HR MATTERS 30-09-2009

Q: I am 30 years old. I have completed BE (civil). I have been working in an electrical company, a public sector organisation. I had earlier worked in a construction company for seven years. I want to know whether I should switch over to my sphere of work or continue to work in my company.

Ritesh Majumdar

A: If you have done BE (civil), you should make a career in that field. If you have limited experience in electrical and civil, your experience will not be counted. I think you should go back to your area of qualification and cement your experience in that field.

Q:I am an arts graduate. I have also done courses in secretarial practice and MS Office. I have been working as a personal secretary for the last seven years. I would like to continue in this field. I plan to do an MBA or a PGDM through correspondence. Will it help improve my prospects?

Sanjib Ghosh

A:As a personal secretary, you do not need an MBA degree. Your existing qualification and experience would be enough to get you a job. But if you are looking for the position of an executive assistant, you would need an MBA from a reputed institute. The job of an executive assistant is different altogether and requires much more in-depth knowledge of management studies. So, when you are searching for a job, find out the requirements and apply accordingly.

Q:I am a 26-year-old MBA. I had worked in a building material industry for two and a half years and then worked for some time in the insurance sector. I quit my job to start a business of selling construction material. I do not want to disclose my experience of working in the insurance sector in my CV. What should I do?

Udayan Sil

A: I do not see any reason why you do not want to disclose your experience in the insurance sector. This experience would add a new dimension to your CV and maybe you would stand a better chance of getting a job. Any discrepancy in the CV would be questioned and frowned upon by potential recruiters. It is best to divulge all the facts in your CV.

Q:I am a science graduate. I have been working in a private company. I wish to pursue a full-time MBA and would like to take the Common Admission Test (CAT). I had got only 51 per cent in Plus Two. Will it be a hindrance to getting admission in a good B-school?

Anirban Dutta

A:Your past is definitely a reflection of your capability at that point in time, unless you have a valid reason for not doing well in the exams. For CAT or any other MBA entrance exam, there are several steps which need to be traversed. You need to clear the written test first and thereafter the group discussion and interview. Your marks would definitely form a part of the decision-making process. So, it would not be an easy route but you can definitely try and excel in these parameters to obliterate the past results.

Q:I am 29 years old. I have been working as a consultant in a reputed organisation for the past one and a half years. I am interested in academics and want to teach in management colleges. I am thinking of doing MCom through correspondence. I want to know whether I will be able to teach with an MCom degree. Will I be able to work in industry?

Sirsendu Chakraborty

A:Ever since the advent of private management institutes in the country, there has been no dearth of teaching jobs. Moreover, since these are private institutes, your experience and skill in teaching would matter more. Having a postgraduation would definitely help in handling students as well as imparting meaningful education. Since you want to study MCom, I assume that you are a commerce graduate and with that qualification you can get a job in any industry at a junior level.

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