Make yourself indispensable at Work

There are no silver medals in real life. You have to be the best. This rule applies to today’s workplaces as well.

Over the last few decades, organisational structures have transformed significantly. From multilayered, bureaucratic structures, organisations have transformed into efficient, flat hierarchy. This structure provides tremendous opportunities for good performers. At the same time, poor performers can not hide.

As an employee, you don’t want to just be an anonymous face in the crowd at work. Whether you’re desperate to avoid a pink slip, or whether you’re chasing after a promotion, you need to make sure that you’re indispensable to your manager. You should be the first person the manager should think of when the need arises.

Here are five different ways to get started:

1.      Do Your Job – And Do It Well

It might seem so obvious that it’s not worth saying – but it’s crucial to actually do your job, and to make sure you’re performing to a high standard. Providing excuses for delays is no longer acceptable.

You’re not going to become indispensable to your company if you coast through each workday, Twittering about how bored you are, and updating your Facebook profile.

If you’re doing your best but you know your performance is under-par:

·           Ask for help from a more knowledgeable colleague

·           Ask your manager about training opportunities

·           Let your manager or team leader know if you’re struggling with the workload

·           Spend some of your own time improving your skills e.g. learn a new software package, or learn about good business writing. You may also consider joining a part time professional training program.

·           Do an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses

Take Pride in Quality of Your Work

•        Commit to Quality

Decide that with anything you do, you'll do it the right way. Just committing to quality will cause you to reconsider sending out a half-baked project and increase your quality.

•        Brainstorm

Think of ways you can do it better. Think of ways to put systems around your tasks.

•        Envision Success

Ask yourself "What would perfect execution look like for this task?" Now go do it.

•        Be Proud of Your Quality

If you take pride in your quality, you won't release non-quality items.

•        Solve the Problem, Not the Request

Sometimes a "simple" request is not so simple. Find out what the requester really wants, then give it to him.

•        Think big picture

Don't just solve the problem by applying a quick fix. See how it fits in the

big picture and determine if you san solve a big problem with just a little

more effort.

•        Don't Wait for Deadlines

It's inevitable that people rush to finish a task at the deadline. This only leads to more problems. The solution is simple- start early and plan your

schedule so that you finish early. Which leads to:

•        Exceed expectations

You've understood the expectations and you've set expectations- now do your best to exceed them. Everyone loves good surprises!

Soft Skills for Successful Career

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are essentially people skills. Soft skills are the non-technical, intangible, personality-specific skills that determine your strengths as a team player, leader, listener, negotiator, and conflict mediator. Soft skills are different from technical skills that appear on your resume i.e. your education, work experience and expertise.

Soft skills determine your ability for getting a suitable job, deliver good performance on the job and progressively get qualified for a promotion.

The strength of your "soft" skills can make or break how successful you are in the workplace. Are you an agreeable person? Conscientious? Do you communicate effectively? Solve problems efficiently? These are the types of questions aimed at uncovering the strength of your soft skills.

Why employers care about Soft Skills

Soft skills are just as good an indicator of job performance as traditional job qualifications or technical skills. Personality measures like conscientiousness and agreeability were equally important predictors of work success as cognitive ability and work accuracy.

The skills

So how do you uncover your soft skills and get the most out of them? Here's a list of some of the most important soft skills and how to perfect them.

1- Attitude: Have a "winner’s attitude

Hope drives the actions of our day to day life. It's better to see the glass half full instead of half empty. And in the workplace, that type of positive thinking can go a long way. In a workplace, the need to deliver results i.e. achieve goals and meet deadlines, and therefore conflicting interests of each team member breed cynicism and negativity.  An overall positive outlook leads to an overall positive attitude, and that can be a valuable asset in stressful work environments.

The key to having a winning attitude is in how you tackle obstacles and challenges that come your way. For example, instead of complaining about a stressful workload and limited resources, think about it as an opportunity to show off your abilities by getting through it productively and efficiently.

Career in Engineering

Career Guidance: Engineering Career 

Engineering as a branch of study has been looked upon as one of the most prestigious of the subjects. But with mushrooming of engineering colleges and with anybody and everybody getting an engineering degree, it is no more an assured path to success. In fact majority of the private colleges find it difficult to even place 50% of the class, and many of them land up in low end jobs such as BPO after doing engineering, which they could have anyway got even without a B.E./ B.Tech degree.

