Career Today: Best Jobs; Ask Tarun!!!

Arunnav Banerjee, 45, Associate Director (Human capital Practice), Arthur Andersen, on the necessity of planning a career, even in a new-age sector like dot.com.

No one. The employee does not want it, she is too busy with the present to worry about the future. The employer does not want it as the employee does not want it. And the e-hr manager is happy because he has less work to do. But, at an individual level each one of us is concerned about the future-and a career.

The answer is 'no'. Any planning for a period in excess of five years (three if you are in infotech or dot.com) is futile because the variables that affect your career become impossible to monitor in that range.

It means a lot. The focus on career planning needs to move away from where you will reach (the milestone approach) to which road you will take (a directional approach). If you don't plan, you will continuously reach crossroads in your career and not know what is to be done.

More than ever. While other qualities of successful men and women can always be debated, having a vision or goal has never been questioned. And what is true of business in general is equally true of you as an individual.

Tools, no; methodology, yes. The process can be listed in three steps. First, take stock of where you are (on paper or screen). Second, list out possible alternatives for your next, small step. Third, list out the pros and cons for each alternative. That is it. Simple and quick, but do it every six months (three, if you are in a dot.com).

CEO; TMI Network; Chennai; Graduate in computer science/ MBA with 10 years of relevant experience; TMI Network, 20/5, Karpagam Apartments, Sreeman Srinivasan Road, Chennai-600018.
e-mail: tke2@tmi-network.com

CEO; Infotech company; Delhi; MBA with 10-15 years of relevant experience in the infotech industry.
e-mail: akmahur@satyam.net.in

President; Stanton Chase International; Mumbai; Engineer/ MBA with relevant experience; Stanton Chase International, Silver Arcade, 147, Marol Maroshi Road, Mumbai-400059.
e-mail: mumbai@stantonchase.com

Director (HR); Major hospitality group with five-star deluxe hotel; MBA with 15 years of relevant experience; Box No P-47, Times of India, New Delhi-110002.

Senior Manager (HR); Cadila Healthcare; Ahmedabad; PG/MBA with specialisation in HRM and 5-7 years of experience in handling HR; cadila healthcare, Zydus tower, Ahmedabad-380015.
e-mail: www.cadila-zydus.com

Manager (HR); Kirby building systems; Hyderabad; graduate/ post-graduate in personal management with 8-10 years of relevant experience; Kirby building systems India, plot No 8-15, Pashamylaram-502307 (Andhra Pradesh).
e-mail: ramky@kirbyindia.com

Chief Financial Officer; Jerry Varghese International; Canada; Graduate/Post-graduate CPA/ CMA/CA with 15 years of relevant experience; 206, Gateway Plaza, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai-400076.

Programming Executive; HBO Asia; Singapore; relevant qualifications and experience in the television industry; Home Box Office(S), 151 Lorong Chuan, 04-05, New tech park, Singapore-556741.
e-mail: hr@hboasia.com.sg

Executive (Market Research); Al-Futtain Sons; Dubai; Graduate/MBA with 8 years of relevant experience; Al-Futtain Sons, Dubai.
e-mail: recruitmentdubai@hotmail.com

Jobwatch: Dot.com

Want to digitise your career? There are opportunities galore in the Web world, but the key to making a successful switch lies in figuring out how you can take your old skills and convert them into new opportunities. For example, if you're in marketing, you could learn the basics of Web marketing. Similarly, you could leverage your old economy skills in supply chain management, finance and accounting, human resource management, even general management, if you possess some amount of technical expertise and Web-savviness. Understanding the medium is, of course, essential and learning the basics of HTML and Web design (check out HTML Goodies, zdNet's DevHead, and Wired's Webmonkey), will not hurt. Think out of the box, dear job-seeker, and you just may be able to gift yourself a new, more marketable, and certainly more lucrative career. If excitement and change are high on your agenda, a career in a dot.com is the perfect choice.

Have you decided to get dot.commed? There's plenty to learn if you want to hit the ground running at a Web-centric company. Here are five important tips for a smooth transition.

Talk Technology: A basic understanding of technology is essential. If you are not sure what click-and-mortar or plug-and-play are, its time you learnt. Equally important is knowing how to stay wired and use tools like laptops.

