Q: I am 38 years old and have been working as a business manager for a Calcutta-based publishing house for the past seven years. I look after sales and marketing, events, PR and administrative operations. This has made my work profile very confusing. Being a proprietorship concern, the organisation does not offer enough growth opportunities. I have done MBA. How do I get a good job?
Rumpa Banerjee
A: In your current job you have got exposure to events, PR and sales and marketing. From these you need to choose what gives you more satisfaction and pursue a career in that field. Each of these fields is promising. In case of event management and PR, most organisations would be similar to a proprietorship concern except for a few national-level ones. In public relations, you can also try for the corporate communications department of big corporate houses.
Q: I am a 30-year-old commerce graduate. I was involved in the family business which has now been wound up. I am computer literate but have not done any professional course. What jobs can i do? Is woking in a call centre a good option?
Gaurav Jhunjhunwala
A: You need to first assess your own strengths and weaknesses regarding a career. This will give you the first direction as to what type of job you would be suitable for. There are many job opportunities for a commerce graduate. A call centre would be a good option if your spoken English is up to the mark.
Q: I am working as a branch manager in a security service providing company for the past 15 years. I am a law graduate and have done MBA (HR) through distance learning. I am keen to pursue a career in the HR field. Is that possible?
Rajan Sahay
A: Yes, it would be absolutely possible. With the type of background you have, it would be advisable to start from the HR and admin department of a large organisation. If you start from the admin or facilities department, your past experience would be counted and you would not start with any disadvantage.
Q: I am 19 years old and will be completing my graduation (computer science) this year. I want to shift to business courses. Please suggest.
Hitesh Khatri
A: You can pursue an MBA from any reputed college or university or you can also do the same through distance learning. Please be aware that MBA colleges have their own gradations in the eyes of the corporate world and hence there would be variations in salary and position based on the institute.
Q: I am 32 years old and working as a desktop support engineer since the past five years. I did an MBA in information system from Sikkim Manipal University. But I am not getting any suitable job. Please suggest what to do.
Akhilesh Kumar
A: There is no dearth of jobs in the market for IT professionals. It really would depend on what type of job you are searching for. If you are looking for a job in a good organisation, say as a programmer, you would require some amount of behavioural skills apart from the technical knowledge. It would be advisable that you take help of a recruitment agency which specialises in the IT field and check with them the job specifications of different positions, technical and behavioural.
Q: I am an MCA working in a software developing company. I have only a year of experience. I am not satisfied with the job because my salary is not good enough. What should I do to get a well-paid job?
Sanjukta Kumar
A: To get paid well, you should first ask yourself, why should someone pay you what you think you should be paid. Every organisation has a hierarchical structure with salary defined for all positions based on the job value and the qualification required. It may be a case that you are over-qualified for your current job and hence you feel your salary is low, then you should look for a job outside the organisation. It can also be the case that your performance is not up to the expectations and hence there is a discrepancy in salary vis-à-vis qualification.
Q: I am a 24-year-old commerce graduate. I have also done a PG diploma in banking and financial services from IFBI, Calcutta. I want to work in private banks. What should I do?
Amit Dhak
A: If you have approached the banks directly and failed to get any suitable opening, I would advise you to take the help of professional recruiters who would forward your CV to the appropriate organisation based on your qualification for a suitable job opening.
Q: I am a 34 year-old commerce graduate with a degree in LLB. I have five years of working experience in training and placement, corporate relations, and also worked in different engineering colleges. I have a year of experience in administrative field abroad, too. Recently I was offered a job as a centre manager in an upcoming educational and training company. Can you suggest which professional course will help me to gain skills? Where should I do MBA from?
Indranath Chatterjee
A: Since you have a decent job at a reputed organisation, you can opt for a distance learning programme either in human resources or training and development. This would give you an added qualification and advantage to the type of job you are pursuing and also, it will complement your past experience.
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