CAREER HOTLINE Q What is the scope of doing a course in mining engineering? — Dilip Khurana A Thanks to some progressive government initiatives like the recent National Mineral Policy, mining which is a crucial sector of our economy, has been thrown open to private investors has been progressing considerably over the last few years. Foreign investments for exploration and development covering 66 projects have been approved. Mining engineers are responsible for locating and safely extracting natural reserves like petroleum, minerals etc. The work also covers designing, planning, excavation of minerals and their transportation, maintenance of mines, air circulation and removal of toxic gases from the mines. You can even specialise in fields such as mining electronics, mining machinery or mineral engineering. Mining engineers are employed both in the government as well as private sector. Companies like the ONGC, Coal India, Geological Survey of India, HCL, IPCL, Neyvelli Lignite Corp., NALCO, TISCO, TELCO, Reliance and MNCs like British Gas and Schlumberger recruit graduates directly from the top campuses like ISM and IIT. The National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Kolar Gold Fields (Kar), recruits mining graduates/postgraduates as Project Fellows (http://business.vsnl.com/nirm/advt.ht) Details: Dipoma-holders in mining engineering with a Mines Foreman's Certificate of Competency from DGMS are recruited as Sr Operative Trainees. Companies like NALCO pay a decent stipend for the duration of training (18-mth). Details: www.nalcoindia.com).
Consultancy vs corporate work Q Why do MBA students make a beeline for consulting jobs? Is it merely because of the big payoff and the prestige? Isn't it better to gain some experience in the corporate sector first? — Anant Shrivastav A Good questions. And let me quote the Chief of Placement, Harvard Business School on this: "B-school grads the world over hanker for consulting jobs because of the opportunities they offer — not just in terms of compensation, but experience, global exposure, association with smart people, a chance to learn about a variety of industries, and working with CEOs and top management, which makes for great networking. These are attractive jobs. And they've been very popular with students because they help you in your career in the long run". Many senior leaders in the corporate world have come from consulting and investment banking. It's a logical choice if you want to be the head honcho of an organisation — a really good stepping stone. Here's why. The nitty-gritty of management consultancy involves figuring out ways to improve an organisation's strategy, efficiency, structure and/or profits. While some consultants specialise in a specific industry, others specialise in business functions like human resources or information systems. The work of management consultants varies with each client or employer and from project to project. Consultants collect, review and analyse information in order to make recommendations to the management. Obviously, therefore, a large number of MBAs vie for management consulting as a career option. Several management-consulting firms that have a global presence pick up B-School grads straight from the top B-school campuses. However, getting into these companies is a tough process because of their rigorous interviews. They also come to the IIMs and IITs in India for recruitment and are a hot favourite on the campus because of the astronomical salaries they offer. These firms are mostly based in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Agreed, working in the corporate sector to gain sufficient insights into the way business is managed before you take to full-time consulting, makes a lot of sense. Consulting firms need people from a variety of backgrounds. After few years of working in industries such as IT, telecom, and finance, people make a lateral move to management consulting. The experience they gain in consulting brings them senior management positions when they come back to industry and also proves helpful in moving to another industry. IT majors like Wipro, Infosys, TCS and Satyam recruit people who have experience in management consulting. After a few years you can also become a senior partner in your consulting firm. Besides the traditional business functions like marketing, accounting, operations and finance, consultants also specialise in Strategy Management (competitive strategy, product strategy, functional strategy or IT strategy). However, consulting firms are increasingly beginning to focus on Change Management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Knowledge Management. Host of options in hospitality Q I am doing a diploma in hotel management (first year). I am not very interested in operations. Do you think there can be a good career in the front office? — Gurdeep Kaur A Give or take a little, your career path in the front office of a hotel will go along the following lines: Management Trainee/Front Office Asst: Starting out as a Duty Manager, you will be put through on-the-job training round of the various front office departments. Asst Manager: You will be responsible for the functioning of a designated section (Reservation/Front Desk, etc). You will head a team of FOAs and co-ordinate with other units for customer-care and guest-relations. Asst Front Office Manager: Reporting to the Front Office Manager, you will now be in charge of personnel management and MIS of the front office. You will supervise Asst. Managers involved in customer care and co-ordinate with other departments to ensure good occupancy for the hotel. Front Office Manager: Responsible for the entire functioning of the front office, you will supervise your team of managers. The writer is a noted career consultant — Pervin Malhotra Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29,
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Q I am
studying in Class XII. I want to know that if I want to pursue a
career in law after plus two, how should I plan my studies? Please
guide.
