Career Today: Help Tarun!!!

CAREERS TODAY: COUNSELLING
Help Tarun!!!

I am a graduate in civil engineering from IIT, Chennai. Currently, I am doing a masters in environment technology from a premier institution in the US. But I desperately want to come back to India, because of certain personal compulsions. Taking into consideration my present qualifications, where do you think I can fit in? I'm in my mid-twenties and have no prior work experience. Do you think I should gain some work experience in the US, before returning home, or should I pursue an additional course or an advanced degree?

Environment technology, a growing field worldwide, is still at its nascent stage in India. Hence, there will be opportunities for you only at the very basic level. The main scope for employment is in the process industry, which generates a large amount of effluents. There's little scope for you in the agriculture and social forestry sectors. I feel that gaining two to three years of work experience in the US will be a sensible thing to do. If that is not possible, you can return home and try your luck in the process industry. An advanced course will not help you much, unless you want to opt for a career in academics.

I am a 34-year-old post-graduate in economics, working for a public sector company in the finance division. I have completed 10 years in my present company. Prior to this, I used to work in a small private company. I find my present job very monotonous, so much so that it makes me feel stifled. I have tried to get into a private sector company, but have not been successful so far. What do you suggest I do?

Jobs in the finance departments of private sector companies are usually reserved for individuals with professional qualifications like CA, MBA and ICWA. With your kind of academic background, you will find better opportunities in areas like business planning, market research, and economic analysis. You should also look for opportunities in financial institutions and asset management companies.

I am a 43-year-old sales executive in a private-sector steel company. Recently, our company underwent downsizing and restructuring. Though I have been retained by the company, I have lost out in rank and I'm now reporting to people much younger to me. The general feeling in the company is that many of us may be asked to quit very soon. My experience with headhunters has been one where they pick out inadequacies in my bio-data, rather than giving me any positive leads. I have a penchant for academics. Is it possible to enter the academic domain with my kind of experience?

The steel industry is going through a period of recession, and for the time being there isn't much of a future in it. A demotion of sorts is not much of a price to pay; after all, you have retained your job. One way to console yourself is to keep telling yourself that you're not the only one to be affected by the slowdown. With your experience in sales, I think you should try for an opening in industrial sales. Regarding your interest in academics, you will have to start from scratch and that may not be an easy thing to do. Since you do not have any experience in academics, you could begin as a part-time instructor of marketing and sales in one of the lesser known institutions, and then move on to something bigger and better. Teaching may help counter the loss of confidence that your experience with headhunters seems to have caused.

I am a 27-year-old MBA from a reputed B-school, working in the marketing division of a well-known cement company. I work in one of the district-divisions of the company, and have recently achieved a very good sales record. Do you think this is the right time for me to quit and look out for other options? Will this boost my career in the long run? My company wants me to continue in my present position. But somehow I feel that in a district division, I will not gain enough exposure. What do you suggest?

The need to quit arises when there are no chances of further promotions, or the job doesn't satisfy you. I don't see either of these happening in your case. Before reaching any conclusion you need to analyse whether the pay-off will be greater in staying on or moving on. A wrong decision may hurt your career. The only advice that I can proffer is that you need to assess your capabilities before doing anything. And your decision should take into account the risk factors involved.

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.

Jobs Listing

Issue Contents Write to us Subscription Syndication