Say No to Extra work

Some good advise on handling over dose of work...

http://ca.askmen.com/money/career_250/264_say-no-to-extra-work.html

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (for international students studying for min 8 months in Canada)

If you want to work in Canada after you graduate from your studies, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. (Source:a)

About the program in one snapshot (as extracted from various documents and links mentioned later)

1. Job Offer letter required for applying
2. Job has to be in the field of study
3. Employer doesn't need labour market opinion from Service Canada/Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)
4. Apply within 90 days of final mark issue
5. Get a letter of study completion from college or a notification of graduation
6. Have valid student permit at time of application
7. Person can leave Canada with new documents (point need to be checked further)

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program: The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience in their field of studies. This program allows all participants to work up to one year in the Montréal, Toronto or Vancouver areas, and to work up to two years everywhere else in Canada. (Source: a)

A work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program cannot be valid for a longer period than the length of your studies. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a one- or two-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months.(Source: a)

Who may apply for a work permit of up to one year under this program? (Source: b)

You may apply for a work permit of up to one year if you:

• graduated from a program of full-time study (of at least eight months) at:
  • a public post-secondary institution; or
  • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec fit that description); or
  • a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial law to confer degrees.
• have a job offer from an employer for a job that is related to your field of studies;
• have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit; and
• have not previously been issued a work permit for post-graduation employment following any other course of study.

 

Working after graduation—How to apply (Source:c)

If you want to work after completing your studies in Canada, you must apply for a post-graduation work permit, if you meet all of the eligibility requirements.

There are five steps to apply for the post-graduation work permit:

1. Obtain an application kit
2. Read the guide.
3. Complete the application form and attach the necessary documents.
4. Pay the fee and get the necessary receipt.
5. Mail the application form and documents.

 

What is required in the job offer letter? (Source: d)

This letter must be an original letter on company letterhead and must contain the following:

1. Job title & job description (the job must be related to the student’s field of studies)
2. The education, skills and experiences required for the job
3. Start date of employment
4. Salary and other job benefits
5. Average number of hours of work per week
6. Address of the location of employment where student will be working

 

Sources:

(a) http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-postgrad.asp

(b) Applying for a Work Permit - Student Guide:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/pdf/kits/guides/5580E.PDF

(c) http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-postgrad-how.asp

(d) http://www.sds.uwo.ca/int/documents/postgrad_employer.pdf

 

Other Useful links:

• http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/information/applications/work-students.asp
• http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/intstugrad.shtml
• http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/extend-worker.asp
• http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/medical/medexams-temp.asp
• http://www.canadaworkpermit.com/faq/general.html

Disclaimer: The post just has information collected from different links. Certain information and procedures mentioned here might change with time and the blog-author takes no responsibility for any consequence emerging out of the information presented and if it is out-dated.

An introduction to Canada (by Thomas Cook)

The following link of the Thomas Cook site provides an introduction to Canada : Link

Those expecting Canada to be a blander version of the USA should check their assumptions at the door. Canada's wild northern frontier, which has etched itself into the national psyche, and its distinct patchwork of peoples have created a country that is decidedly different from its brash neighbour.

It's the edginess between Canada's indigenous, French and British traditions that gives the nation its complex three-dimensional character. Add to this a constant infusion of US culture and a plethora of traditions brought by migrants, and you have a thriving multicultural society.

Area: 9976000 sq km
Population: 31280000
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -7-8-5-6-4-3.5

What I wish I’d known then - Looking back at the MBA experience

The MBA or Masters in Business Administration degree is now probably the world’s most popular and widely recognised post-graduate qualification. Every year, more than 100,000 students will invest large amounts of time, effort and money to gain one. But, with the benefit of hindsight, do graduates really believe that it’s been worth all the effort involved?
According to a recent poll by the careers and education group, QS, the company behind the World MBA Tour, there are almost no MBAs who regret having taken the qualification, but a significant proportion do wish that they had approached their studies in a different way. One of the most common regrets centres on a lack of planning for the programme and for the wider business school experience.

