The slowdown in the economy has resulted in several jobs shrinking and companies going slow in recruiting. But there are jobs for MBA graduates, particularly in sales, FMCG, telecom and consulting areas among others.
The jobs, according to industry experts, are unfolding in new areas and domains in Tier-II and-III cities and in rural areas.
Data from various reports indicate that the world output this year is projected to grow at just 0.5 per cent as compared with 3.4 per cent in 2008 and 5.2 per cent the year before. This is the first time after World War-II that advanced economies are facing a possibility of shrinking by about 2 per cent.
"Jobs will be there in Tier-II cities and sales jobs dominate others," said T Muralidharan, executive chairman of TMI Network, a member agency of the Bernard Hodes Global Network. Treating the first job as an extension of the college would be the best approach with the job situation in today's market.
Good academics, soft skills, computer skills and learning on the job would be the primary requirements for candidates to find a job, he added.
Muralidharan and other management professionals on Saturday attempted to provide answers to the queries of young graduates on the job scenario in these troubled times. Business Standard spoke to some of them at CXO Advice, an event organised by the IIM Ahemdabad Alumni Association, Hyderabad chapter.
According to N Venkat, chief executive officer and executive director of Emami Limited, the FMCG sector will be a massive provider of jobs in the days to come, largely due to the high domestic demand and growing disposable incomes.
The FMCG sector is estimated to be a $800 billion market in India and the rural areas now contribute about $350 billion. The penetration of deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics and a host of other sectors is low now in the rural areas, he said. An effort to tap into these markets would need huge manpower.
Neutraceuticals, specialised skin products, men's personal products, health foods and others are the growing segments. As a result, packaging, raw materials, retailing, logistics and warehousing sectors will see a boom.
There would be jobs in marketing, sales and distribution, human resource development, finance and operations and supply chain management and rotation of jobs would be a common thing, he said.
Rahul Verghese, founder and chief believer of Running and Living Infotainment Private Limited, which specialises in conducting half-marathons and other runs, said there was money in promoting sports and adventure games.
More and more companies are looking to these to build team spirit among employees, to develop leadership and to break the monotony of corporate rigour among others.
Verghese's work involves getting the people started to run. "Running increases confidence and improves the productivity. Also, there is a lot of scope for branding," he said about the possible scope to market running gear.
According to him, there is a business potential in sports, skiing, rafting, adventure games, sports gear and a host of others. Schools, colleges and corporates present good targets for marketing. "One should look oneself as a product and go over all they learnt at business schools," he said.
S Nathan, regional director (talent), Deloitte India, said consulting will offer a lot of opportunities for MBAs in technology, management and human resources, law, taxation, financial planning, research areas across financial, healthcare, telecom, media, consumer products and energy resources.
Bharti Airtel Limited chief executive officer (Andhra Pradesh circle) Sharlin Thayil said there would be a massive need for sales and service personnel in rural areas if the growth in mobile subscriber base is any indication.
In an initiative that will help the MBAs, the IIM-A Alumni Association will soon put out a list of various career options that are available on its portal, said its president additional director general of police (coordination) S Ramana Murthy.