“I am afraid of my new boss. Is this a good time to look for a new job?” “Are there chances to get the project abroad?” “Working on same salary since last two years. What are the chances of getting good salary hike this year?”
Gone are the days when you would poke your palm out at a palmist or slide your horoscope across the table to the astrologer. In the world of apps, people are throwing their career questions at astrology apps and websites. The ongoing appraisal season has seen a spike in their traffic. Popular astrology apps such as Astrosage, Horoscope India, Astrospeak and AskGanesha are glad to oblige, for around Rs 700 to Rs 1,500 per question. A detailed career analysis will cost anywhere around Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000.
Traditionally, they only get to analyse matrimonial predictions and agonies. The apps guarantee anonymity, where professionals mainly from information technology, media, retail and real estate have been flocking since March end with queries on jobs, bosses, salaries and promotions.
“In last two months, we have seen sudden spurt of about 15% in queries over ‘job’. In numbers, we are receiving average 4,800 job and career related queries in a day against the normal 4,300 a day,” said Surabhi Bhadauria, communication manager at AstroSage, an app that claims to have 5 million downloads in less than a year of launch.
{{/usCountry}}“In last two months, we have seen sudden spurt of about 15% in queries over ‘job’. In numbers, we are receiving average 4,800 job and career related queries in a day against the normal 4,300 a day,” said Surabhi Bhadauria, communication manager at AstroSage, an app that claims to have 5 million downloads in less than a year of launch.
{{/usCountry}}“People also ask about visa approval, and when should they apply for citizenship,” said Abhishek Dhawan, founder, AskGanesha. “For a single question, the charge `Rs 699. Analysis via phone costs Rs 2,100 for half an hour and a personal half-hour consultation costs Rs 3,100.”
On an average, people end up consulting for an hour, paying over Rs 6,000.
At another astro app, Horoscope India, the typical age of professionals throwing questions is 24 to 32, and interestingly, are mostly men. “Most of the queries come from metros such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore,” said Ashok Prajapati, founder of the Ambala-based app.