I am 36 years old and hold a diploma in computer science. Although the software company I am employed in has given me the designation of a junior software programmer, it employs me in the hr function. Consequently, I have been able to gain very little programming experience. To add to that, my remuneration isn't very high. My friends are urging me to learn Oracle Finance and improve my programming skills before switching jobs. Though I feel I am a bit old to learn new programmes, I am ready to do that if it translates into a better job. Should I follow their advice?

Better qualifications do make it easier to land better jobs. You could do additional courses in programming and take up a programming job in another company. That fits in well with your earlier qualification. However, as you mentioned, you have not done much programming. So your experience will not be given much credit. You have to be prepared for that. Then again, since you have worked in an hr function, you could choose to specialise in that stream or even take up an administrative job elsewhere. Another option before you is to choose a completely different option and make a fresh start. Just remember: there is nothing wrong with upgrading your skills at any age. Programming doesn't have to be the only option before you if it is not something you are keen on anymore.

I was a senior executive at a technology start-up that folded up recently. The economic downturn and lack of opportunities have left me wondering as to what I should do. Should I tide out this dry period by taking up short-term consulting assignments? Or should I accept a position that offers full-time employment, even if that represents a step down in terms of responsibilities and compensation?

If you are using consulting and advisory projects as a stop-gap arrangement, that is the way prospective employers will perceive it. Unless you are confident of a steady income from this kind of work, I would not advise you to consider taking up this option. If your ultimate goal is to get back into the corporate world, try and get a regular job as soon as possible. A reasonable compromise in terms of responsibilities and compensation will not be viewed unfavourably by employers.

I am an IT specialist with 10 years experience in a software solutions company. I work in an extremely specialised area and lack the broad expertise that several of my colleagues possess. To make matters worse, a recent accident has left me incapable of major physical exertions while at work. I feel my career has reached a dead-end. I can't afford to be laid off or leave my job because I have lost quite a bit of my savings playing the stockmarket. Leaving this company would mean losing out on the stock options as well. Is there any hope for people with a physical handicap in corporate India?

The kind of work you do does not seem to involve any major physical activity, so I doubt if that will be a big drawback in your career. However, I can sense self-pity in your tone. That can seriously affect your chances of doing well in an interview or a job. You need to accept your new circumstances. Your earlier work-profile will come in handy while looking for a new job. Think positive. Take on work to help out others in the company, that's one way you can get people to start overlooking your handicap. More than anything else, work yourself so hard that no one can accuse you of using your handicap as an excuse.

I am a 32-year-old graduate from IIM, Ahmedabad. I was recruited by a Tata group company and went on to work with them for five years in the marketing function. When the company offered an early separation scheme (ESS), I grabbed the offer. But now, a year later, I want to go back to my previous company and they are ready to hire me again. However, I can't rejoin because I had left the company under a voluntary retirement scheme and there are legal hurdles involved. I am ready to refund the amount accrued to me under the scheme. Is there any way out of this mess?

There are ways around the problem, but none of them is simple. I do not see why you or the company would want to go through such great lengths. It would be far easier for you to join another group company than the one you left. Try looking for employment elsewhere-there is no need to limit yourself to this one company or one group.

Tarun Sheth, a 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-110001.

"Look At Call Centres As A Career Provider"

Algorithm's Indranil Gupta: Taking on the challenge

With the average age of more than 80 per cent of its employees being 22, the rate of attrition in the call centre industry is unusually high. Indranil Gupta, Principal Consultant of hr consultancy Algorithm, spoke to BT's Mily Chakrabarty on the HR challenges call centres pose and what they offer in terms of career growth. Excerpts:

On the HR challenges in call centre industry: This industry is based on the convergence of data, voice, and video communication. The hr challenges posed by this industry are four-fold: recruiting, training, motivating, and retaining employees. There already seems to be an imbalance between the demand and supply of mature, quality call centre professionals. The challenge here lies not just in selecting the best candidate for our clients, but in seeing how the rejected candidates can be trained into potential employees. The developmental aspect of the hr function becomes very important here. The industry's annual rate of attrition is 30-35 per cent. So it is important that the people we place spend a certain minimum amount of time with their employers to justify a good return on investment. For that they need to be counselled, coached, and mentored, so that they look at call centres as a viable long-term career option, and not just as a means to make fast bucks. Managing, inspiring, and bringing out the best from these youngsters is the biggest hr challenge.

On the ideal profile of call centre personnel: To secure an entry-level job, a candidate needs to be between 21 and 24 years of age, have a college degree, some experience in a service industry, have basic knowledge of computers along with good communication skills. The candidate should also be a good team player.

On other job options for erstwhile call centre personnel: A call centre employee can also find employment in service industries such as hotels, airlines, and travel, as well as get frontline sales positions with insurance companies, banks, or the client-servicing divisions of almost any company. The workforce ratio at call centres is 150:10:1 (read as out of 150 agents, only 10 can become a team leader, and out of those 10, only one can eventually become an operations manager). This is where hr plays a strategic role. It helps motivate and retain the other 140 employees for a maximum period of time. We need to look at the call centre industry as a career provider and not merely as a job provider.

Fishy Ways To Have Fun

FISH! TALES Stephen Laudin, John Christensen & Harry Paul Hyperion Price: Rs 125

The first thought that comes to your mind when you pick up books that promise to make work-life fun is "how on earth can dreary places like banks or call centres be fun". Well, the first successful adaptation of the fish! concept happens at a Sprint call centre. The authors Steve Laudin, John Cristensen, and Harry Paul were inspired by a bunch of Seattle fishmongers who turned their dull job of selling fish into a fine art of entertaining customers. They christened that way of working the fish! method. Back at the call centre, the managers were perturbed by thinning attendance on weekend shifts. So, the supervisors decorated the centre like mash units, donned khaki shirts, sent candy bars to agents via remote-controlled jeeps, and bingo-the service levels zoomed. The catch? Remember what happened to all those dotcoms that flirted with the play-at-work idea.

-T.R. Vivek