While choosing the engineering as a career the few things that one needs to keep in mind are:

1. Do I have the interest? (This means would I be interested in studying mathematics, physics or chemistry?)

2. Do I have the understanding of these subjects and would I be able to clear all the engineering papers and complete my course in the prescribed 4 years. Can I score high percentage in most of the subjects?

In most of the private colleges less than 50% students complete the course in 4 years. Also, it is necessary to pass the subjects in first attempt, as this will affect the placement of the candidate afterwards.

3.  Is this college good, does it offer good infrastructure and good environment to pursue academics?

4. How has been the placement record of the college? How many companies visit the campus for placements? How many students were placed in the last three years? What is the pass percentage of a batch? How is the placement in this particular branch?  

Engineering subjects require a deep understanding of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. A student has to show a good level of understanding of these subjects to successfully clear the engineering exams. Hence it is necessary not only to assess the students’ interest, but also the academic performance.

Choosing Engineering as a Career after 10^th/12^th

Career in engineering can be pursued at two stages

-          after 12^th (HSC) by taking admission for Bachelor of Engineering program of four years duration. This is most preferred and recommended options.

-          after 10^th (SSC) by taking admission for Diploma in Engineering programs of three years duration. This option is less preferred as the candidate had to make a decision at an early stage and therefore loses the choice of other career options available to candidates pursuing HSC, such as a career in Medical Sciences, Architecture, etc.

On completion of the Diploma, the candidate can take admission directly to second year of Bachelor of Engineering program.

Minimum Requirement for Admission: The requirements vary from state to state. Generally, 50% or above in 10+2, (50% and above in  Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) are required. Moreover, the candidate may have to score in the Common Entrance Test (CET) / Joint Entrance Test (JEE) if applicable. To secure admission in reputed engineering institutes, the candidates need to score high.

Selection of Branch and College

One has to be really careful in choosing the branch and the college as both of these play an important role in the placements of the students. There is no doubt that  reputed colleges like IITs, NITs, VJTI, NDRI, DIT, CUSAT, VIT etc. would be the stepping stone to a successful career.

Engineering Fields / Subjects

The information about different branches of engineering and their scope and availability is mentioned below. The details given include the scope of study, further education, placement options, some of the best colleges in India offering these courses, etc.

Top Engineering Colleges in India 

Career Guidance

Introduction

                                                                               

Deciding upon the right career option is quite tricky for both students and their parents. Most of us go through the same dilemma after passing class 10^th or 12^th exams or during graduation.

Career options for students pursuing professional courses like degree in medical or engineering, are quite clear. For the remaining students, a lot of thought goes into choosing the right option after graduation. 

Interest and aptitude of the student is main deciding factor. Lucrativeness of the career and job prospects plays an important role in making the decision.

Some of the popular career options include degree in Engineering, Medical, MBA, Software, Chartered Accountancy, Journalism, Advertising, PR and architecture. These fields also offer attractive pay and well defined career paths.  

There are numerous other career options such as flying & aviation, physical education & sports, law, fashion designing, laboratory research & product development and administrative services. These options can also lead to attractive career prospectus if good quality training is pursued.

Necessity of Professional Career Guidance

Careers can actually make or break one’s life, so it is important to make the right choice. Choosing the right career can be a very daunting task especially in a world which offers an array of paths, all of which seem to be leading to a golden goal.  However, often the candidates are unaware of necessary steps to be followed and potential obstacles in order to pursue career in selected field.

Career guidance can help you in pursuing the right courses, in the right colleges or institutes and can guide you in choosing a suitable career.

Choosing a career can be very satisfying if you have made the right choice. Like the famous adage goes, if you choose the job you love, you don’t have to work a single day in your life.  On the other hand, a wrong decision can leave you wishing that you had trodden a different path.

While doing a career search it is imperative to have the correct career information.  An informed choice is always a better bet than an uninformed one.  The right career advice can help you to choose a career to suit your personality as well as your aspirations.

Education, of course, plays an important role in getting you the right job in your chosen field.  The stepping stones or pre-requisites for choosing your dream career are of course, the qualifications required to achieve it.  With the right qualifications, the top careers are open to you and the power of choice would be with you.

