Sector change is easy through reference

When you are transitioning into a new industry it really helps to have a reference from somebody who is already part of that industry

I am Vineet Rawat and am involved with offshore account management at HCL Technologies. Before this I was working as an account manager with SBI Funds Management. Since I was a senior manager my role required me to get in touch with corporate treasuries and finance departments and explore fresh ideas regarding various investment options.

Working in the financial services industry was not much different. The main difference between my past role and the role I have been absorbed into now, would be that while earlier I was dealing with financial products, now I am dealing with IT products.

I was referred to HCL by one of the employees with whom I have been professionally associated in the past. I must admit that I was not consciously looking for this change and the referral came across incidentally.

However, I took the offer because I felt at that point of time that I needed a change in my professional direction. Also I had an aptitude and interest for information technology.

I personally believe that referrals translate to a huge advantage, especially when one is transitioning into a completely fresh sector, as was my case. Firstly, at the selection stage, it opens a considerable scope for discussion with the prospective/future employers. I had to undergo a couple of telephonic interviews before a faceto-face interview with the officials here. The entire interview process was more like a discussion and people were willing to listen and identify my needs and requirements as far as my role-based duties were concerned.

I BELIEVE THAT REFERRALS TRANSLATE TO A HUGE ADVANTAGE AT THE SELECTION STAGE, IT OPENS A CONSIDERABLE SCOPE FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE PROSPECTIVE/ FUTURE EMPLOYERS VINEET RAWAT, HCL Technologies, manager global sales

Simply put, I was able to put forward a cohesive account of my learnings and abilities and explain how I could add value to the organisation.

Had I applied through the website I would not have got this opportunity (or got the job offer) as my past experience would not have matched the specified requirements of the role.

Today organisations are creating a plethora of new roles that go beyond straitjacketed definitions.

At times, people who can fit into these roles can come from a variety of professional backgrounds. Hence, professionals should tap into their social circles and refer people to their organisations as this translates to a beneficial equation for both.