Edwin David

Hello there!
The situation of jobs available, but not in relation to educational qualification is becoming common.
Early in your career journey, it is critical to land a job even if it is not in direct relation to your qualification, keeping in mind the present competitive environment. Gain working experience, because it helps you to acclimatise yourself to a workplace environment. Landing a job early, also avoids idle-time or downtime which can demotivate a fresh graduate.
Now, while you are on the job, keep an eye out for openings in your line of interest or specialty. When you find one, the interviewer is going to quiz you on the unrelated experience for which, your response will be, 'Until I found the opening of my choice, I decided to keep myself occupied.' You will be appreciated for this responsible approach. Two, when confronted with the 'no-experience' quandary, your response will be, 'To gain experience, I will first, have to be given the opportunity.'
Consider this possibility as well: You might end up doing well in the unrelated field and may also begin to like it! In such a scenario, take the leap into this unrelated field but qualify yourself with the right education and knowledge that is required, through a distance education course or a suitable training institute.
Wish you the best!
Regards,
Edwin

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Hello there!
Pursuing an MBA is a great idea but you must first decide why you want to do an MBA and what subject you would like to take up.

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Why MBA? - Is it only for added qualification, or are you keen to learn and specialise in a subject? Most often, an MBA is undertaken for the sake of furthering job prospects or for landing a job but, equally, the disappointment with such an objective is huge - An MBA does not guarantee a job or a promotion. On the other hand, it helps increase your knowledge vastly, so that you may apply the theory to your practice. In other words, it will help you perform better at work. So be certain about your objectives.

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As for subjects, Marketing, Finance and Human Resource development are popular but you have several electives when you choose a subject - a combination of topics like Quantitative Analysis, Managerial Accounting and Management Information Systems are also taught along with the core subjects, so when you choose a course, you will end up cross-learning quite a bit!

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You can take up a distance course if you are already working and can't take a break or sabbatical but usually, a residential program ends up giving you more exposure to practical exercises, workshops, plant visits and not to forget, direct access to your professors. Of course, residential programs cost more.

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When choosing a college, don't worry too much about placement offers or 'claims' of placement, but focus on the faculty and the alumni. Do a bit of background research, with facilities and infrastructure in mind and you might be surprised that a really remotely placed institution, lesser known, may be graduating the best minds!

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All the best and keep me posted.
Edwin

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I have noticed several managers, mostly untrained in people management, who use offensive behaviour as a defensive mechanism - they are unsure or distrustful of their teams motive and so adopt threatening behaviour (as if to say, don't think you can fool me).

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Some pointers:
Ask the manager in which area of your work, he/she would like you to improve?
Say that you are open to critical input and correction.
Then, say that you cannot handle his/her insulting manner of speaking.
What is most important to any individual is self respect. Don't let anyone take that away from you.
You must be assertive when saying this, yet polite. Say, "Please!"
Remember, every leader or manager is trying hard to do justice to their role. See what you can do to help that. Building a bridge will go a long way in sustaining both your careers.

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If assertive communication does not work, escalate the problem to the next level. If your management is progressive and would like to resolve inter-personal conflict in the interest of organisational growth, chances are things will get resolved. If not, you are in the wrong place. Find another job!

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Note: Be calm, when speaking with your manager today (Yes! Do it today).
Wish you the best and will look forward to hearing from you.

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Regards,
Edwin

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Numeracy skill is the ability to calculate or measure value mentally and without too much effort. For instance, if you were at a clothing store that said 25% off on something that is priced at 3400, it might be tough to calculate it just like that but you can arrive at ten percent mentally, which is 340 and add another 340 making it 20% ie,. 680 and another 5% (half of 340, which is 150+20 = 170) to make it 850!
Breaking it into simple parts, you can approximate quickly that the apparel which has a 25% discount, will cost you around 2500.

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Numeracy skills are fun, but it requires mental practice and techniques. You could gauge approximate time taken to travel based on the speed that you are driving at, or assess when you need to fill fuel again, based on the average kilometers or miles that your car returns, per litre (we used to do this until the new age cars introduced fuel gauges that tell you everything).

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But that is the bottom line of numeracy skills - to be able to calculate, approximate and estimate with ease and without using too much time or technology. At your workplace, your ability to read numbers and figures will help you analyse data and to project results which, in Marketing, is called the probability factor.

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There are several more applications at work and at home, for numeracy skills.
Do take a look at these two links http://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/national-numeracy-challenge/index.html and http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/0/

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Great question and stay in touch!
Edwin

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Hi there!

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I'll answer your question in two parts.

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Leaving a job for better prospects, is advisable only in the early stages of your career. Reasons for quitting one's job at this stage can range from not having enough scope for learning, having to deal with an unprofessional manager or not feeling motivated on the job, as motivated as when you first joined.
In the next stage of one's career (7-15 years of working experience), it is not advisable to move, or job-hop. At this stage, one is moving into middle management strata, a crucial stage when accountability is high. Your organisation will begin to rely on your efficiency and experience. This phase is one of consolidation, a phase in which your managerial skills are being honed and tested. If you must change jobs at this stage, the grounds must be solid - slow career growth, decline of the organisation or being side-stepped due to internal politics (which is inevitable as you climb the ladder).
15 years + of working experience and you are beginning to knock on the doors of senior management positions. Contrary to common belief, this stage justifies job-changes because you will seek bigger challenges if you have peaked in your present position.

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The second part of my answer is related to your question on how to prepare to quit and join elsewhere, without facing a period of being 'jobless'.
Do not leave unless you have a confirmed offer from another organisation. If however, you intend to quit abruptly - mostly due to inter-personal conflict, I would advise against it. Impulsive reactions may serve the moment but will devastate your long term career prospects. If however, the organisation has served you notice for whatever reasons, you are allowed to seek out a new job and attend interviews during this period.

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Finally, if you are leaving for better prospects, don't quit your present organisation without first informing them of your intentions and explaining the reasons why. It is likely that your present employer may try to fill the gap in your expectations to the extent possible. While you are entitled to seek out another job, the organisation is entitled to try and retain you. At every stage in your career, be professional in your actions.

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Wish you the best and do keep me posted.

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Regards,
Edwin

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Dear Friend,
You are probably referring to breaks due to marriage and child bearing, which working women experience during their career. Most organisations are happy to have the employee back, after the break, providing the position has not been filled. The gap that you will experience, once you return, is that of being a little out of touch with the current scenario. You could keep yourself updated with the help of newsletters and magazines in your industry for trends and relevant news. After getting back to work, catching up with your job responsibilities is only a matter of time, if your co-workers and managers will cooperate in getting you up and going!

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If you are referring to a sabbatical that you took to pursue a degree or if you have had to travel overseas or were off on medical leave or such other reasons, you may have to look for a new opening when you return. Keeping abreast of industry is still critical but explaining the gap in your service will be the key.

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When you say crabby, you must mean someone with a bad temper who flies off the handle very often.
It is hard to work with such a person. You are never sure of his/her moods and will not be able to engage purposefully. Identify first, how this affects your performance and then talk this out with the individual.
Clarify to your boss-manager that if you are making a mistake you are open to correction but not in this manner and not publicly, which is the case with most ill-tempered people - getting unduly upset at the drop-of-a-hat unmindful of the surroundings. If this does not work, escalate the problem to a level higher than your boss. This will not be seen as a complaint because any progressive organisation will look to retain its talent. If this too doesn't work, look beyond.
It's true that people don't leave companies, they leave their managers.

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