Career counselling can guide you in selecting the courses suitable for you.  It could be an undergraduate course or an Associate Bachelor’s, the choice depends on various factors including convenience and requirements.  For some careers, a Bachelor’s degree will do, but others may require additional training and certification courses, a Master’s degree or even a PhD.

The choice of the university is vital as well, as each one differs in its outlook and approach.  The choice offered by various universities is also vast; with some of them offering distance learning courses and online learning resources, which make pursuing the requisite qualifications much easier.  This is especially useful for students planning to pursue multiple courses at the same time; and also for working executives who are looking for a career change. 

With proper career coaching, a job search would be easier and you would be able to bridge the gap between job-availability and your qualifications.  Whether one is looking for a new career or a career change, career guidance can help in smoothening out this important path of transition.

Three Steps to Answer an Interview Question

Three Step Process of Answering Questions in an Interview

• Explain briefly the theoretical / technical aspects that will answer the question.
• Give an example from your past work experience
• Relate the skills to the position for which you are being interviewed

Example question (for position of a Sales manager/ Customer relationship manager): “How would you handle an angry customer?”

Sample answer:

(Step 1: Theory/ basics)  “A customer will approach us (the company) if he is not happy with the product or service that we have sold to him. In such a situation, I (the sales person) will listen to the customer patiently; understand what the customer is interested in. Subsequently, I will explain to the customer, what the features of the product are and how to use them. ”

(Step 2: Example) “In my previous organisation, I was responsible for providing after sales services for Refrigerators. Often the customers would call customer care and ask why the refrigerator walls get heated or why there is excessive ice formation. I would explain that these are normal aspects of refrigerator function.”

(Step 3: Skills related to the position) The answer emphasises following skills required for position of sales person: technical understanding of the product, communication skills, patience, stress management, analytical skills, organisational skills etc.

Common Interview Mistakes

Six Common Interview Mistakes

Tip # 1: Don't discuss salary too early

Unless the salary negotiation comes up, don't initiate the issue of the salary and benefits, in the first interview. You can talk about it after you impress the employer enough for a second interview.

Tip # 2: Talk tech to techies only

If you are talking to a non-technical manager or human resources representative, you are not going to impress them with talk about technology or theory. Answer questions about your work history briefly and keep the technical comments to a minimum until you know the history of the company and the people involved in the hiring process. If you have questions about the technology in use at the site, keep your questions specific and relevant to the position for which you are applying. 

Tip # 3: Keep your philosophy to yourself

If you hate Bill Gates, Windows XP, and the whole Office Suite, keep it to yourself. If you hate politics, keep it to yourself. Ranting about your life philosophy can ruin your chances at the position.

Chances are, you will work with many people who need your help with one of the Microsoft products, so you don't want to blast the tools you will likely be using and supporting. If you are asked about how you feel about a product, be honest, but don't preach. This can be a trap. The interviewer probably just wants to see how you respond to such questions.

Tip # 4: Don't climb the advancement ladder in the interview

If you are joining the ranks of a new company, the last thing the interviewer wants to hear is, "How fast can I get out of this job?" Do not ask about opportunities for advancement until the second or third interview. If you are joining a company just to advance into another position, silence is golden. Keep it to yourself unless the interviewer asks or unless it is somehow already known that you'll be advancing quickly. Remember that what you say now can come back to haunt you later. You don't want to brag to someone who might be under your wing after a promotion.
Further, you never know what may happen if you actually get the job. Learn to accept and adapt and, above all, be happy you have a job.

Tip # 5: Avoid the dreaded electronic interruption

Cellular phone and pager etiquette might seem a trivial thing to those that are hooked up, but you can kiss any job opportunity goodbye if you interrupt an interview to take a telephone call, especially if the human resources representative has a low tolerance for personal digital devices.

If you wear it on a belt loop or somewhere that is exposed, lose it, along with any other electrical device hooks and loops, and store them in pocket, purse, or briefcase. If you can't spare the time away from the rest of the world to do an interview, why are you applying for the job?

Tip # 6: Remember to say thank you

Beyond thanking your interviewers for their time as you leave, it's vital that you follow up in written form. If the competition for a position is tight, a follow-up thank you note can mean a lot. If the manager is slow to hire, the arrival of a thank-you note can serve as a reminder about the candidate who's awaiting the manager's next move.
It may seem like a small detail, but the experts will tell you that this tried-and-true tactic really makes an impact.

