http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-06/services-apps/30481478_1_e-commerce-ecommerce-logistics

You can now request for email notifications to be stopped (or reactivated) which helps as and when you are looking for work. This also works from the client side, so clients too can avail this service to enable and disable email notifications as and when required.

We have also implemented some structural changes to our system, which means that you reap the benefits right away. These changes allow us to carry out administrative actions within the hour instead of having to wait up to a week to make changes. New transactions can be issued right away and profile details can be updated on the system immediately too.

We hope you enjoy the new ease of use and welcome any further suggestions.

The Gharkamai Team

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_fraudster-dupes-50-with-his-work-from-home-yarn-in-bangalore_1552901

It saddens us here at Gharkamai to read such news; as we know how hard it is to find reliable flexible work options (especially online). When Gharkamai was founded we had a clear goal not to charge professionals, who were looking to make money and expand their skill set. Till date we have provided all our services for free. It is our strong belief that our strength lies in your continued support and faith in our services. We would like to thank you for the last 3 and a half years of support and look forward to many more years of working with you.

The Gharkamai Team

Oh goody, cartoons. Maybe Dora will be on. Then Mama can give me my drink while I watch Dora. Maybe if I turn the volume up she will see that I am watching TV and then come and give me something over here…

Excuse me for one moment Sir, do you mind if I quickly put you on hold while I take another call?

Sweetheart, can you turn that noise down? You know Mama is trying to work and has a deadline to meet! Good girl, please turn the volume down? …….. Come on! I am going to ask you one last time – don’t make me come over there to turn the TV off!

Fine! It’s almost on mute now!
“Mama, I’m thirsty and hot and my eyes huuuuuurrrt”.

…
Maybe if I lie down next to her, here she won’t forget me!

“oh my good girl, thank you for waiting for mama. Mama has been very naughty and left you all alone. You are burning up baby. Lets get you sorted out…”

*        *        *

It’s hard struggling with those deadlines, especially when life has a habit of just happening, while you are busy planning for something else! In the case of young children it is best to try and work during their down times, like during their nap time, during play school hours or in the evening once they’ve gone to bed.

A mother we spoke with suggested feeding your toddler or child, making sure they are comfortable and allowing them their TV time (or other activity) while you are on your call or completing your task. (That is as part of their scheduled TV time and not as a bribe to be good!). This is especially the case for those that do not have extended family or a nanny to help with child minding. Another mother found from her own experience, that working in small shifts and breaking her work down into smaller tasks was one way of balancing her work and young child. She set her tasks according to her own child’s attention span and schedule. Effective, but perhaps more difficult for her as she has to keep switching gears.

In the case of illness, a less regular occurrence perhaps, I personally believe I would put my child first and push back any deadlines I have to meet. It is a fine line deciding which to put first and neither choice is wrong. It is societal pressures that make us feel a leaning towards one or the other is the wrong choice… and let me assure you that whatever you choose, there will be those on the other side of the fence waiting to sit in judgment! Lest we cast aspersions on our mother and worker above, her sense of duty should be applauded. Perhaps she did not realize her little girl was unwell, we really don’t know how long it took to get to her girl and it appears that this mother too felt a sense of guilt at having neglected her daughter to get her work done.

Although there will be times where your planning goes to seed, your agenda in the bin and all routine in the shredder; with a great amount of planning and decent routine and a phenomenal agenda making ability – you can get them both done. The question then is: Are we as women, programmed to feel guilty about turning our backs on our family / or ourselves and our need for self worth through work? Or is this perfect balance possible without any punishable feelings about our self worth as mothers’ workers, members of society?

What do you think?

While we here at Gharkamai applaud your persistence, perhaps its time to examine why? As an HR professional and recruiter, I can tell you that no employer is going to waste their time with an application that is not properly drafted and well worded (especially when its for a job posted under the ‘writing and translation’ category). This type of approach might work if you are very technically sound and work behind the scenes in IT. But why allow for exceptions?

The point is that anyone seeking work under any circumstances should at least try and do the bare minimum. An employer wants to be wowed by candidates and see that some effort has gone into the application; that the candidate is interested in the job.

Out top 5 tips for improving your CV are:

1. Work on your CV to make sure it is current and markets both soft and hard skills that would give you an edge when working from home.
2. To write a clear and neat cover letter indicating why you would be good for the job that is advertised. You could draw from examples on your CV and elaborate on why you think you would be a good fit.
3. It is also our finding that many candidates use sms lingo or abbreviations, this is a big no-no when applying for jobs. If you cannot be bothered to type the full word, then what assurance does the employer have that you will communicate clearly and effectively on their behalf? This is also the case for correct grammar, syntax and punctuation. You will find that a well-written letter will take you places!
4. Another aspect to pursue would be to look at taking up small courses or classes that could help you carrying out work from home. This could also help you customize your skill set and would also show any potential employer that you are not prone to sitting idle, but keen to develop while you have no work on your hands.
5. Finally, you could make sure that your CV has no gaps on it. Breaks on your CV are perfectly permissible but they should clearly be able to gauge what you have been up to when you have not been working.