Display Software Savvy: You should definitely know Microsoft Office and learn how to navigate the Web. If you can't, consider taking a quick course or picking up a how-to guide such as Microsoft Word for Dummies. Since e-mail is the basic communication tool for all dot.coms, an understanding of e-mail etiquette is also essential.

Exploit Your Intranet: Explore the company's intranet. Can you access information and use it to your advantage? A sound understanding of the intranet will help you in your dot.com career.

Know The Industry: Keeping abreast of industry trends is vital in a web-centric career, as everything-from technology to markets-keeps changing. A good idea would be to subscribe and read relevant magazines like Red Herring and Upside.

Choose Smart Stocks: If you accept stock options, try to negotiate an anti-dilution clause. Or, try for a percentage of the company' stock, instead of a fixed number of options. This way, even if the company offers more options to other entities, such as venture capitalists, your hold is not diluted.

The top-level: CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, heads of marketing, operation heads, heads of research, hr heads, chief content editors, chief web designers, and heads of communication.
Qualifications: Requisite functional/technical degrees with an MBA. Extensive experience in media and design for content editors and web designers, along with a sound understanding of technology.
Compensation: Rs 18-65 lakh

The middle-level: General Managers/ Vice-Presidents in technology, finance, marketing, sales, operations, research, hr, communications, and administration. Site editors and site designers.
Qualifications: Requisite functional and technical degrees. An MBA for management posts and media and design experience for site editors and designers with a degree/diploma in journalism and design.
Compensation: Rs 6-18 lakh

The lower level: Officers/executives in technology, finance and accounts, marketing, sales, operations, research, hr, and communications. Web writers and designers.
Qualifications: Requisite functional and technical degrees; Degree/diploma in journalism and design; B.A./ B.Sc/B.com
Compensation: Rs 2-6 lakh

Bye Bye BILT
The old economy is not faring well! Paper and chemicals major Ballarpur Industries (BILT) is bidding adieu to its high-profile hr chief Jagdeep Khandpur. Khandpur, who came to BILT from PepsiCo India, managed to gain a lot of currency for the hr function within the BILT set-up by introducing competency-driven hr systems and setting up formal assessment centres. He is also known to have had a good equation with BILT chief Gautam Thapar. Alas, the lure of new economy proved too strong for personal bonds! For, Khandpur is joining the Delhi-based Bharti Televentures Ltd., as the head of its hr function. The reason for departure is ostensibly the desire to get out of the manufacturing sector. Should BILT acquire a glamorous front-end business to stop more of such exits?

Merger Blues
Merger misery abounds in ANZ Grindlays (ANZ). And the axe is falling frequently. The first victim is the suave ANZ CEO Anuroop (Tony) Singh, with Jaspal Bindra being appointed the head of the merged entity Stanchart-Grindlays. Singh's fate is not known, although sources within the bank say that he could be accommodated in the merged entity's Asia-Pacific operations. The fate of other senior ANZ execs like Jeswant Nair, the all-too-recently appointed Head (HR), too hangs in balance. Stanchart, for instance, already has a fairly high-profile hr Head Mohan Kumar. Evidently, the ANZ corporate colours-blue and grey- reflect the mood at the bank...

Lone Bright Spark
While old economy corporates lose their stars, the new-economy ones continue to rope them in. Birla-Soft, the infotech company belonging to the ck Birla group has just welcomed one into its fold. Atanu Banerjee, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and an industry veteran of 30 years, has just logged in as the CEO of the company. Banerjee had worked with ACC, Wipro, and HCL Consulting in his long and distinguished career. And his last assignment was at the US-based Mindware, where he was the head. The 40-something Bannerjee is expected to provide focus and direction to Birla-Soft. One of the few bright sparks in an otherwise somnolent group..

Communication Gap
Another new economy player however, is moving out. Kanwaljit Singh, the general manager (Marketing) of Intel (India), is reportedly seeking greener pastures after completing a two-year stint with the chip-major. Though where he will go from here is still not very clear, the grapevine has it that the affable Singh is embarking on his maiden entrepreneurial venture. Yet others say that Singh could soon be heading a high-profile infotech start-up. Either ways, Singh, despite being part of a global communications company, is incommunicado! E-mails and calls to his cellphone remain unanswered...