Skills Development

Skills fall into two broad categories - technical and generic.

Technical skills are the skills required to do a specific job. For a civil engineer will include knowledge of construction techniques, site preparation, stress analysis, etc. For a laboratory assistant, technical skills might include knowledge of sterilization procedures, slide preparation, and scientific report writing. For an outreach worker, technical skills might include counselling skills, case management skills, or program design and evaluation skills.

Technical skills are often developed through formal education and through work experience.

Generic skills are usable in many work settings. Following is a list of the ten most marketable skills. You will notice that they are all generic.

·         Analytical/Problem Solving

·         Flexibility/Versatility

·         Interpersonal

·         Oral/Written Communication

·         Organization/Planning

·         Time Management

·         Motivation

·         Leadership

·         Self-Starter/Initiative

·         Team Player

Skills are developed in a variety of settings. If you have ever researched and written a paper for a course, you have improved your written communication skills. Team sports or group projects are a good way to develop the skills required of a team player and leader.

Education through entrance tests

"Raising the standard of entrance exams for higher learning will result in improving the education and foundation of lakhs of students who cannot make it to quality institutions"

THE season for admission test to the top institutes in the country is here again.Admission tests in India are undoubtedly among the largest and toughest to crack exams: more than four lakh students are expected to sit in joint entrance examination (JEE) of which some 5,000 may be admitted.More than 10 lakh sit in All India Engineering Entrance Examination,perhaps the largest exam in the country.A similar number must be sitting for exams for medical with again accept ratios of a few percent.
The difficulty of cracking these tests have led to the booming coaching industry it seems the vast majority of students appearing in these exams undergo some form of coaching for them.This impact of coaching has been decried by many.In academic circles,it is a common complain that coaching is allowing even average students to crack the exams,and how exams ought to be changed so that deserving students can clear even without coaching.
It should be clearly understood that the success of coaching is not due to the nature of the exams,but due to the low acceptance ratio in these exams.With these low accept rates,it is irrelevant whether the nature of exam is such that coaching will help or not.
Unless there is scientific data to show that coaching does not help,and such data will not be easy to obtain as it will require controlled experimentation,parents will easily believe the argument of coaching institutes that their coaching will improve the chances of students in the exam.Anybody who thinks that coaching can be made redundant by reforming the admission tests is living in a state of denial.
There is another aspect of coaching that deserves attention.Coaching is big business: by some accounts,coaching for IITs is bigger than IITs themselves in terms of turnover.Consequently,it is able to attract good teachers by offering high salaries.One hears about IIT/IIM grads teaching in these coaching institutes,but one cannot come across an IIT/IIM graduate as a teacher in a school even elite schools do not have this distinction.So,in many coaching centres,the quality of education is superior to that of schools,particularly with respect to the entrance test subjects.As the business success depends on how well they help the students do in the entrance exams,their teaching,as measured with respect to success in these exams,continues to improve and they take great care to improve it.
So,we have the following situation.Coaching institutes will continue to thrive as long as the accept ratio remains small.And coaching business will ensure that its teachers and teaching processes are well-equipped to impart training to students to do better at the competitive exam.
This situation,undesirable thought it is,can,however,be converted into an opportunity to improve education.As coaching institutes focus on the entrance tests and the syllabus for them,it provides a power to these exams in that whatever they put as syllabus or as expected knowledge,the coaching institutes will ensure that students get good at that.Even for those students who do not undergo coaching,these exams are highly influential students learn/ study for these exams with a mission and dedication that they dont show for anything else.
IF THESE large exams were to be oriented such that preparation for them will make the foundations for the key subjects much stronger and will force the students to really understand the subjects better,the coaching industry will ensure that this knowledge is imparted to students.That is,the syllabus and expectation is potentially a strong force on what students learn in the 2-3 years they prepare for the entrance exams,through coaching or on their own.
If this learning can be strengthened,then even if the students do not get through in these exams which the vast majority will not the preparation for them will give them strong foundations in some key subjects.This can be leveraged by other institutions.Even now,many people acknowledge that for many private engineering colleges,it is not the training in these colleges that makes their graduates decent,but the preparation they have before they entered the engineering college.
What can these exams do to strengthen the education and foundation This is,obviously,a topic of long debates with no ready answers.But,for example,they can add testing on quantitative thinking,communication,logical reasoning,lab- and experience-based knowledge rather than just concepts,etc.These will all help improve the thinking and problem-solving capabilities of students,which will always be useful in their further education or careers.(Incidentally,such an exam is also more likely to select smarter candidates in the exams.)
So,instead of fighting coaching by making exams like JEE harder and more theoretical every year,such large exams can leverage the competition for the larger good of improving the education and preparedness of students.If these exams are thought of as a potential tool in the armory of the country for fighting the poor education standards,rather than just for admitting students into these institutes,then they can favourably impact the lakhs of students who attend JEE,and not just of the selected few thousands who actually enter the IITs,whose skills will be upgraded anyway to top levels by the top quality education that they will be provided.By doing so,institutions like the IITs and the entrance exams they have,will be making a solid contribution to improving the workforce in the country,as they have done in creating the top-level manpower.

