Widen your horizons

Participation in global youth events gives you a career boost Vimal Chander Joshi reports

If classroom discussions and inter-college debates give you a high, then channel this interest and join a world youth forum. Such a platform will not only give you an international perspective, but will also bolster your career prospects.

Participation in events like the G8 Youth Summit is a very significant part of your education. These “extra-scholastic” activities have been acknowledged by the CBSE, and firms looking to hire value such experience as well. Meghasree Sinha, HR manager of East India Group, says, “A candidate who has an exposure to international youth forums definitely stands a better chance during recruitment.”

At an international forum, you share a platform with business leaders, students, activists and academics from across the world. After such high-level interactions, you tend to think out of the box.

Bhanu Joshi, a final-year student of the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, led an eight-member team to the G8 Youth Summit in Milan, Italy, this year. What are the tools for spotting such opportunities? Bhanu replies, “I spend at least 2-3 hours on the Internet. Then I scan the college notice board and posters on the campus.”

Sharpen the pen
Ruchika Pokhriyal, a student of biomedical sciences at the Acharya Narendra Dev College, will represent the Indian youth at the UN convention on climate change in Copenhagen, a chance that came her way after taking first place in the Prithvi Ratna National Essay Writing Competition on climate change, held some time ago.
Shravanti Joshi and Anoop Ramakrishna went to the World Youth Forum in Geneva this year after their essays were chosen by the Department of Telecommunication. The topic was ‘The biggest problems faced by our community and how we can use information and communication technology to solve them’.

Think differently
To win an essay competition, present your ideas with clarity and show an ability to think beyond the obvious.

Ruchika wrote about the melting of the Jhelum glacier, and to prepare, she read research papers. Bhanu, a student of journalism, says that to make your essay incisive, you must be well-informed in areas beyond your field of study.
Shravanti adds, “Though I’m an engineering student, writing about social problems doesn’t need technical knowledge. What you need are clear thoughts and the ability to express them lucidly.”

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Check these out
. The Academy Model United Nations Conference is a three-day event for high school students. To apply, visit www.academymodelun.org/
about/
. For UN activities, visit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/youthrep.htm#howto
. For other opportunities, visit http://www.letmeknow.in

How to get to a youth meet
. Respond to every reputable organisations’ announcement you come across in newspapers or your college notice board. Check out the websites of the Department of Telecommunication; HRD ministry; ministry of environment and forests; WWF; ISRO; and UNICEF, among others
. Where essay writing is the gateway to a forum, place due emphasis on the presentation of ideas along with the solidity of facts
. Research your area of interest, not just whatever you are studying. For example, if environment science is your passion, read journals, websites, blogs on this subject and stay updated on announcements of organisations that work in this field
. Join networking sites and find out about latest developments on the subject. It will open new doors of knowledge
. Attend workshops, symposiums and talks on your subject of interest. This will bring you into the fold of the professional network in that domain