COACHING INSTITUTE JOBS
Blackboards, Not Boardrooms
Hordes of graduates from IITs and IIMs are joining engineering andmanagement-entrance coaching institutes as teachers. Surprised?
By Amanpreet Singh
In the next three years, we will be among the top three recruitersacross all Indian Institute of Technologies," boasts D.K. Goel, whooffered jobs to 102 IITians during last year's placement season. Hemust be one of those top it recruiters or at least the human resourcehead of a big engineering company, right? Wrong. Goel, hold yourbreath, is the Managing Director of Delhi-based Forum for IIT-JointEntrance Examination (FIIT-JEE), the coaching company that runs 22centres across the country for 10+2 students wishing to break intothe exclusive IIT club. And the 85 fresh IIT graduates who finallyjoined him in 2004, work as Physics, Chemistry and Math instructorsat FIIT-JEE centres across the country.
If you thought a bright, young IITian would have preferred a plumposting with a happening Indian or global firm, think again. AtCareer Point, another pre-engineering coaching institute, a third ofthe 350-strong faculty hails from IITs. It is much the same forinstitutes preparing students for B-schools, such as Career Launcher,which employs over 60 top business school graduates, 40 of them fromthe Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Another B-school focussedinstitute, Institute of Management Studies (IMS) boasts over 70 top B-school MBAs teaching full- and part-time at its 75 centres.
It isn't surprising that these schools should hire people from theIITs and IIMs. The boom in the education sector, the need toprofessionalise their operations, and competition are just some ofthe reasons why such schools, some 20 of which have mushroomed acrossIndia over the last decade, are focussing on hiring the best. Thequestion that is begging to be asked, however, is: what's in it foryoung engineers and PGDBMs from institutes such as IITs and IIMs?
Money, Life And Growth
"They offered me something different, freedom," says AnirudhPhatke, a 35-year-old IIM Lucknow alum on his reason for joiningCareer Launcher right after his graduation in 1999. "I did not want acorporate job; the teaching bug had bitten me," says Phatke, whotried his hand at human resource consulting with PeopleOne inBangalore for some time before returning to Career Launcher in 2003.Or take the case of 25-year-old Manish Sharma, who graduated intextile engineering from IIT, Delhi four years ago. He always wantedto be a teacher and FIIT-JEE paid well.
People such as Sharma are consciously choosing to enter thevocation; there is no hint of being bulldozed by either circumstanceor lack of job options. "There is simply no frustration, for the IITlabel could have got me any other job," says Sharma.
A full-time teacher, especially one from an IIT or IIM, starts ata salary of Rs 6-8 lakh per annum, with those who stick on reapingthe rewards pretty fast. According to FIIT-JEE's Goel, Sharma'semployer, the IIT-Delhi alum is thriving at his job; if all goeswell, he hints, Sharma could be earning double the Rs 6 lakh he doesnow, next year. Now, even happening industry sectors such asaviation, media, entertainment or it do not offer 100 per cent jumpsin compensation within a year of joining.
"There is nothing better than teaching. Every other job breedsmonotony," says Satyendra Kumar, a faculty member at Career Point,Kota, Rajasthan. After graduating from IIT Kharagpur in 2001, Kumar,26, came to Kota to teach simply because he finds cracking IIT-JEEquestion papers challenging. With just four years of teachingexperience behind him, Kumar, who gets paid Rs 14 lakh per annum, isalready a hot favourite in this coaching institute town, with joboffers pouring in from most competing institutes almost every day.
Other Designs
Even though these coaching institutes have become a serious careeroption for many premier engineering and management school graduates,there are others for whom it is just a short-term affair on the roadto better things, or simply a second source of income. "Yes, thereare some people who use these institutes as a stop-gap arrangement,but it's rare," says Ritesh Hemrajani, Regional Director at IMS.
For 30-year-old Nikunj Bhagat, an IIM, Bangalore alumnus and achartered accountant by profession, teaching at IMS in Kolkata was aticket back to his hometown after working for a year with HewittAssociates in Delhi. "It's a good floatation device in terms ofmoney," says Bhagat, who, while he enjoys his stint at IMS, has hisheart set on growing his ca practice in Kolkata. Whatever therecruit's reasons for joining, clearly these coaching institutes havetheir flags firmly placed at the best engineering and managementinstitutes in the country. Infosys, Hindustan Lever and McKinsey,please take note.
COUNSELLING
Help, Tarun!
I am a 30-year-old engineer working for a steel manufacturingcompany. My manager, a very focussed and driven person, reachesoffice before others, works long hours and is willing to sacrificefamily and friends for work. The problem is that he expects his staff(including me) to emulate him. While I do my work sincerely, I feel Ishould also give adequate time to my family for a more balance, lessstressful life. How do I approach my boss on this?
Although you may find it difficult to get through to your boss,try raising the 'work-life balance' issue in a subtle way so that he,at least, starts thinking about it. If, however, you feel that heresents you in some way or has told you in no uncertain terms whathis expectations are, you probably need to have a chat with him. I'msure there must be others in your office in a similar position. Inthat case, you could all approach your boss' superior together, whomay be able to counsel him. Having said all this, I must also tellyou that there are times when deadlines dictate long hours and hardwork, and you need to be able to cope with this.