Complete article at link
Courtesy: PagalGuy

Surviving an International MBA – 2

Welcome to Term 2 and you are back to losing sleep in the night and catching a few winks during the class. By now, you know who the class stars are and pretty much who are the people who just talk in class for air-time. You try to do everything around you, assignments and quizzes and club activities. But you will be warmed up enough and resigned to the fact that you might after all say adieu to your sleep and social life! But I feel that many of us get too carried away at this point.

Complete article at link
Courtesy: PagalGuy

Surviving an International MBA - 1

It’s been a long time since I put up an article and thought it was about time I told you all, how it has been at a US business school and what the experience amounts to, at the end of the day. I am sure that my blog has been doing a decent job about updating on the fortnightly or so activities, so here’s my attempt to run you all through the “Surviving an International MBA”. My take is that from the Fuqua stand-point. I am sure the experience will be similar elsewhere if not the same.
all started when I got accepted at a ‘good’ business school in India. The thought of actually stepping out of the shores for my MBA crept into my mind and after a year of failing to fund my International MBA, I came back with much vigor and applied to some pretty well known schools abroad.....

Complete article at link
Courtesy: PagalGuy

Financing your international MBA

Resigning from a secure job, moving country, even leaving family and friends behind - potential MBAs seem to take such obstacles in their stride. But with programmes at top-flight schools now costing as much as US $75,000, one question seems to occupy business school applicants more than any other – just how can I find the money to pay for my education?

Every year, as part of its ongoing research project, TopMBA surveys nearly 4,000 aspiring MBAs to establish whether the issue of finance was likely to prove a barrier to study. The latest poll found that practically all had already looked seriously into how they would fund their time at business school and a wide variety of methods were cited from scholarships to personal loans. Scholarships, perhaps not surprisingly, were the most popular option around the world, favoured by 74 pc of respondents. Next came the student’s own savings at 68 pc and then some form of external loan at 61 pc. Only 28 pc realistically expected to get financial help from their employer.

The emphasis that students place on funding methods seems to vary considerably from area to area. Help from family and friends appears to be most common in the Asia-Pacific region where it was cited by 48 pc of those questioned, in contrast to only 43 pc in the USA and Western Europe. Personal loans were the preferred source for over 81 pc of US students, but less than 57 pc of those from Latin America. Company sponsorship was expected from 36 pc of respondents in the Middle East and Africa, but only 21 pc of those in Latin America and a student’s own savings were the favoured method of 80 pc of Western European candidates, but only 62 pc of those from the Middle East and Africa.

Whatever a student’s initial preference, the most common source of finance in practice is now the education or career loan. We look at some of the sources of such loans across the globe:

Finance sources around the world
India
Indian nationals have access to a wide range of education loans geared to fund MBA study. Key suppliers include State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, State Bank of Mysore, Bank of Baroda and the Industrial Development Bank of India. Loans can be used to cover the cost of fees, travel to an overseas school, the cost of books, computers, etc and living expenses. In most cases candidates will already need to have secured a place at a recognised institution and may need to supply a guarantor, such as a parent or close relative, with sufficient funds to cover the loan. Repayment periods range up to four years after graduation and interest rates are currently around 8.5 to 8.75 pc.

Complete Article at link
Courtesy: PagalGuy/TopMBA.com

ECNR issue: Online appointment

Tried the online way. Let's see if the things really work in government offices, even though they are in Bangalore.
On the link http://nitpu2.kar.nic.in/passport/process.htm, one can get an online appointment for most of the work related to passport.
You need to take a print out of this appointment and take it along with you at the appointment.

I got an appointment for Tuesday, February 6, 2007 @ 16.24 hrs.

Lets see if some work is done!

Accommodation @ Queen's

The queries about accommodation during Queen's MBA course have been in discussion since very long. Till date there are 9 guys and 2 gals who have confirmed joining the Queen's MBA by paying the CAN$2000 initial deposit.
Now the questions are

1. When to start scouting? How early?
2. How?
3. How many together in one place/sharing?
4. Outside campus accommodation vs inside (Queen's Graduate Residence)
5. Only Indian or mixed? (let the Queen's diversity point get in every dimension of a student's life!!)
6. All guys/mixed!
   

