Q: I am working in a public sector bank for the last three years as a clerk and have also completed my CAIIB. I will be eligible for the promotion exam of the officer scale next year. I am interested in doing a full-time MBA. I want to know if it would be advisable to go for a full-time MBA after leaving my permanent job. If yes, then please suggest the names of institutes for which such a decision is worth taking.
Name Withheld
A: You should go for a full-time MBA. Such an investment would give you the opportunity to broaden your options in the future. Your educational background would be an important determinant in your choice of an institute. Most premier institutes insist on at least 50 per cent marks in your graduation ? whichever stream you may belong to (BE/BTech/BCom/BA/BSc etc.). Further, you need to decide which management stream you would like to specialise in ? marketing, finance, HR, operations etc. This will determine the management school you should apply to.
For example, should you like to specialise in market research and communications, one of the better institutes is Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, although this does not usually feature in the top 10 B-schools in most surveys. Most institutes nowadays prefer students with prior work experience so your three years in a job would be advantageous. An MBA degree from a prestigious institute is a plus point in the job market by giving you an entry-level position in the managerial cadre.
You could browse the websites: www.ascenteducation.com or www.indianmba.com for more information.
Q: I am 26 years old and I hold an MCom degree. I have one year?s experience as an accountant in a consultancy firm in Calcutta and six months? experience as head teller/supervisor in a bank in the United States of America. I would like to pursue my career in Calcutta. Please suggest a course that will help me to find a good job that will suit my profile.
Sarani Tarafder,
Calcutta
A: With a year-and-a-half of experience, you have a variety of options. With a background in commerce and accountancy, it may be worth your while to become a chartered accountant or a cost accountant.
Another option could be for you to opt for an MBA course, either part-time or full-time, and major in financial management. You could also consider a career in finance and accounting BPO which is an emerging field.
Q: At present, I am working for a private airline as a customer service executive. I specialise in customer relation management. I was working in sales before taking up this job. I am 30 years old. Presently, I am pursuing PGDBA with specialisation in HRD from the Symbiosis Institute of Management through the distance learning mode. I expect to complete it by December this year. What are my future prospects in this field? Do I need to pursue some other course? Can I opt for a career in human resource management? Am I too old to pursue something in HRD? If not, then how should I go about it?
Name Withheld
A: An MBA in HR is definitely an advantage. However, it will not guarantee a job but will give you an edge in attaining the job of your choice. HR is a support function required in any organisation irrespective of the industry it operates in, so your choices are innumerable.
However, to leverage your past experience in sales and customer relations, you could opt for careers in the HR function in a sales oriented organisation (e.g. FMCG, consumer durables etc.) or in a service-oriented organisation (airlines, telecom, banking) or in a public relations company.
It is never too late to make a career shift but you should do it in a related area, thus capitalising on your past experience. One of the options you could consider is to work for a call centre/customer contact centre. In this industry, a key challenge is HR ? particularly retention and motivation.
Your HR qualification, combined with your background in sales and customer relation management, could provide you with a distinct advantage in making a success of such a career.
Send your letters to HR Matters at The Telegraph, Jobs Desk, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001; or fax at 2225 3142; or send emails to jobs@abpmail.com. All letters should have your full name and postal
address.
