Q:I am 19 years old and I’ve been working in the ITES industry for the last one and a half years. I’ve completed my HS this year. Due to some personal problems, I plan to do my graduation through correspondence next year. After that, I want to appear for the CAT. I want to work in the banking sector. Will I have a problem in taking CAT, GMAT, SNAP and other such exams, since I would like to do my graduation by correspondence?
Smritilekha Chakraborty
A:CAT has revised its qualification criteria and has made them very stringent, so you would need to double-check on the latest norms from their prospectus. So concentrate on completing your graduation first. There is no point in counting your chickens before they have been hatched.
Banking has emerged as one of the most challenging sectors in the country and working there would depend on how you perform in your MBA course and the placements that you will be able to attract on completion.
Q:I have a postgraduate diploma in journalism, with 11 years of experience in direct sales of a high-value educational product. I have excellent oral and written skills. I also have seven years of experience in sales, product and soft-skill training and managing a branch.
I want to switch over to a career in training but want to be based in Calcutta in a job involving minimum travel. Can I do that without an MBA degree? How should I go about it and in which industry or sector should I apply?
Marda Agarwal
A:Since you have been in direct sales, you must have networked with prospective clients for the last few years. An MBA in your case would definitely be an added advantage. However, it cannot be a prerequisite.
There are plenty of opportunities in training — corporate and educational. Try to find an organisation that will utilise your contacts in the field of training and development. Finding a job of your liking should not be a problem and the travel issue can always be worked out with your employer.
Q:I am 30 years old and I’m working as an assistant store manager in a reputed retail company. I have three years of work experience and want to work abroad in retail. However, I don’t have an MBA degree. What should I do?
Pranab Dasgupta
A:You have not specified the reason for leaving the company or the country. If you are attracted by the glamour of working abroad, it would serve you well to understand that the retail sector in India is growing at a much faster pace.
Further, all the market leaders in the world including Carrefour and Walmart are entering India. Staying in India may help you chart a better career path than you think.
The coming years augur well for those in the retail profession and you will be best served by sticking to it.
If you are still looking to head for foreign shores, do remember that it would be an uphill struggle to move to Europe or the US. Places like Dubai and Singapore would also be difficult to target at your current level.
A better thing to do would be to grow to a senior level in your current assignment and only then look to move out in a senior role.
Q:I am 25 years old. I did my HS and then did a diploma in instrumentation engineering from Saroj Mohan Institute of Technology under the State Council of Technical Education in 2003.
After that I joined the family business. We had a joint business but due to a family dispute, our company has been shut down. My father has been seriously ill for the last one year. So I need a job in Calcutta since I can’t leave him at present.
But the problem is that due to the four-year gap, I am not getting any jobs. Hence, I want to upgrade my skills. I am willing to join as a trainee too. I am also open to studying but I am not interested in doing a BE or a BTech. What are my options?
Soumyajit Gupta
A:Unfortunately, it might be quite difficult to land a job in your present predicament. You have not specified the nature of your family business. It might be a good idea to look for a job in the same domain. If you can supplement your educational skills with specialised courses from NIIT or other such institutes, it would definitely help in the long run.
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