The first question is one which is being asked again and again with some people of the opinion that the scouting can be done in a day or two even after reaching Kingston.
The second question found some reply, thanks to R: Check out the Queen's University's accommodation classified page/listing service @ http://notes.queensu.ca/ALSWeb.nsf
The third remains a personal option-single, 2 in1, 3 in 1, 4 in 1, 5 in 1 or even 6 in1
The fourth question has multiple views about the benefits of staying inside and outside. But staying outside has surely some benefits w.r.t. the money part of it.
The fifth question has been just raised by one of the current students.
The sixth point-ah! the controversy between thinking, belief and fantasy!

Links:

• Queen's University Residence: https://housing.queensu.ca/residence/
• Queen's University General Residence Info: https://housing.queensu.ca/residence/apply/gradapp.pdf
• Queen's Residence Fee Schedule: http://www.queensu.ca/registrar/fees/res-grad.html
  

Happy Hunting!

Travel Cards

For payment in foreign currency while abroad, there are many options like credit cards, debit cards, travel cards, travelers' cheques and of course cash.
I explored the option of travel cards from few of the different merchants.

SBI Vishwa-yatra card:
A pre-paid forex card which can be re-charged with foreign currency from SBI. It can be used as a debit card for purchases (no transaction fees) and withdraw cash from ATM (USD$ 1.75 per transaction). Copy of Passport required for issuing. Some kind of insurance also offered. Convert unused foreign currency back into INR on return.
Issue charges: Rs 110
Re-charge charges: Rs 50

Related Links:

• SBI Vishwa-yatra card FAQs: http://sbi.co.in/viewsection.jsp?lang=0&id=0,453,103,289
  
• Pre-paid forex cards @ MoneyControl: Link

ICICI Travel Card:
Almost similar to SBI card
Details at http://icicibank.com/Pfsuser/cards/travel_card/index.htm

Thomas Cook Global Money Card:
Details at http://www.thomascook.com/currency/travelchequecard.asp

Useful Links about Travel Cards:
Safety Tips: http://icicibank.com/Pfsuser/cards/travel_card/safety_tips.htm
Do's and Don'ts: http://icicibank.com/Pfsuser/cards/travel_card/dos.htm

Visa application links

Canadian Visa applications for applicants outside Chandigarh and Delhi can be processed through VFS who have officially tied up with Canadian Embassy.

VFS: http://www.vfs-canada.co.in

Visa application details: http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/visaapplication.html
Visa photo specifications: http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/photospecifications.html

Other Canadian Visa application sites: http://geo.international.gc.ca/asia/new-delhi/menu-en.asp

DHL University Express Page has some tips for Visa @ http://dhluniversityexpress.com/visas.asp

ISIC Card

I found a ISIC Card information from STIC Travel centre. There are some discounts on air fares etc.
Information is available at http://isicweb.net/
In case one has sent his international couriers by DHL University Express, he might have got this card. One needs to send >=3 University applications to get this card free. Details at http://dhluniversityexpress.com/abt.asp

Kingston Info

Searching for Information on Kingston found interesting information

• Kingston is the birth place of famous pop singer Bryan Adams
• Singer Avril Lavigne, from nearby Napanee, began her career after gaining notice singing at a Kingston fair and bookstore.
• The first winner of the television series Canadian Idol was Kingston native Ryan Malcolm.
• Kingston was the home of Canada's first Prime Minister,Sir John A. Macdonald.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston,_Ontario

More Interview Tips

Check out the B-school Admit Blog link for Interview Tips (both face2face & telephonic)

http://bschool-admit.blogspot.com/search/label/Interviews

Indians ARE good. Period

It pains us to see the utter disregard for Indian Bschool Applicants being shown by some US based admission consultants.

check out the complete article at
http://bschool-admit.blogspot.com/2006/12/indians-are-good-period.html