The Hindu Business Line : Changing rules in the career market

In the coming years, you could work in a company headquartered in India, whose raw material is sourced from Australia, its finished product marketed in North America, money raised in Europe, design and development undertaken in South America and the manufacturing process undertaken in China. Phew, that's a transnational organisation for you. In such a world your colleagues, peers and mentors would come from differing backgrounds with different workplace ethics. To succeed you need to understand the changing rules of the career market.

Rule 1: Uni-functional vs multifunctional: There was a time when if you were a specialist in finance you could become the CFO of the company. To become the CEO you needed to have an understanding of manufacturing, marketing, research, design, HR and technology. Today, if you want to be a CFO you must know all those things that a CEO of yore needed to know. Yes, you must have a multi-functional appreciation of your organisation even to become a CFO.

Rule 2: 9 to 5 vs 24 x 7: Your grandpa went to office at 9 a.m. and returned home at 5 p.m. Working on weekends and holidays was a strict no-no. Today people work 24x7. If a job has to be done in five days you could sleep for four days and crack it on the fifth. Or you could work all five days. It's your choice. No one watches the clock. This means that career comes first. Everything else, the family included, is second.

Rule 3: Gray hairs vs grey cells: Earlier you needed to be 50 plus to be a CEO. Ambitious youngsters shaded their hair a shade white to look more mature when they were seeking higher jobs! But today, at 30 something you can become a CEO; at 40 plus you should be heading a global organisation. Promotions are no longer based on age. They are now merit-based, the appraisal is objective and you can ask why you are being rated lower.

Rule 4: Hard skills vs soft skills: In the 1990s you could climb the corporate ladder if you were strong in your subject. Hard skill (a k a knowledge) was important. If you knew the income-tax law inside out you could become the big boss of taxation.

Even today knowledge is important; but it alone won't do. You have to carry people along with you. And that calls for people skills. Your ability to communicate, be a team player, lead small groups, generate ideas, motivate others are all crucial.

Send in your queries to CareerCrossroads@gmail.com.

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V. Pattabhi Ram