You could also look at the company’s website and find out more about them, so that when you do write to them or call them you are informed and can use examples from your own experience. Sometimes it helps to pick up the phone and talk to the person concerned. This is particularly the case for placements that require telephones sales and other such services. All of these tips show initiative and it is initiative that an employer is looking for when he or she hires a candidate. It is also initiative that will allow someone to work in a slightly unique working environment, facing the challenges of balancing work and their personal lives. A little initiative in how you apply, how you use your skill sets and how you deal with your interview are all indicators to an employer of how you will actually fair once you have been employed.

In HR there is the concept the an individual will filter themselves out of the running for a certain position based on whether they are over or under qualified for a position. Thus leaving only a small range of individuals that are pretty much qualified for the job to apply. If you see a position posted for law related work, but you have only ever worked in computer programming, then it is clear that you would not look at the project posted. However, it may pay to read the posting clearly as project based work often requires other skill sets that are not found readily around the office. These are usually skills that are required for a one off assignment. It could be the case perhaps that a legal firm requires a technical person to work with new software that has to be rolled out throughout the legal practice. In other words no matter what project you are applying for – read the details, and look at how you would be relevant. If you feel that you have very little to offer; there is probably no point in applying. However if you can think of a new way of using old skills that are relevant to the project posted you should not only apply but you should contact the company which placed the posting making your case as to why you would be suitable for the job.

We hope our tips help and that you find many suitable projects in the future!

 It was just as these thoughts swirled through my head that my husband walked in. Usual jovial mood, a lengthy description of what he had been up to and demands for a simple meal lest he fade away into oblivion. I ensured him that Punjabi genes intact, he had no risk of fading away and went to see what I could find in the fridge. A quick push of the microwave buttons and I was convinced that I could flee back to my computer and the words that were already writing themselves in my head.

Unfortunately the fumes of the varnish from afore mentioned carpenters have made me flee my study and so I am a perfect sitting duck for my husbands anecdotes and lunchtime banter. I smile vaguely and hope the story will end soon. I tell him the baby is asleep and will wake any minute, so I better get back to work. He has no idea how precious this time is for me. My 11 month old tends to only sleep for 45 minutes at a stretch, making work during the day difficult. The banter continued for another half hour and as he finally left to go to the office the baby awoke. It was at this point that I was fuming! A quick, aggravated phone call later I had demanded his return till my work was done and he could hand the baby back to me. Perhaps by putting my foot down he would take my work more seriously, not interrupt me in future and fingers crossed be more supportive too! Failing that I have had a lock put on the study door for any such future event.

Singh alludes to the fact that such practices are in their early stages in India, with only certain segments of the market allowing for flexible work conditions. The article shows clearly that though, it depends on the organisation’s work policies, women also need to demonstrate how they can add value to the organisation in the changed roles  . Women that tend to skillfully negotiate the types of work patterns tend to have a good reputation in the work place already and the ability to negotiate such terms. The firms also have to be more willing to agree and the woman’s family support also plays a key role.

To read more, or to check out related articles – http://www.womensweb.in/item/mothers-on-a-new-track-part-2.html

We are curious to know about more women out there trying to adopt a flexible career in order to spend more time with their families. If you are one of them, you could be a great role model for many of us. Please share your experiences of being a “career-mom” with us. Your stories and experiences, humorous, tragic or matter of fact will help us all know that we are not doing it alone.

Writer and blogger, HCL chief Vineet Nayar has recently profiled HCL head Neelam Manwani in his blog . He believes there are many women who allow societal pressures (both external pressures and those from within) to hold them back. Quoting Lois P Frankel, Nayar indicates that girl-ish behaviours, polling friends and colleagues and worrying about what people think; coupled with the motivation to think and act like the rest of the organization can deter many women from reaching the top of the ladder. Looking around HCL as an organization he believes there are many women leaders who defy convention and it seems that HCL has hit on the right formula allowing women to flourish and forge their own roles in their own unique ways. In profiling Ms Manwani he says ‘she is convinced that she can be successful only if each one of her team members feels valued, appreciated and important, and has worked hard at achieving that.’ Nayar believes that such emotional intelligence has worked to her advantage and her sentiments have been paid back in equal by colleagues willing to support her in all aspects of her work life. In creating a supportive and encouraging environment, team members are allowed to come up with a collective plan to take the entire team forward.

Read more: http://www.vineetnayar.com/women-in-leadership-neelam-manwani/#ixzz183ppJjJe

In a recent study, Indian women were found to be much more likely to face cultural pressures to quit their jobs after marriage or starting a family, as opposed to their counterparts in other major emerging markets.

Observers fear that India’s robust economic growth will falter unless a major shortfall of high quality employees is not addressed. According to the study, 5.5 million educated women enter the workforce each year. But India needs to do a much better job of addressing competing work and family pressures for these women so that they can remain in the working world, said the study. With 51% of those studied feeling the pressure to stop working after marriage, a much higher number than their contemporaries in other countries. [We at Gharkamai vehemently support a woman’s need to find a work life balance, which is how Gharkamai came to exist]. To read more go to

 http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/12/06/second-shift-pressure-high-on-indian-working-women/