This manuscript is targeted at students studying in tier-II higher educational institutes.
Quite often career counselors’ talks about Plan B, Plan C and so on. I think it’s time to rethink the Plan ‘A’ itself.
What is Plan A?
Plan ‘A’ is the major focus of career where students concentrate and puts major resources to achieve it. For instance, majority students wish to take up a job after education especially after MBA. Or few students prepare for competitive examination to take up a government job. Few are planning for employment followed by entrepreneurship.
In the event of failure of Plan A ------- Plan ‘B’ or C comes to rescue.
Career by chance or by choice is an issue on toss especially for job seekers. Of course career by choice should be preferred. Dream and do what you love. That will reach you to the ultimate goal of life that is ‘Happiness’. Present circumstances have disturbed the entire economic scenario including job market on which students had planned earlier. We were simply not prepared. Students pursuing education related to hospitality i.e. tourism, hotels, event management and all such sectors where customers gather in crowd are likely to face job crunch.
Thus Rethinking of Plan A is a MUST!
The days are changing; instead of venturing in retail mall a chain of small shops will do that to preferably doing business online and delivering products at doorsteps will preferred by consumers. A hotel supplying ordered snacks and meals at doorsteps. How does it sound the snack center on wheels? Or a retail shop on wheels? All students are in danger particularly those who are having only plan ‘A’, especially job seekers.
Agreed that square cannot be fitted into triangle. Current scenario has changed drastically. We are adapting to the situation and to great extent we have adopted as well and going ahead. That is the way of life. This Covid-19 helps bring real strength out of us.
We have two major choices one is trim the square to fit in triangle i.e. adjustments rather forced adjustment or wait till situation get normalized (which is unpredictable and do not know how long will it take).
The world is in lock-down owing to Covid -19 and poses many social and economic challenges. The scenario is likely to take a toll on your career. If you are dreaming of desired job then you are at high risk. Experts foresee the future of miserable unemployment and underemployment.
1. Possibility of crores of jobs loss in the world and in India. Job market will shrink whether it is government or private.
2. Migration of skilled and semi-skilled labour from Metropolitan of state to out states and within state. It is difficult to judge the number which will return to work after lock-down gets over.
3. Youths working abroad are likely to return home since the issues of citizenship is a concern specifically with USA. They will claim prime jobs in India.
4. Professional operations have started shifting online. Many have adopted and found convenient with a belief to take it further as routine procedure as this saves costly resources. Traveling for business might reduce in the country. Online system will replace the operational manpower. The job of operational manpower will become more multi-skilled.
5. Travel and tourism will pause for few months; may be few years and hence, the entire supply chain will be in distress.
6. It is likely to shift the international supply chain from China to India –Provided India offers right infrastructure and business environment. Forthcoming scenario provides scope to technical graduates for entrepreneurship on the magnitude of likely shift of supply chain.
7. Mahatma Gandhi wrote ‘the future of India lies in its villages’. There is likely shift in policy, focusing more on self dependency and self reliance. This leads to creating jobs at sub urban and rural India.Rural industry likely to upsurge position in economy. Arresting rural to urban migration may help to defuse high dense manpower concentrated at cities.
8. Fortune lies in the rural economy. To save the losses of farm sector, policy measures to boost food processing industry is likely in rural sector. The migrated skilled labour from metropolitan may be absorbed by these units to attain full employment in rural economy.
9. The migration of students for higher studies will arrest. Since there are less employment opportunities world over and in India this leads to competitiveness in tier-I higher education institutions (HEI).
The issues mentioned above are interlinked and are based on if’s and but’s. The scenario above offers opportunities to students associated with tier II higher educational institutions.
What options students have?
Do you feel you are a student among top 5% or 10% in tier –II segment then continue with your Plan A. Otherwise, challenge your Plan A. Following are few possible measures to be taken to correct plan ‘A’.
a. Invest time in education and self enrichment – owing to down job market. Get ready and wait till opportunity to knock.
b. Need of an hour -Think of shift from employment to self professional or startup or entrepreneurship in the sector you love. If you are dreaming to get employment in marketing then instead of marketing for others better work for your own firm.
c. Lucky are the second and third generation entrepreneurs. Continue with utmost honesty with a vision of multiplication of business and not simply addition.
d. On the backdrop of abundant availability of agriculture produce the agro processing industry is the future.
e. New Business Models: Numerous scopes for development of non agriculture businesses at feeder villages.
f. Consultation – be an international marketer, an advertising agency, a research firm, a consultant in quality certifications, system auditor, tax consultant, portfolio consultant, insurance advisor, training and development firm, artificial intelligence professional, data analytics professional and the like.
g. Look at the Service Businesses existing and New ones those would emerge in the changed Situation –Different focus on extra care of Old age population (since their children, mostly living in Cities, would have travel limitations or If you are an early bird in learning Digital Marketing – start training small Businesses on ‘How to do Business Online’ in their locality.
Overall you need to be Observant and Creative in order to capture the unique Opportunities rising out of Situation.
The future entrepreneurship and employment prominently lies in the area of international business, international business services, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, supply chain management, data analytics, artificial intelligence, rural development, agro forestry and post harvesting processing. Students studying in tier-II HEI should focus on these study area.
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