Career Today: Help Tarun!!!

CAREERS TODAY: COUNSELLING
Help Tarun!!!

I am a 23-year-old final year student of mechanical engineering. My course will be over by June, 2001. I appeared for several management entrance examinations this year, but was not successful in clearing even one of them. I am keen on getting a degree in business administration/ management and wish to reappear for my examinations next year. Should I take up a job and prepare for the exams meanwhile, or should I focus exclusively on clearing the entrance tests? Will the stint of nine jobless months on my resumé have an adverse effect on my future job prospects?

You can either take up a job while preparing for entrance tests or merely focus on getting admission in one of the reputed management institutes. Both the options are fine. However, it would be better if you could work simultaneously. If history repeats itself, at least your year will not be wasted. That apart, some work experience could help you broaden your job perspective, and will certainly look good on your resumé. In fact, work experience-even if it is of a short duration-will prove to be an advantage later.

As part of the placement cell at the International Institute of Foreign Trade and Research, we have to help 38 students of the Master of Foreign Trade programme get good jobs in export-import organisations around May and June this year. Kindly guide us as to how we should organise this activity. Should we seek the help of placement consultants?

The best thing to do would be to contact the relevant companies directly. Placement agencies seldom do entry-level placements. You could get the names of companies from various export-import associations. A letter accompanied by a brochure listing your final-year students could be sent to them. You could also use your institute's network-alumni, visiting faculty-to spread the good word. A presentation on the institute, organised in various companies, will definitely help. Building an institute's reputation in the entry-level placement domain is both time consuming and effort-intensive. It won't be easy breaking into the market-a lot of effort will have to be put in by the faculty and the students.

I am a 28-year-old graduate in electronics engineering. After passing out in 1997, I initially worked with a company that was into computer hardware. For the past six months, I have been working for a software company. However, the company is facing a shortage of projects nowadays. I have been applying in other companies, but there has been no favourable response as yet. I am also doing a part-time MBA course from Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Delhi. Given the current downturn in the IT industry, what should I do?

Though the downturn in the IT industry is real, it is not necessary that everyone is going to be without a job. I do not know what exactly is your job profile, but you should look at how strong your current company is. If it is weathering the downturn well, you don't have anything much to worry about. But if it is doing or going to do badly, then you have to move to another infotech company. Another option open to you is a full-time course in management from a reputed institution, which will enable you to change your field completely.

I am a 30-year-old mechanical engineer and have been working in a public sector enterprise for five years, in the field of operation and maintenance of process plants. Due to some typical PSU career constraints like stagnation, limited intellectual growth, and lack of opportunities, I wish to move out. Will taking up a course in management be a good career move, given my age, qualification and experience?

You could move jobs even now and get into a company in the process industry. With your qualifications and experience this should not be very difficult. Doing an MBA-even if it is a part-time course-is also a good idea. If you manage to get into a good institute, chances of a good placement are bright. Although you may not get full credit for your five years work experience in a public sector unit, the acceleration of growth will be worth the trade-off.

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