I have recently joined as assistant manager at a small garment manufacturing company. My manager and many employees working under me are new as well, and I feel that none of us really knows how the unit works. My job objectives and my manager's directions are vague. I am now considering switching jobs because I feel I am wasting my time here. But I really don't want to leave as I am not a job-hopper. What should I do?

You need to discuss the matter with your manager. Tell him that you are unclear about your job objectives. Ask him if he too feels that way. You can then try and find a solution together. Ask him to talk to his seniors and chalk out clear-cut job objectives for all of you, including himself. Since the company you are working in is a small one, there are likely to be very few bureaucratic hurdles to your being able to do so. Such a course of action will help make things a lot clearer. If that does not work out, you should start looking for a new job without wasting any more time.

I am a mid-level shop-floor executive at a large music retail store with two years of experience in sales. When I joined the company at the time of its launch, my career prospects looked good and I was promised increments every six months. All was well for a year and a half until the company put its expansion plans on hold. It was then that things started to go sour. Since I've attained some expertise in my work and have developed a liking for it, I don't want to quit music retail. But the general slump in the music industry seems to have botched my chances. What should I do?

Hitching your wagon only to music may not be a wise move as the skills are transferable to other retailing as well. This is particularly true in your case since you seem to be very confident about the knowledge of retailing that you gathered during your tenure with this company. However, if you want to stay on in the music industry, you could try taking up a job in a company that produces and distributes music. You could also try radio and music television and could land a sales job with a music company.

Since 1997, I have had a phase of instability in my career with frequent job changes caused by downsizings, market crashes or companies closing shop. Prior to that, I had a fairly stable employment history. My unstable employment phase is now working against me when I want to go in for senior positions that are vacant in the industry. What would be the best way to present my unsteady employment history to prospective employers?

The best way to deal with the situation you are faced with is to explain to prospective employers that the unstable phase of your career was because of conditions beyond your control. Most employers will understand and accept your explanation. Yet, there will be some who would find it difficult to recruit a person with such a history. But if you are able to explain to the interviewers that your job-switching has been more due to compulsion than choice, you can still convince the most sceptical of recruiters that you would make a good employee given the right work environment.

My colleague has trouble understanding instructions and performing basic duties and he gets defensive whenever anyone offers help. But his inability to perform well is affecting the overall performance of my section. My manager has hinted strongly that I will be promoted to the position of section supervisor soon. How can I make my colleague realise his shortcoming without coming across as 'bossy'?

Your promotion is still merely a hint, you haven't yet been given the job. It is very important for you to re member this while dealing with your colleagues. While it is your duty to point out your colleague's shortcoming, you have to be careful not to hurt his pride. Take him out for coffee and tell him that you are willing to help. It could be that he has some problems and if he feels comfortable, he may share them with you. If this happens, you would be genuinely helping him. But if you are trying to improve the situation only to make things easier for yourself later and this person senses that, it will only worsen the situation-you will come across as bossy and selfish, not just to him, but to the other colleagues as well.

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
In High Spirits
Liberalisation of the liquor industry offers a new high for FMCG and event management executives.

Liquor industry in India, till recently, was not a sector that attracted the best of talent. This was because the industry had to contend with a host of constraints that the licence permit raj imposed upon it. Tamil Nadu, for instance, did not allow the sale of locally bottled international brands. Post liberalisation, things have started to look up. Liquor, a state subject, is slowly emerging from the cabinet, on to the sidewalk. With the removal of some of its shackles, the industry has grown at almost 10 per cent over the last five years. Some of the bigger players of the industry have set their sights on becoming global players; UB already sells in 52 countries. Many states have begun to realise that the liquor industry is a lucrative source of revenues; Karnataka is toying with a substantial reduction in pricing and accessibility for the consumer, Maharashtra now vends the "bottled in origin" brands off the shelves and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa are in a liberalising mode. All this has created a demand for people with entirely different skill-sets than before.

In the liquor industry, most of the new white collar jobs are coming up in marketing and manufacturing. People with specialisation in areas such as brand-building, retailing and distribution are sought after and the industry retains its allure for high-rolling executives in quality and supply-chain management. Says Srikant Illuri, CEO of Allied Domecq: "Experience in merchandising, promotions and event management will be at a premium in the times to come." While those with relevant experience can always make their mark in this sector, an MBA in marketing will become increasingly necessary for most senior management positions. Surrogate liquor advertising, the most visible area of the industry, demands people with good communication skills. In addition, there will always be a demand for people with expertise in areas such as finance, administration and hr.

Says Anand Shukla, Director (hr), Shaw Wallace, "The need of the hour is to attract talent from pull-driven industries such as FMCG." Food technologists and microbiologists with B.Tech, a PhD or a masters degree in microbiology or related fields are much sought after. For people with the right qualifications, there are no limits to what they can achieve in this high-growth sector.

-Moinak Mitra