With the economy growing at a robust pace, employment opportunities are multiplying, particularly in the rural sector, with companies focusing on the untapped potential there. Mint presents a fortnightly column on job prospects in the sector.
I was working as a zonal manager in an agrochemical MNC. Due to constant differences with my superior, I quit the job and joined a competitor at a lower position. As luck would have it, my ex-boss has now joined my new company and I am forced to report to him once again. What should I do?
Ajay Gupta
It is important to realize that one works for an organization and not an individual. People in the organization keep changing and, unless it becomes a compulsion from the employer, one should never shift to an inferior assignment as it pulls you down by a few years. The thumb rule, even in such uncomfortable situations, is to invest extra efforts in enhancing performance and avoid entering into arguments. This applies even now when you need to report to the same boss again. You may treat the current situation as an opportunity to prove to yourself that your performance will be your best advocate to bail you out from the dilemma and that you are stronger than the circumstances.
I joined an organization five years back. In spite of retaining a positive attitude, I find that career growth is not really happening and I am a little disappointed. What should I be doing to climb up the ladder?
It is always useful to scan the probable reasons that may have prevented the expected growth. Some of the reasons could lie in inadequate education, not attending to key priorities within a sea of pending work, need for improvement in interpersonal relations, etc.
Many of us retain a positive attitude, but do not necessarily put in commensurate efforts persistently. You will appreciate that a positive attitude alone is not enough. You may attempt to identify areas of improvement and work upon them to improve delivery. In the long run, nobody can put a good man down.
I am a part of the top management of a large MNC. I have received a job offer from a European start-up as their CEO at double my present salary. Should I accept this offer?
As a thumb-rule, one must be cautious not to get tempted by salary alone when the target is career. Moving from a large-sized organization to a smaller one carries a fair amount of risk simply because smaller organizations lack the capacity to bear risks that a business may present from time to time.
There have been many cases where an MNC hires talent at promising salaries primarily with an objective to test the waters, and many such ventures are soon wound up.
However, each situation is unique and you need to really assess your opportunity in detail before you choose to take any concrete step. Should you decide to accept the challenge, you need to secure your interests by seeking a decent sign-on amount which could be one to two years’ CTC (cost to company).
Two, you need to have a severance clause in your appointment letter that suggests a suitable financial compensation should the relationship end due to any reason. These practices are widely accepted in most industries.
Ajay Gupta is CEO of ruralnaukri.com. Comments and feedback are welcome at askmint@livemint.com