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 work in a multinational company and my 20 years experience has made me an expert on raising quality potatoes. I have been thinking of starting on my own, but am worried that business is much more than technical skills. What do you suggest?
Ajay Gupta
Most working executives spend half their careers battling similar internal debates. You seem to have the advantage of specialized knowledge in a niche area. Potatoes form close to 40% of the total vegetables consumed in the country, and the emerging demand is well known. But while the market looks favourable, you still need to prepare yourself to face adversities for the first two to three years. If you can deal with expected difficulties, you may well choose to develop your own enterprise.
I work for a reputed agri-inputs firm. I recently received a much-cherished job offer from a reputed bank to promote agricultural credit. However, the new offer does not offer an increase in salary. What should I do?
Careers are best built when you do the work you like. Once you have a passion for something, everything else follows. While making any decision, our focus needs to be on the most important aspect first. If we tend to consider an aspect whose importance in the priority list is, say, fifth or tenth, there is a danger of our efforts getting misdirected. Considering the nature of work is of your interest and compensation similar to the current one, you could accept the offer. But, ensure that in the new assignment, your seniority and job responsibilities are not compromised.
I got a postgraduate degree in management after graduation in agriculture and am now working in a small seeds firm. In spite of having an MBA, I am doing the same job as a graduate. During the last year, I gave up two offers, one in retail and another in a bank, as I did not get the location of my preference. Please guide.
As a progressive officer, one must be open to relocation and this may be treated as one of the costs of being a professional. If, for some reason, you are not able to perform optimally in the present organization and wish to change, prepare yourself to accept any offer that provides you with an opportunity to learn as well as to grow.
Ajay Gupta is CEO of ruralnaukri.com.
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