Stepping In
And an old economy one moves in! Richard Saldanha, a Unilever veteran, has just taken over as managing director of Haldia Petrochemicals. He is expected to leverage his 34 years of industry experience in a gamut of functions from manufacturing to corporate planning, to provide clear vision and strategic direction to Haldia Petro. A tall order, considering the snafus that the fledgling company has already faced...

Postscript
Things are definitely hotting up in this cool company. Coca-Cola India (Coke) is finally asking its managers to justify the numbers on their pay slips. Alok Khanna, the company's Area General Manager (Central India), has just been asked to walk the plank for not meeting his targets. According to company sources, Khanna has clearly paid for his (non) performance. There are indications that more heads might roll fairly soon. In fact, the softdrinks transnational's global audit team is reported to be in India to scan systems, processes, and jobs, and come out with the necessary recommendations. For Coke employees, it is no longer 'Coca-Cola enjoy...'

I am 20 years old and have majored in sociology. I want to acquire a degree in rural management and subsequently work in an Non-Government Organisation (NGO). To which institutes should I apply? Will studying in foreign universities enhance my career prospects in any way? My ultimate aim is to work for an organisation like UNESCO. However, my family thinks that I should opt for a corporate career. Please help.

A corporate career is certainly more lucrative-though nowadays even NGOs pay well. Most young people are inclined towards social work at your age. You must know that doing voluntary work and doing a full-time job in an NGO are two completely different things. Much as I appreciate your sentiment, I suggest that you think about it seriously. If your heart is really set on this, you could take a year off and work in an NGO to help you decide whether that is what you would like to do. As for rural management, the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), Gujarat, is one of the best. A course from this institution may also allow you the flexibility to change to a corporate job later, as they do cover a lot of ground in management studies.

I have an MBA in human resources, and over the past six months, have sent resum�s to many companies, but in vain. Do I need some additional qualifications? I am based in a small town. Is that a drawback? I am confused and disheartened.

It is unfortunate that you have not received any response. However, most companies recruit fresh MBAs on campus and, therefore, may have already filled their vacancies. Also, companies keep receiving unsolicited resumes, and it becomes difficult for them to interview everyone, unless they have a specific need. Your being stationed in a small town adds to the non-response factor. You should go to the nearest metropolitan city for about two weeks, call the people to whom you have sent your resum�, and ask them for an appointment. You could also send your resume to placement consultants who may help you with you search.

I am 27 years old, and a manager in a leading plantation company. I have a degree in agriculture and have just secured admission to the Asian Institute of Management, Manila. However, I will have to pay around Rs 20 lakh for the course, which I can't afford. Are there any scholarships available? Can I approach an industrial house to sponsor me? And how much value will the degree add?

Considering your present position and your future aspirations, you will defnitely benefit from an MBA. However, it is not necessary that you pursue it abroad. Indian B-schools, especially the IIMs offer excellent opportunities. IIM-A, for example, also offers a special two-year full-time MBA programme on agriculture. The curriculum for this shares several courses with the MBA course and students of this stream are treated on par with other MBAs. However, the Asian Institute of Management in Manila is a highly reputed institute. Industrial houses do offer scholarships, but these are limited for business study. Your own company may be the best bet for a sponsorship. But if money is a big constraint, you should look at the Indian option first.

I have over 12 years of experience as an executive secretary in a number of transnationals. I want to enhance my career prospects. Should I go for a course in e-Commerce or SAP? Or should I go for HR? If I change my work profile, do I have to start afresh? Please advise.

You could pursue a course in e-Commerce or hr depending on your inclination. However, you must enroll in a good institute. You must also realise that if you change your field, you may not receive full credit for your earlier experience. The best organisation to accept you in a new role would be your current one, as they may value your experience. You could have a chat with your boss and he may make some recommendations based on what he sees as your strengths. You could also ask the hr department for counselling. Progressive firms do encourage the professional development of their employees.

Tarun Sheth, the senior consultant at the Mumbai-based recruitment and training consultancy firm, Shilputsi, addresses your career concerns every fortnight. Write to help, Tarun!!! c/o Business Today, F-26, Connaught Place, New Delhi-1.