Hot Jobs of the Decade
If you are looking for a job, make it a point to enquire about the longevity of the function and industry you seek employment in. Apart from outlining the industry and role definition, job sites are now putting down a crucial detail--longevity of careers. In a world where technology obsolescence is a ruthless reality, employees should ask for how long a skill-set will be relevant.
Every few years some skills and industries are considered "hot" or "sought after" and then the demand for these skills either dies, if the sector is rendered redundant, or it tapers off. For instance, billions of dollars were spent on the Y2K phenomenon and for years techies working on it were the most sought after.
But the scenario changed after 2000. Today, cloud computing is a big thing in IT and those who have been working on it will stand to gain. Telecom companies are already importing talent from Europe and Japan because 2G will soon be history and people who understand 3G and its applications will be hot property.
If you don't want to be caught in the wrong job, choose your industry with care so that you are relevant even a decade later. Forget about a career for life because hot jobs and sectors come with their own set of benefits. So get on to the gravy train before it stops. Also, people working in sought-after sectors enjoy better perks and salaries, so not only does that put you in the thick of action but ensures good money as well.
Will mobile applications grow faster than the IT business? Is a KPO job better than a marketing job with a fast moving consumer goods company? We tell you all. Here's a lowdown on what skill-sets will be in demand in times to come and what they pay.
RESEARCH ANALYTICS: The world's largest companies are queuing up in India to understand why their customers are not buying a particular brand anymore or which group of customers is eligible for a mortgage and which is not. If you have a flair for numbers and enjoy applying statistical tools to arrive at simple solutions, you are looking at a career in research analytics.
There are different verticals within analytics where one can specialise. From top multinational banks to pharmaceutical companies, everyone is setting up a back office in India to decode reams of company data so that they can fast-track growth, improve sales, reduce customer churn and get better insights into their businesses. As a research analyst, you can help companies forecast sales, consumer demand and position their brands better.
The voice-based business outsourcing may be under threat, but the knowledge-based outsourcing activity is still going strong. The job of a research analyst would include data mining, data manipulation and applying predictive models to arrive at solutions. With an increase in demand for people with skills in numbers, econometrics and mathematics, the salaries are doubling with demand. Sudeshna Datta, co-founder of Absolute Data and Research Analytics, a KPO, says, "There is tremendous potential and career enhancement opportunity in analytics. The next 10 years will see good growth in the sector as business is flowing in from India as well overseas."
DIGITAL SERVICES,: India is not just one of the largest mobile phone markets in the world with 524 million users, but also a big consumer of digital content, be it entertainment, music or games. With the launch of 3G networks, a host of new services and applications will be launched soon. And cellphone users will be buying things using phones, watching films on it, and downloading games, music and videos too. All these services will be conceptualised and provided by content and digital experts. Known as the value added services (VAS) industry, the size of this market in India today is Rs 5,000 crore. Globally, mobile entertainment is a $32-billion industry and gaming is $28 billion.
Like any other service, this too delivers entertainment and other commerce-related services to consumers but the interface is through a mobile phone. In the next few years, this segment will create a host of new jobs and opportunities. So, those with creative skills can look at designing innovative WAP sites and those interested in the technology piece can arm themselves with a certification in JAVA, C++ or J2ME. However, a large subset of the digital services space will be mobile VAS and gaming. If you have experience in media, entertainment or technology, you can write games, design characters and animate them using technology or come up with services that mobile consumers may want to subscribe to.
The opportunity is great as most of the leading gaming studios of the world such as GameBoxx and Digital Chocolate have their operations in India. Apart from that, even Google and Yahoo have large development centres here. Says Siddhartha Roy, CEO of digital entertainment company Hungama: "The digital entertainment economy will employ a large number of people in times to come. It offers a wide range of career options, from creative to technological."
FACILITY MANAGEMENT: India is going to see many new skyscrapers, malls, IT parks and SEZs. All these residential and commercial spaces require to be managed in an efficient manner. But it's not a janitor's job. Running world-class facilities require engineering and management skills. Corporates invest sizeable funds in creating physical assets such as offices and factories, with several hi-tech electrical and mechanical systems, which need to be maintained so that work proceeds smoothly. Proper maintenance also enhances asset value over years.
There are a host of Indian and multinational facility management companies that typically offer hard and soft services in the country. While the soft functions include front-end services like managing the reception and support staff of a facility, the hard services require skills that can help buildings optimise efficiency.
A facility manager provides predictive mechanical and electrical maintenance services and Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning (HVAC) management. With most new buildings going green, a great deal of talent would be required to manage them and their equipment. MD of real estate developer Lodha Group, Abhisheck Lodha, says, "With economic growth, new highrises and corporate facilities will need to be managed efficiently. For this, facility management companies will need people with hospitality and engineering skills."
AUTOMOBILE CLAY MODELLING: The Indian automobile industry is the ninth largest in the world with an annual production of 2.3 million units. India is not just a robust automobile market but also a large exporter of small cars. In 2009, India emerged as the fourth largest automobile exporter after Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Going by the bright opportunities, India has laid out an automobile mission plan under which the industry is set to create 25 million jobs by 2016.
With almost every marquee brand driving into the country, India is becoming a hot battleground for cars. From BMW to Hyundai, all auto majors are striving to develop products relevant to the Indian market. For this, they are going to need people who can design and model cars that are good both functionally as well as in looks.
Automobile design comprises three segments--exterior design, interior design, and colour and trim design. First a car is designed graphically on a computer and then translated into a physical model. A stylist responsible for the exterior design works with digital or manual images of the car design and then translates it into a clay (industrial plasticine) model. Design and dimensional data from this model is then used to create mockups.
With Computer Numerical Control milling machines, the clay model is first designed on a computer and then "carved" using the machine and large amounts of clay. Even in times of 3D software and computer-aided design tools, the clay model is still the most important tool to evaluate car design and, therefore, used throughout the industry. Indian automobile industry is likely to need a lot of clay modellers as demand for localising design is slated to increase.
RURAL MARKETING: From mobile phones to automobiles to consumer durable companies, everyone's making a beeline for India's six lakh villages. Rural jobs have been in focus for some time. As the world slipped into a recession in 2008, Indian consumption also took a backseat. While urban India was reeling under the impact of the meltdown, rural India remained oblivious to it. Thanks to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which promises 100 days of employment per year to rural households, 30 million families have got jobs.
On the other hand, farmers reaped benefits from higher support prices of staples like wheat and rice. Clearly, this has kicked off a wave of consumption in rural markets, hitherto avoided by most companies, except FMCG players like ITC and Hindustan Unilever.
With urban markets getting saturated, companies are heading to rural India. For this, they require marketing, sales and creative talent. A graduate degree from a rural college coupled with some exposure to rural markets will be a hot pick for most FMCG, insurance, consumer goods and automobile companies. Vodafone is slated to launch a recruitment drive across colleges in rural India to scout for talent which can grow the mobile service provider in India's heartland.
Skills and pay
Research Analytics: Graduate degree in mathematics, econometrics or statistics-Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh
Digital Services: Graduate degree with a certification course in C++, J2ME or JAVA-Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh
Facility Management: Marine engineers and hospitality graduates-Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh
Automobile Designer: An engineering degree and a creative bent of mind-Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh
Rural Marketing and Sales Jobs-Graduate degree or an MBA in rural marketing with good understanding of local area-Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh (Figures are entry level salary per annum)
source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/248/20100316/1592/tbs-hot-new-jobs-of-the-decade.html
No comments:
Post a Comment