Find out if a company is good or bad?

I have finished my BTech. I have got call letters from a few companies. However, how can I join a company without knowing how good or bad it is? Just like there are websites like Tripadvisor where one can read feedback about hotels and places, is there a site which talks about the work conditions of an office? - Vishanti Parek, Malkajgiri

To decide to whom to work for, these tips should help you separate the "wheat from the chaff"

• You can start with www.glassdoor.com which is an excellent site that talks about the positives and negatives on most companies straight from the people who work there.
• Review the corporate website of the company: Read their their mission statement and see that you align with the purpose and mission of the company. Get to know the 'culture feel' through the website and also by talking to its existing employees.
• Check the open positions by visiting their career site; because one that is always running an ad for the same position may need a bit more scrutiny. This will give you a good feel about the growth and direction of the company.
• Raise quality questions during interview session like: Why is the position open, whether it's a new one or you're replacing someone and if so then the circumstances that caused the vacancy. Ask him what the current employees like about the company and the changes they would want.A The interviewer of a good company should be comfortable in answering these questions.
• See that it is listed in the Fortune 500 list of companies wherein the companies are ranked by revenue and check these sites: http:// money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/index.html; http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/?iid=intnlrankings; A And lastly, see if the company offers a good pay, great benefits, great stock options, good medical and dental plan and great vacation package, and also a casual atmosphere and flexible schedules. Of course the salary will depend on your area of specialisation during BTech, the college you have passed out from, your skills and talents, your aggregate, and also whether the company is a private sector or a public sector company, because comparatively private sector gives a more handsome pay.

www.hoovers.com will help you search for companies by name or keyword. www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa, a good resource to find specific, detailed information about a particular employer.

www.wetfeet.com will aid job seekers to get an in-depth look inside some of the hottest industries.

Not all jobs and companies are perfect and you don't/shouldn't believe you have to keep looking for that perfect job, just do what is necessary to 'know'.

All the best!

Summer camp for special child

I have a 11-year-old son who is a special child. He cannot talk. He goes to a special school, but during summer, the school has a vacation and I find it a problem to keep him engaged as a single parent who works full time. Currently he goes to his grandparents' house but I am looking for a place in Hyderabad which can accommodate such a kid in a summer camp and provide hostel. I am prepared to foot the bill, however heavy it is. Please help - Nadir Shah, Nacharam SAABURI (www.saaburi.org) in Hyderabad is among the good institutions that provide support to children with special needs and also conduct summer camps. There is one in LB Nagar which is closest to Nacharam. Before you put your child in any summer camp, verify matters of program, privileges, advantages, accommodations, and facilities. Some of them have special "auxiliary aids and services" necessary to enhance communication for a child with a disability that affects hearing, vision, or speech and to ensure that the child is not excluded, segregated, or otherwise treated differently from other children.

Also you can request for services such as physical therapy (paid) to be provided to the child during child care hours. See that they share observations with you, consult you and stay in close contact with you. Ensure to foster a healthy and trusting relationship with them.

All the best!