Career Today: Best Jobs; Ask Tarun!!!

Charles Tseng, President, Asia Pacific, at executive search firm Korn/Ferry International, highlights the key attributes of the CEO in a set-up:

The set-up CEO must have a global vision:
It is imperative for the set-up CEO to have a global vision that transcends national boundaries. In a start-up stage, one can have the luxury of thinking only in terms of domestic market. But as the company scales up, the CEO must have a global perspective. Experience in a global company will help.

He must have the hard skills to execute the vision:
Strong operational skills for the set-up CEO are essential. While the CEO could delegate operational decisions entirely to functional heads in a mature organisation, he most certainly cannot afford to do so in a set-up that is scaling up. He must also select a strong executive team with both strategic and operational capabilities, to translate his goals into business realities.

He must be able to carry a team:
When an organisation is growing exponentially, the CEO must have the ability to carry the team forward. He is be required to partner, rather than direct employees and inspire, rather than command. Ability to lead a multi-cultural and multi-national team is also a must.

He must be able to create equity to attract and retain talents:
Once the exciting start-up phase is over, the enthusiasm of key employees starts waning. The CEO must create enough equity and branding to keep employees interested. This branding is also necessary to attract critical skills from the market, as and when the need arises.

CEO; reputed IT-enabled company; Delhi/Mumbai; Engineer with MBA (marketing) from reputed institute with 12-15 years of relevant experience; International Sourcing, Edmonton Consulting (India), Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021.
e-mail: edmonton@vsnl.net

CEO; Part of the service industry; Delhi; MBA/CA with an experience of 10-12 years in the entertainment or service industry and very good inter-personal skills; elite management consultancy, 313, 3rd floor, Aap-Ka-Bazar, gurgaon-122001.
e-mail: emc@mantraonline.com

CFO; New company promoted by professionals & entrepreneurs under the leadership of one of the doyens of the it industry; Chennai; CA/MBA (finance) having 15 years experience and excellent knowledge of funding/implementing systems/framing ESOPS; ABC consultants, 22 Chamiers Road, Teynampet, Chennai-600018.
e-mail: abc.chennai@vsnl.com

CFO; Leading Infotech Organisation; CA with 12-20 years of experience in finance; exposure to raising funds from global capital markets is a must; Impact, Virani Manzil, 4th Road, Khar (W), Mumbai-400052.
e-mail: careers@impsmanagement.com

President (Business Devt.-IT); Large industrial house having set ups in US/UK/Germany; New Jersey; Experience in infotech companies with a proven track record; corporate & trade services, 400, sector 37, NOIDA.
e-mail: nirad_2000@yahoo.com

Project Manager; Aptech Worldwide; Dubai; BE/MCA with at least five years of experience in project management involving VB, and Oracle with good management skills; Resourcing Team, Aptech Worldwide, post Box-15850, Dubai. e-mail: awi@emirates.net.ae

Project Manager (DC/E-Commerce/TP); Software Centre of US-based transnational; USA; BE/M.Tech with eight years of relevant experience; SSJ Solutions, NOIDA-201301.
e-mail: ssjsolutions@vsnl.com

Jobwatch

Grow with your company! For it is always easier to climb those rungs in a company that is on the right side of the growth curve, as a set-up usually is. A set-up organisation is one which is four to 10 years old. Typically, the systems and processes in such an organisation would have been mapped out. Most set-ups are likely to be in sectors like FMCG, telecom, consumer durables and automotive, that were opened up some time back. Though not hierarchy-driven, a set-up will have a structure that is fluid, with business dynamics driving the shifts.

Chances of individual growth in a set-up are high. Consistent performance in a dynamic set-up could help you stay ahead of the market in terms of compensation and prepare you for larger roles, both within and outside the company. And if you bring critical skills and competencies to the table, you could catapult to senior management positions ahead of others. But beware, individual performance is likely to be the key differentiator in career growth in a set-up. And choice of the right sector and the right company is critical.

Are you poised to join a set-up? Or have graduated from a start-up team of an organisation moving to a more stable phase? Check out the attributes that you would need to make a go of it.

Coming or Going
This is a merry-it-go-round, surely! Sanjay Mehta, the President of b2b portal trade2gain, resigned recently to join V Customer, a US-registered e-mail services company that has its sales and marketing activities in the US and the operational base in India, as its CEO. Meanwhile, Subroto Banerjee has stepped into Mehta's shoes. Banerjee who moved from Microsoft, brings with him 14 years of intensive sales and marketing experience, spanning companies like PCL, Fujitsu, and Microsoft. He has worked in direct sales as well as in channel marketing. In trade2gain, he will be developing the direct sales team as well as forging a countrywide network of field service partners. In the aftermath of the dotcom bloodbath, such portals probably need all the experience they can lay their hands on, even the brick-n-mortar kind. But whether Banerjee makes a successful transition to cyberspace...that information is still loading.

