I am the 42-year-old CEO of a small auto components company. In my five-year stint, the company has turned around and become profitable. The promoters seem pleased with my performance. However, I feel my job is not demanding enough for a person of my calibre. I am bored with my job. I have recently received an offer to head a company that is in the red. Negotiating another turnaround seems to be a thrilling assignment. What should I do?

Why are you bored? Is it because your company is not growing or because the work does not interest you anymore. If there is no potential for growth, the answer is clear: you will stagnate if you stick around. If it is a matter of the nature of work, you need to decide what you would like to do. There are people who enjoy being entrepreneurs more than managers. Others like being managers, and some like being both. The answer will depend on your personality, your interests, and the amount of risk you are willing to take.

A 32-year-old MCA, I am employed as a senior marketing executive in a leading software company. My boss is in his late thirties and is doing quite well for himself. But he takes credit for all my work. He does not let me interface with the others in the organisation. Meanwhile, he makes me do more and more of his work. A dull job market rules out any chance of a change at the present moment. I am thinking of approaching the HR department with this problem. But if my boss finds out, that might create more problems. What should I do?

Why don't you speak to your boss and ask him about job enhancement, exposure to some senior management meetings, etc., and see what he says. Chances are that if you speak to him and make your views known, he may act upon it if, as you say, he relies on your work. Worst-case scenario: he may not do anything and the status quo will continue. The next step would be to talk to the hr department, but only if you feel you can get it to effect a move for yourself to another department. Otherwise, look for another job and then give your ultimatum when you find one. Remember, people do look after their own interests first. Start learning to manage your boss.

I am the 31-year-old head of a small company. I have risen rapidly through the ranks, but my company seems to be running into rough weather. A series of products that we launched recently came a cropper. Worse, I have come to know that my peers and subordinates feel I have overstepped my capabilities. I have also received an ultimatum from the board that if things do not look up soon, I would be on my way out. What do I do? I have been looking for another job but nothing that fits my calibre seems to be coming my way.

It is time you woke up to reality. You have risen fast, but must take some facts into consideration. You head a 'small' company. You are 31. Whether you are responsible or not, your company has not been doing well. You were promoted, but it hasn't worked out. You are probably going to be asked to leave if things do not improve. And on the subject of job equivalence, the head of marketing of a large company may be equivalent to the head of a smaller company, so you are not actually stepping down. Take what you can get and don't get hung up on heading a company-there is time enough for that.

I am a 24-year-old MBA from IIM-Bangalore. I have been working with a leading retail chain as an internee, for the last six months. I was given some small projects to do, which did not work out. Even though the failure was not entirely mine, my boss has blamed me. He is now not willing to listen to any of my suggestions. Is it too early for me to look for a change. What do you advise?

Get used to the fact that you are a trainee-that means even if you work hard, you may not get the credit. It means you learn by doing, by listening, and by observing. It also means you need to be patient. Let your training period be over, and chances are, you may not have the same boss when you are confirmed. Unless you think there is a probability that you may not be confirmed, you should bide your time.

Answers to your career concerns are contributed by Tarun Sheth (Senior Consultant) and Shilpa Sheth (Managing Partner) of HR firm, Shilputsi Consultants. Write to Help,Tarun! c/o Business Today, Videocon Tower, Fifth Floor, E-1, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055.

''Focus Is On The Mindset''

Bharti Televenture's J. Khandpur: Upbeat

The telecom sector has been immune to the prevailing lull in the job market, thanks to the ambitious plans of biggies like Reliance and Bharti. Jagdeep Khandpur, Head (HR), Bharti Televentures, spoke to BT's Subhajit Banerjee on careers in the sector.

Do you expect hirings in the telecom sector to grow at a faster pace?

The telecom sector has been seeing increased activity recently. As a result most players in the industry are hiring people.

How has Bharti's workforce grown in the past year?

Bharti's workforce has grown from 2,100 last year to 5,000 today. We have acquired 15 telecom licences-long-distance, mobility, or fixed line. We have been hiring for all.

How's the compensation scene?

The salaries we offer are level-dependent, and in the case of Bharti Televentures, which has a national presence, also geography-dependent. At the lowest level it would be Rs 2-3 lakh per annum, at the junior middle level they would be in the Rs 4-10 lakh range, and at the middle level salaries would be in the Rs 10-17.5 lakh range. At the vice president level, they would be in the Rs 18-30 lakh range.

What kind of people are you looking for?

The focus is more on the attitude and mindset that the person brings with him. The learning time in telecom is short and one is required to deliver within 30 days. The person must be able to take calculated risks.

Paying Off Perks

Sorry, no Jack Welchian perks please, we are Indians. Or so say head hunters who assert that the issue of corporate perks is relatively transparent in India. "It's amazing how rational India is in such cases," says Shailesh Shah of Watson Wyatt. Though stories of 'tissue contracts', where the perks are part of an unwritten contract, abound, stricter tax norms have now made most Indian corporates wary of the p-word.

Perks have undergone considerable change with the entry of a large number of MNCs in the last decade or so. Those such as sponsored executive MBAs, advanced professional training, foreign holidays for employees' families, and children's education are gaining popularity among Indian companies. The manner in which perks are awarded has also changed. "Around 15 years ago, companies used to invest large amounts in building houses, maintaining a fleet of cars, et al, but stringent taxation norms have shifted the trend towards the American 'cost-to-company' concept (wherein the employee is paid one single compensation packet) from the traditional 'basic salary-plus-perks' arrangement," explains Tarun Bali of ABC Consultants.

So which are the more juicy jobs? Says Bali, "Historically, banking and manufacturing sectors have been known to provide the best perks." Now you know!

-Ankur Sabharwal