropriate and ‘dashing’ headline which we, as readers get ‘hooked’ to! A sub-editor’s job requires imagination, an advanced understanding of the language and a good knowledge of news locally as well as globally.

vi. Designer

If you are used to reading more than just one paper a day (like myself), you are sure to notice the difference in page layouts and space utilisation. There are some papers which are cramped with information and lose appeal. The designer comes to your rescue and places the articles, advertisements in such a manner that ensures lucid reading! The designers receive the final articles from the Sub-editors/Senior sub-editors and also get the space page availability details.

v. News Editor

To become a News editor, you need at least 6 to 7 years experience as a Senior Sub Editor. This person is pivotal for the smooth transition of stories from reporters to the sub editors and from there on to the Design team. He plays the role of ‘Quality check’, and if required may re-write important or Page 1 stories, ensuring fine quality news and is second in line to the Resident Editor.

vi. Editor / Resident editor

This person is obviously on top of the line and in contrast to what people may think, he is actually the most actively involved member in the team. He has to oversee the final quality of the paper, brainstorm new ideas for stories and is ultimately responsible for the final output. He takes decisions to hire new columnists when the need arises and has the major responsibility of keeping in line with the deadlines. An Editor has to be creative, a calculated risk taker at times, instrumental for the consistency and continuity of the paper. Without a proper editorial head, any newspaper/tabloid working can go haywire!

vii. Qualifications required for a career in Journalism

There are various schools of journalism where one can pursue a B.A or M.A in Communication or Journalism, Diplomas in Journalism & Mass Communication and various other certificate courses. The journey in journalism is an unending process; every day teaches you a lesson or two.

Do you have what it takes?

So, you want to be a journalist? A journalist’s job is exciting, inspiring and a “full-of-life” kind but also involves a lot of gruelling hard work.

Be prepared for:

Long-working hours, deadline pressures, quality deliverance irrespective of time constraints, validation and authenticity of information collected

Salary Range in Journalism careers

Journalism as a career in India can pay well as you rise in the ranks. Entry level positions start at around INR 150,000 to 200,000 per annum and mid and senior level positions are between INR 800,000 to INR 1,500,000 per annum.

For star players, the salary can go higher.

What the future holds for journalism careers: The e-paper

Social media has taken over. The need of the hour demands digital news creation. Newspapers and magazines alike all have an e-presence. That the media can influence the readers is known but the Web has a huge audience worldwide, bringing world news at a minimal cost. Web content creation has become equally important in today’s age and hence, there are job requirements for Web designers, editors and consultants for newspaper websites.Institutions like IIJNM aim to bring about profound impact on India’s media scenario in the years to come. With improvement in the quality of journalism, we can certainly hope for superior reporting and news delivery, leading to better governance and stronger democracy in India.