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THE
NEW ECONOMY: FLIP SIDE
Ajay
Gupta, 50
Successful adman, failed entrepreneur and aspiring
dotcomer, Ajay Gupta-IIT Kanpur, IIM-A-likes to experiment. The
head of pilgrimagesindia.com does not care much for success or
failure. For he has succeeded in what he most wanted-be the best
father. "The future belongs to the youth. One has to learn
from them," he says. Gupta has practical advice for those
on the other side of the digital divide, and looking for a job:
face-time matters. So meet people first before sending in your
resume.
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Clarifies
Rajeev Vasudeva, managing partner, Egon Zehnder: "Yes, the digital
divide exists, though it is more prevalent in the New Economy." New,
fast-growing companies realise quick learning capability, flexibility
of approach and high energy levels are important. Most of them prefer
to hire young managers and CEOs who have a balance of experience and freshness.
It is a
two-way squeeze for those over 40. Their existing employers don't find
them attractive, the prospective ones are seeking a younger workforce.
Besides, major growth is happening in the New Economy, hence they are
the ones who are really hiring. In most traditional areas like manufacturing
and marketing-where experienced hands are preferred-jobs are shrinking.
Such restructuring
may be healthy for firms but for 40-plus executives, it's been disastrous.
Few were prepared, for most it was totally unexpected. Says Vinod Gupta,
director, ModiCorp Learning Institute: "Intellectually it is a correct
step. But I feel companies are equally to blame. The management is reacting,
not being proactive." For Corporate India, training and career development
have never been important. Faced with a crunch, they have taken the easiest
route-retrenchment.
R.K.
Caprihan, 56
It all began with fiddling with a pc at Kelvinator
six years ago. But R.K. Caprihan's favourite time-pass probably
saved his career. At Kelvinator he helped computerise the dealer
network. He then undertook SAP implementation at Samsung before
moving to LML. Now as CEO of the Gurgaon-based university-fresh
jaldi.com he is right at home. "I was always very inquisitive,
reading product manuals inside out. So computers came naturally,"
he says. His reading helped him understand and absorb changes
in the outside world. Parties, interaction with his growing son
and his friends kept him busy. In fact the idea of setting up
a dotcom took root at one such party. What is his advice? "You
have to dirty your hands. There are no shortcuts," he says.
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If companies
are to be blamed, the onus also lies with employees. "It is not so
much the biological age as the mental," says Puri. There are umpteen
examples of executives, who are above 50 but are steadily climbing the
corporate ladder. Says Ajay Gupta, CEO, pilgrimagesindia.com: "The
future belongs to the youth. One has to learn from them." An open
mind and desire to learn helps.
What is
needed is proactive planning. Preparing for the future, picking up new
skills, enhancing employability-for professionals these are important.
American universities are full of executives on sabbatical, and professionals
enrol for part-time courses.
Training
is important, but planning is essential. "You can't stop ageing.
So it is best to prepare for it," says 50-year-old Sanjeev Rastogi.
An IIM graduate, Rastogi has worked with a range of companies including
ComsatMax, Jumbo Electronics and at senior positions with AllState, an
insurance firm, in Canada. Unable to land a job according to his expectations,
he teaches part-time at MBA institutes and is offering consultancy to
insurance firms. "Consultancy is quite popular in the West among
the older set. It provides flexibility and pays well," he says.
Build a
parallel career. For example, Pande of Modicorp wants to use his hr skills
after retirement. Take on new responsibilities and pick up new skills.
Keep your passions and interests alive, they are an important part of
you. "Do not put all your eggs in the same basket," says Vinod
Gupta. Above all, the age-old networking skills are still important. Most
senior positions are filled through recommendations. "So ability
to network and leverage still counts, particularly with headhunters,"
says Gopal Krishna, who heads the placement division of Hewitt Associates.
The digital
era is here to stay. But it is not age that defines the digital divide.
It is the mind. And remember, the mind can be conquered-through training
and proactive planning.
Forty
And Frantic
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