I am 28 years old and work for a mid-rung pharmaceutical company.I've been offered a job with another pharma company that is one ofthe leaders in the country, and the pay packet offered is also muchbetter than what I get now. Normally, I wouldn't have thought twiceabout joining this company, but the problem is that I have receivednegative feedback on my future manager from friends who work in thatcompany. Should I take the job?
Without having any specific information on what exactly the issueis with your future boss, it will be difficult for me to give you anyspecific advice. Generally speaking, however, if it is something youthink you can handle or at least ride out for a couple of years, thengo for it. You will at least gain some experience, which will onlyadd to your resume and boost your future career prospects. On theother hand, if you think you are going to be miserable, then you needto give this offer a second thought. But, do remember that sometimesone can get the best possible training only under a tough boss.Remember the timeless saying: When the going gets tough, the toughget going.
I am a 60-year-old retired civil servant and along with three ofmy relatives, I wish to open a chain of restaurants. Although I don'thave any kind of training/experience, my would-be partners haveenough of it. The problem is that we don't have sufficient finances,so we're thinking of taking a loan. Do you think entering into a newterritory is a good idea at this stage of my life? Also, do you thinkthat I should undertake some kind of training?
There are many people for whom retirement doesn't necessarily meanan end of their professional life. However, don't put your entireretirement money into the business. Make sure you keep a certain sumaside so that there is a fall back option if the business doesn't dowell. Secondly, choose your partners carefully and remember too manycooks always spoil the broth. And even if your partners are experts,I suggest you undertake some training. When you take a loan, makesure you and your partners have equal collateral in it. Lastly, it isa bad idea to do business with relatives. All I can say is that ittends to complicate things.
I'm a highly-qualified music teacher in a small-town boardingschool. Although I've made numerous improvements to the school'sinstrumental music programme, I experience incessant bullying from aperson they hired to co-teach chorus with me. This co-teacher, ahousewife, doesn't even have a formal music degree. This lack ofqualification (and knowledge) has probably made her insecure, and Ibelieve she is spreading rumours about my lack of ability. All thisis hurting my self-esteem. Should I quit?
Is it the co-teacher's insecurity or is it your own? If you areinsecure, it will give others a chance to take advantage of it and asa result, the gap between the two of you will only get bigger. Isuggest you see this co-teacher as an ally rather than an adversary.Once you start treating her like that, you may be surprised to seeher attitude change. I must also bring to your notice that legendarymusicians Vishnu Digamber Paluskar or Lata Mangeshkar did not haveformal degrees in music. Always remember that in every school, thereis going to be some amount of politics and you will have to learn todeal with it.
Headhunting The Headhunter
It's a buoyant job market for headhunters too!
A buoyant job market and a steady influx of new executive searchfirms over the past year or so has resulted in an interesting trendof headhunters being headhunted. Across the hierarchy of executivesearch firms, from consultants upwards, offers are literally pouringin from corporates, competition, even second tier placement firms. Atthe partner level, it's quite a mixed bag with offers to head newsearch firms, even offers to join the corporate bandwagon as hr headsbecoming the norm today. "Corporates are beginning to realise thatheadhunters add value," explains Venkat Shastry, a partner atexecutive search firm Stanton Chase. Even top business schoolgraduates are looking at executive search as a serious start-upcareer option these days, primarily to receive some exposure to topmanagement. There has been a 20-25 per cent growth in salaries forheadhunters, with partners taking home almost Rs 35-40 lakh perannum, and that's not including the 30 per cent plus incentives onplacements they make.
-Amanpreet Singh
Bank(ing) On Relationships
Banks cannot have enough of relationship managers.
It was bound to happen. A strong economy, a buoyant stock marketand sky-high corporate salaries have fuelled the demand for'relationship managers' across banks in India. With more money in anaverage middle-to-upper class Indian's pocket, he/she is not justsaving and spending, but looking at investing wisely. It's here thatthe banks' relationship managers come in, both in prospecting for newconsumers (and there are enough out there with retail bankingpenetration at just 8 per cent) and helping manage existingconsumers' portfolio across products such as deposits, loans andinvestment in stocks and mutual funds. "The customer is doing us afavour by banking with us and we need to nurture the relationship,"says K. Ramkumar, Head (HR), ICICI Bank. No wonder all banks, public,private or foreign, are hiring relationship managers with avengeance. Such is the demand that anyone with an MBA will do,greenhorns included. ICICI Bank alone is hiring 500 relationshipmanagers for its retail banking operations across India, South-EastAsia and West Asia; the requirement across the industry is anestimated 10,000-12,000 new openings this year.
-Supriya Shrinate
BOX
COACHING HOT SPOTS
Career Launcher
Centres 70
Teachers 200
Top b-school graduates 60
Salary* 6-8
FIIT-JEE
Centres 22
Teachers 300
IITians 100
Salary* 8-10
Career Point
Centres 45
Teachers 350
IITans 80
Salary* 12-14
IMS
Centres 75
Teachers 375
Top b-school grads 2
Teaching full time
Teaching part-time 70
Salary* 6-8
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