Managing Career & Expectations
Talk at IIM These are the personal views of Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director - Tata Sons. Great Stuff from a great ex-HLL manager. A Story on how to manage your career & your expectations by R. Gopalakrishnan There is a Thai saying that experience is a comb which Nature gives to man after he is bald . As I grow bald, I would like to share my comb with you. 1. Seek out grassroots level experience I studied Physics and Engineering at University. A few months before graduation, I appeared for an HLL interview for Computer Traineeship. When asked whether I would consider Marketing instead of Computers, I responded negatively: an engineer to visit grocery shops to sell Dalda or Lifebuoy? Gosh, no way. After I joined the Company and a couple of comfortable weeks in the swanky Head Office, I was given a train ticket to go to Nasik. Would I please meet Mr. Kelkar to whom I would be attached for the next two months? He would teach me to work as a salesman in