Source : Economic Times Editorial

Define Education

Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.

Education is a concept, referring to the process in which students can learn something:

 Instruction refers to the facilitating of learning toward identified objectives, delivered either by an instructor or other forms.

 Teaching refers to the actions of a real live instructor designed to impart learning to the student.

 Learning refers to learning with a view toward preparing learners with specific knowledge, skills, or abilities that can be applied immediately upon completion.

Education in India has a history stretching back to the ancient urban centers of learning at Taxila and Nalanda. Western education became ingrained into Indian society with the establishment of the British Raj. Education in India falls under the control of both the Union Government and the states, with some responsibilities lying with the Union and the states having autonomy for others. The various articles of the Indian Constitution provide for education as a fundamental right. Most universities in India are Union or State Government controlled.

India has made a huge progress in terms of increasing primary education attendance rate and expanding literacy to approximately two thirds of the population. India's improved education system is often cited as one of the main contributors to the economic rise of India.

Success in Job Interview

Introduction

On completion of degree program, you will start thinking about the dream job. However, you have to cross one small step before you enter your professional career. The job interview.

Remember the following points when preparing for an interview:  

Prepare your resume, include your academic performance, skills and work experience (if any). Make sure that you can explain everything written on your resume. 

Take a copy of your resume, transcript, references, academic project reports. Also take a pen and paper, as you may want to record some important information.

Dress appropriately for the position that you are applying to. Try to dress like the people who work there would dress if they were representing their organization at some conference.

Make sure that you are clean, neat, and well-groomed. Interviewers do notice your appearance, and first impressions are critical in an interview situation.

Arrive at the interview fifteen minutes early to give yourself an opportunity to collect your thoughts and relax. If you fail to report as per scheduled time, this can affect your rating in the interview.

Get a good night's sleep before your interview. You will think more effectively in the interview if you are rested. Also, yawning will not impress anyone. Eat something before the interview. If you are worried about your stomach growling, you will not be able to concentrate on the questions.

The Interview

Interview is a formal meeting between the employer and the applicant. The employer wants to know if you, the applicant, have the education, skills, knowledge, self-confidence, and motivation necessary for the job. You also get the opportunity to present yourself and explain your skills and achievements. The interviewer also wants to determine whether or not you will be a good fit in his team. Similarly, you will want to evaluate the position and the organization, and determine if they will fit into your career plans.

The interview is a two-way exchange of information. It is an opportunity for both parties to market themselves. The employer is selling the organization to you, and you are marketing your skills, knowledge, and personality to the employer. Make the best of this opportunity by being well prepared.

Interview Preparation

Step 1: Know Yourself

Do a thorough self-assessment so that you will know what you have to offer an employer. Develop a complete inventory of skills, experience, and personal attributes that you can use to market yourself to employers at any time during the interview process.

It is easiest to start with experience. Once you have a detailed list of activities that you have done (past jobs, extra-curricular involvements, volunteer work, school projects, etc.), it is fairly easy to identify your skills. Go through the list, and for each item ask yourself "What could I have learned by doing this?" "What skills did I develop?" "What issues/circumstances have I learned to deal with?"

Don't overlook any abilities you may have When doing the research on yourself, identifying your experience and skills is important, but it is not all that you need to know. Consider the answers to other questions such as:

·         How have I demonstrated the skills required in this position?

