I have been working with a big pharmaceutical company for a year. However, despite having a PhD in Microbiology, I started off in the unrelated petrochemicals sector as I was unable to find a suitable pharma job. My salary is much lower than that of my colleagues in the pharma sector, most of whom are far less qualified than I am. When I pointed this out to the HR department, I was told that my experience in the petrochem sector had little relevance to my present job. How can I leverage my qualifications to compensate for my lack of experience in the pharma sector?

Did you get a raise when you joined this company? I assume you did. That means you already are being paid more than what you used to make in the petrochem sector. As far as your peers go, salaries in the pharma sector have traditionally been higher than those in the petrochem sector and hence people who have worked longer in it are likely be better paid. You cannot compare your salary to those with more experience in the pharma sector than yourself. If you feel, however, that there is too much of a discrepancy given your qualification, you could talk to your department head and ask him to push your case with the hr department. His word is likely to have more weight than yours. You can make up for your relative lack of experience in the sector by working hard and seeking a pay hike on the strength of your performance. That's the one fail-safe way of getting ahead in any sector, including the pharma sector.

I quit my sales job with a bank a month ago after working there for more than three years. A headhunting company has offered me a similar job but I am not interested in doing a sales job again. I am more interested in a marketing job or in working as a trainer in a MNC. That would help me to move out of the financial sector. What should I do?

You may think the kind of jobs that you mentioned are ideal for you, but how likely are you to get them? You need to be realistic. For those who are looking to change their jobs, these are not the best of times. You should take up a job even as you continue your search for the job of your dreams. While looking for some meaning in your work is not bad, most of us have to make do with what we get in an imperfect world.

I quit my job as a middle-level manager after an eight-year stint to pursue my dream of working in the hospitality industry. To this end, I enrolled in a hotel management course. Though I'm still working part-time for my company, I do not intend to return to it after completing the course. I plan to open a restaurant in the future but am not sure how to go about it or whom to consult. What should I do?

If you are interested in becoming a restaurateur, you will need much more than just a degree. Before you plunge into any such enterprise, you need to have enough knowledge of the industry. This knowledge can come only from hands-on experience and not a degree. Running a restaurant involves a high level of risk and you need to learn the ropes first. That is why you should first take up a job in a restaurant. By working and gaining experience there, you will learn the tricks of the trade. Once you gain enough experience in your job, you will be able to figure out for yourself how to open a restaurant and run it successfully.

In the last four years that I have been working, I have changed 10 jobs. I just can't seem to stick to one job for more than four months. In each of my new jobs, I tend to become restless, dissatisfied, complacent, and display a couldn't-care-less attitude after an initial period of enthusiasm. Moreover, I get frustrated when my boss ignores what I feel are some of my best suggestions. What should I do?

Always remember this: Your boss is free to reject any or all of your ideas no matter how bright they might seem to you. You seem to have a short attention span because of which you are unable to concentrate on your work long enough. The most suitable jobs for you could be the ones that offer variety and have short commitment periods such as those that are project-based or sales-oriented. Let me also say that you have to develop the ability to persist in face of obstacles. The best way to do that would be to commit yourself to the job for a fixed period of time come what may. You will be surprised to see the benefits that accrue to you once you develop this positive approach towards work.

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.

SECTOR WATCH
The Need Of The Hour
There's been a fundamental shift in the profile of employees sought by the increasingly tech-driven consumer durables sector. A look at what clicks and what doesn't in the industry.

Y.V. Verma, Vice President (HR), LG India

Over the past decade, the Indian consumer durables industry has undergone a phenomenal change triggered by the emergence of new technologies and changing consumer dynamics. Another factor that has added to the momentum of change is globalisation. The change in the demographic profile of the Indian society from a joint family system to a nuclear family concept has also been a catalyst to this change.

The entry of multinational companies and brands specifically targeted at the different segments of a vast middle class has also fuelled the need for qualitative and tailor-made requirements. Stiff competition between local and global brands and the economic slowdown are forcing companies to slash prices and constantly upgrade the quality of their products.

These changes have had a major impact on the skill-sets required of employees in the consumer durables sector. To meet customer expectations, employees need to be innovative and implement strategies and plans with speed. Knowledge of all aspects of the business is a must.

A close understanding of the Indian consumer and the ability to stay close to his or her heart is one of the basic needs of this industry. The employees have to manage to translate that understanding and ability into an effective communication.

The current trend in the industry is towards hiring business managers rather than function managers. The ability to generate innovative ideas and high-endurance levels in coping with the Indian conditions are important qualities that companies look for when they seek out new talent that will give them a competitive edge over others. Most recruiters in the industry prefer hiring people who can take charge and give proper direction to others irrespective of the function that they represent. Understanding of concepts such as Six Sigma is considered a big plus by most recruiters.

With product development cycles getting increasingly crunched, most jobs in the sector entail an increased level of complexity and sophistication. This has created the need for greater cohesion and teamwork among employees. So most recruiters in the industry look for candidates who have the ability to work as part of cross-functional teams and deliver the goods in as short a time as possible. High stress levels have also forced recruiters to seek a higher level of emotional quotient in their employees. Last but not the least, the ability to look at things from a strategic perspective and execute business strategies with speed and precision is what makes the difference between the winners and the losers in this industry.

Jargon-Bender: An Exercise In Mind-Reading

On the face of it, the behavioral Interviewing Technique (bit) looks more like something meant for a shrink than an interviewer in a large business organisation. But corporate houses in the country are increasingly taking the cue from their global counterparts in using it to figure out the mind of the candidate at recruitment counters. bit involves studying past job behaviour as a means of predicting future job success as well as giving due weightage to the non-verbal aspects of an candidate's behaviour during an interview.

Employers such as AT&T and Accenture have been using bit for 15 years, and because increasing numbers of employers are relying on this method, understanding how to excel in this interview environment is becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.

Behavioural interviewing offers a more objective set of facts to base employment decisions on than other techniques. Traditional interview questions often fail to capture significant behavioural traits of a candidate. The process of behavioural interviewing, in contrast, throws up a wealth of data on a candidate and is more revealing.