One More Feather
Another local boy makes good! Atul Vohra has just been appointed the Chief Marketing Officer of the it-solutions major Mastek Group. He will be based at the Group's Dallas office in the US, and craft sales and marketing strategies, while focusing on branding and positioning. He will also support Mastek's alliance and acquisition process, which is currently being driven from India. A graduate from IIM-A, Vohra's marketing experience spans two decades, spread over Pond's, Citibank's retail banking operations, and American Express & Associates' diversified financial services. He has also worked abroad. Another successful glocal manager, no doubt...

A Hospitable Head
This is a special school with a special head. The Oberoi Group has got itself a new Director for its Centre of Learning and Development, the only one of its kind in the country. The new incumbent, David Longworth, is a certified hospitality educator with around 28 years of experience. He has taught and managed a whole range of hotel and tourism programmes from the entry stage to the post-graduate level, and headed a vocational training institute in Hong Kong. He will be restructuring and updating the curriculum with an accent on housekeeping, kitchen management, and general management. This won't be a school for scandal, for sure...

Crossing Over
This one crossed over to the other side. Hotshot executive Partha De Sarkar headed GE's it-enabled services centre until recently, when he was persuaded to switch to consulting, an industry that is known to attract top talent in the corporate sector. De Sarkar has moved to Deloitte Consulting, as its General Manager and is expected to provide filip to its India operations. He is going to be based in Hyderabad. Of late, there has been a fair amount of talent migration from GE. High-profile accelerator At India picked almost its entire team from various GE operations, including CEO R. Kannan. Has it become a captive talent pool, a la Hindustan Lever, or is it something else...

Postscript
Global search major Heidrick and Struggles (H&S) is arguably the largest of its kind, according to recent revenue rankings. But their low-key and late entry into India ensured the loss of the crucial first-mover advantage in a market that is rife with competition and undercutting. But now the firm is looking to grow exponentially and is actively scouting for acquisition targets. And a little bird tells us that the Indian partners, Atul Vohra and Uday Chawla, are interested in a certain niche firm on the west coast, which is known for its high tech and telecom practice, an area of strength with H&S globally. Will the tie-up, or a possible buyout, happen soon? Watch this space...

I am a science graduate and have just appeared for my Chartered Accountancy examinations. As part of my degree programme, I have worked with IBM as an MIS executive. I am doing an e-commerce course at the same time as I want to be an e-business consultant with expertise in finance and marketing. Would my lack of a software background come in the way of this? What other careers would leverage finance and infotech skills?

I recommend that you start working and gain experience after completing your studies as you would then be in a better position to decide whether to be a software specialist with a finance background or a finance specialist with a software background. You can also choose specialised courses. Finance and infotech go well together. A software background will help, but a ca and a flair for software coupled with hard work and dedication would do the trick just as well.

I have just completed my graduation and will appear in cat this year. I want to make a career in the emerging insurance sector. I expect it to provide me with opportunities to make a global career, as most companies in this sector are global majors. I have decided to major in finance. Do I need additional skills? In case I do not get admission to the top schools, could a second-rung institute help me to build a career in insurance? Is there any other specialised course?

Insurance is an industry in itself. And, what exactly would you like to do in it? You could be in marketing and sales, or handle related legal issues. Since you want to specialise in finance, you could be in actuarial services, risk management or underwriting, general operations, or treasury management. Depending upon the function, you can decide whether an MBA will help. An MBA would certainly open up many options, and, even a second-rung institute can offer decent placement. Even though the the insurance sector is going to provide many opportunities, you should also be clear about how the industry actually functions.

I am a graduate in microbiology and am currently pursuing a post-graduation degree in bio-chemistry. I was initially inclined towards academics, but have now changed my mind and plan to do an MBA. Given my background, do I have a chance? I have started collecting course material and want to give it my best shot. Will coaching classes be of any help? What else can I do to ensure success?

You could have any background to get into an MBA course. You can prepare using the course material. Coaching classes help a lot provided they have the right approach. Many of these are correspondence programmes, and so, one can avail their materials without being physically present. Once you pass the written examination, you shall have to brush up your general knowledge and communication skills for the group discussion and interview. A positive attitude also helps, so keep your spirits high. All the best!

I am a 35-year-old professional (Master in Social Work and LLB) employed as an HR manager in a large manufacturing concern. I also taught hr and Industrial Relations at the post-graduate level. Now, I want to shift and get into more happening sectors like infotech or communication? How do I go about doing this? Would a correspondence course help? How best can I leverage my experience in academics and where should I look for an opportunity?

I really cannot advice you accurately since I am not too sure whether you have been doing more ir-related work or hr-related work. If you have done hr, it should not be too difficult for you to change to the service sector as they are always in need of good hr personnel. The best way is to look out for appointment advertisements and apply to a few recruitment consultants. Once you get a break, even in a lesser known company, and gain experience, you could always look for greener pastures. An MBA degree will enhance your knowledge, but not necessarily your chances of employment. Besides, you could also consider specialised courses in HR.

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.