Career Planning

Following is an email I have written to a friend who is at the crossroads of his life and facing a "quarter-life" crisis [as opposed to mid-life crisis]

Hope that something good comes out of this long letter for the chap! :)


Dear Confused Friend,

Its good to see that you have managed to set a timeline for your future after LnT. I am sure most of the people your age will never have done such a thing. Heck, even grampa's like me don't do that sort of stuff! :)

I am sure that the email took more than an hour to type [and around a month to think up]. I am sure all that thinking will help you though. Here are my two cents worth:

1. Do you really want to start your own firm? Are you the kind of person who can get work done out of people? This point is definitely worth thinking about because the gist of your email [as I understand] is that you want to take up higher studies [MS/MBA] with the eventual aim of starting your own business. While owning a business is a swell thing, there are many hurdles in the path to success. The most basic one of them being: you have to pay other people their salary before you can claim your own. I am not going to insult your intelligence by saying that you have not thought of these things. However, I will advise you to delve into the business of owning your business a little more.

2. In today's world, you really don't need an MBA to make it big with your own business. Sure, it looks good on your visiting card and on your company website to write Mr. Such N Such, MBA, Stanford. However, with the passage of time, people [your customers] will be impressed only by the quality of your work and not your high CPI at some obscure course during an MBA education.

3. You need not have experience in "two of the biggest categories" to strike gold. You are expected only to understand the basics of finance and there should be a willingness to learn. What do you & I know about finance and/or accounting? Or consulting for that matter? You cannot have relevant work experience in those fields unless you work for such a firm. Since you are stuck with LnT for another year, why not try and get into the financial aspects of things? Work with Marketing to get a feel of cash flows and project finances. Work with Proposals to get a feel of market prices and how LnT is affected by it. Work with Contract Management to understand how to deal with Govt. of India organizations and learn about indirect taxation. I'd suggest working in at least one of the above dept. to add to your repertoire of skills. [if any!!! :)]

4. Don't disregard whatever you have learnt over the last year [even if it seems trifle to you]. Once you are out in the market for other jobs / starting your own work, you will realize the value of all the Excel / SAP / soft skill knowledge that you gained here. Spruce up your resume by making even mundane work sound exciting. I have no doubt about your conversational skills [you are second only to me! ;)]. A resume can get you an interview with a new employer / client. However, your speaking abilities and quality of work will get you the job.

5. Charity begins at home. Speak to Ms. Mabel Abraham, PGM and get involved in some of the volunteer programmes organized by LnT. I don't know if you can get a certificate for your volunteer work. However, you can and definitely will get references. An US MBA is all about networking and building contacts. So, to them, what people say about you is as important as what your GMAT scores / Chem. Engg. percentages say about you. Americans are known to weigh extra curricular activities more than academic. You've got it made with footer, now go get some volunteer experience.

6. As regards your dilemma over the behemoth vs. start-up company, I've only one suggestion to give: take your time. You've got time on your side - you are just 23. Work with both companies to have a feel of how things run. LnT will have already exposed you to the nuances of running a big business and interacting with people. Working with a small firm as an employee will give you closer control over costs and more personal interaction. Get more interested in the financial aspects of all work you do because eventually, when you have your own business, its all going to be about the money. The sooner you understand the nitty-gritties of finances, the better it will be for your start-up.

7. Its not necessary to get a Post Grad. to start a firm in environmental management / any new field. Starting your own company is all about managing people at the end of the day. You can & will always get people who are smarter than you, more intelligent and more knowledgeable. However, if you have the vision, they will willingly follow you to create riches for both you & themselves.

8. Last but not the least, I have written this information with a larger intended audience in mind. I will be putting this stuff on my blog. [with your name removed of course!] I hope you don't mind. And even if you do, I am going to post it anyway! :)

Regards,

Govindraj S. Umarji

P. S. I never lose an opportunity to get an article for my blog for free! :)