·         What are my strong points and weak points?

·         What are my short term and long term goals?

·         What can I offer this particular employer?

·         What kind of environment do I like? (i.e. How do I like to be supervised? Do I like a fast pace?)

·         What do I like doing?

·         Apart from my skills and experience, what can I bring to this job?

        Step 2: Know the Occupation

In order to present a convincing argument that you have the experience and skills required for that occupation, you must first know what those requirements and duties are. With this information uncovered, you can then match the skills you have (using the complete skills/experience inventory you have just prepared) with the skills you know people in that occupational field need. The resulting "shortlist" will be the one that you need to emphasize during the interview.

 
It is also in your best interest to identify the approximate starting salary for that position, or those similar. There are several ways to find out about an occupation:

·         Acquire a copy of the job description from the employer (Human Resources/Personnel) or check with Employment Services firms. If you are responding to an advertisement, this may also supply some details.

·         If you belong to a professional association related to the occupation, use its resources. These associations often publish informative newsletters and sponsor seminars.

·         It is also a good way to meet people working in the field. Conduct information interviews with people working in the field. Read articles about people in the occupation, and articles written by people in the occupation. Sources include newspapers, magazines and the internet.

·         Find out what the future trends are in the area. Is technology changing the job?

        Step 3: Know the Organization

Research about the employer is a critical part of preparing for an interview. Spend time researching and thinking about yourself, the occupation, the organization, and questions you might ask at the end of the interview.

The more you know about an organization, the better prepared you will be to discuss how you can meet its needs. Some of the characteristics that you should know about an organization are:

·         Where is it located?

·         How big is it (number of employees, branches, market share, etc)?

·         What are its products and who does it serve?

·         How is the organization structured?

·         What is its history?

·         Have there been any recent changes, new developments?

There are a number of ways in which you can access this information. Most medium- to large-sized organizations publish information about themselves. You can access this a number of ways:

·         On campus at the Student Employment Services (company literature and business directories)

·         Many companies have internet home pages which you can locate by searching by industry and company name

·         Finally, you can visit or phone the organization and request some information on their products, services or areas of research

If the organization is fairly small, or fairly new, there may not be much information published. In this case, it will be necessary to do an information interview. Contact someone within the organization, introduce yourself, explain that you are considering moving into the field, and ask if it would be possible to meet with him/her to inquire about the company/organization and about what exactly the position would involve. 

Step 4: Prepare Questions 

Having completed your background research, you are now ready to prepare questions to ask the interviewer(s). Try to think of questions for which the answer was not readily available in company literature. Intelligent well thought-out questions will demonstrate your genuine interest in the position. Be careful how many questions you ask, however, as too many can imply you feel the interview was not successfully run. Pick your questions with care - this is your chance to gather information, so ask about what you really want to know. Avoid sounding critical by mentioning negative information you may have discovered. This is one of the most effective ways to compare different employers, so for issues of particular importance to you (for example, whether they support staff upgrading), you should ask the same questions of each employer. Some sample questions are:

·         What are the most significant factors affecting your business today? How have changes in technology most affected your business today? 

·         How has your business/industry been affected by the recession?

·         How has your company grown or changed in the last couple of years?

·         What future direction do you see the company taking?

·         Where is the greatest demand for your services or product?

·         Where is most of the pressure from increased business felt in this company?

·         Which department feels it the most?

·         How do you differ from your competitors?

·         How much responsibility will I be given in this position?

·         What do you like about working with this organization?

·         Can you tell me more about the training program?

·         Have any new product lines been introduced recently?

·         How much travel is normally expected?

·         What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance?

·         Will I work independently or as part of a team?

·         How did you advance to your position?

·         What are the career paths available in this organization?

·         When can I expect to hear from you regarding this position?

It is very important to ask the last question because employers want to hire individuals who are interested in the position - and asking this question definitely helps to demonstrate interest on your part. Exercise judgment when asking questions to an employer. When being interviewed by a large company that has a high profile, one would not ask the question "What is the history of your company and how was your company started?" You can find the answer to this question in the company's annual report or articles in magazines/newspapers. However, small- and medium-sized companies do not always produce publicly available annual reports and it may be difficult to access information on the company and its role in the industry. This question is appropriate if you have exercised all other ways to find out the answer.