“Your Career Advisor” is responding this week to:
(1) "I would like to shift from logistics to marketing, should I move within my current company or go for a new employer?"
And;
(2) "I am an interior designer interested in the IT field; do you think MCSD certification is suitable for me?"
And;
(3) "Could you solve the unsolvable problem? "
And;
(4) "It feels like driving a car in the fog; what career direction should I follow? "
And;
(5) "What stock performance related incentives I could award my key staff? "

All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to advisor@skill-link.com - would be addressed in this section every week.

Q1: I would like to shift from logistics to marketing, should I move within my current company or go for a new employer?
I graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering seven years ago, since then I have worked in a number of companies in the manufacturing and the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) sectors. I am currently employed by a large multinational company in Egypt; being involved for over two years in logistics and planning management.

I would like to shift my career towards marketing. Is it better for me to move within my current company or to look for a new chance with another company?

N. G. (Giza)

Replying:

Dear Ms. G.

You seem to be working with a reputable and stable employer. We could not detect from your message whether you dislike working in the field of logistics and material management or not. We are also not sure we know why your sudden interest in the field of Marketing?

Since most of your experience since graduation has not been in business development, sales or marketing activities; we would imagine that making the shift wouldn't be an easy one. Any employer would be inclined to go for appointing someone with a proven experience in marketing. We do not imagine you are willing to get a more junior position to make up for the lack of experience. Of course this is a general statement from our side; there are always exceptions; you may have a strong case and be creative enough to convince the prospective employer. Having said that; and assuming you will be making a convincing case, at least have the industry experience on your side as an advantage. In other words, pursue marketing opportunities in the two industries you are more familiar with (FMCG and electrical/manufacturing).

Now, should you be moving within the company you are working with or pursuing a new employer? As long as you have nothing against the place you are currently in; we would advise you to try your chances there first. This is for many reasons, summarized below:

• Management knows you; and if they think highly of you they will be willing to trade some of your lack of marketing experience in return for keeping someone they are familiar with and that is fully aware of the company culture, products, organization and people.
• There is a natural risk for you when you move to a new place; what if you do not like the new company after a few months?
• You do not loose anything by trying your current employer first; the worst thing that will happen is you will get a NO. And since you are not telling them - at this stage at least - I am resigning; then your career prospects with them should not be negatively affected.

A final word; you may wish to consider enrolling in one or two marketing courses; and also reading a few relevant books on the subject. This will give you more confidence and more importantly demonstrate to any decision maker you are opening the subject with, that you are serious about marketing and that it is not something that just crossed your mind.

We hope the above was of some use to you.

Good Luck.

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Q2: I am an interior designer interested in the IT field; do you think MCSD certification is suitable for me?

I am a 26-year-old female who graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1999. I am currently working as an interior designer, however I am intending to quit and switch careers to the IT field. I am planning to get training and work in the IT field.

I am interested in obtaining the MCSD certification … does it need studying or any pre requisite information before enrolling in the preparation course? In general how can I be well trained for that new career line: information technology?

How about employment prospects after becoming an MCSD? And what are the available jobs.

I. A. A. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Miss. A.

What is happening? "Your Career Advisor" has been lately receiving a significant number of messages from individuals of various backgrounds all stating their interest in switching from their current line of work (unrelated to IT) to become IT professionals. While this may be interesting and healthy in some cases, we are concerned a lot of people may be just influenced by a trend or a fashion. Most of the messages we receive do not explain why the sudden interest in working in the IT field. We even doubt many of the concerned individuals are familiar with what it takes to be an IT professional, specially a good one. They may also not be aware of the pros and cons of that profession and the wide range of roles and areas of expertise in it (networking, technical support, application development, database administration, etc….). Changing one's career to become an IT professional, specially after several years in another field, should not be taken lightly, it requires thoughtful thinking.

Dear Miss A., the above is not just addressing your case, but is also for the benefit of the thousands of "Your Career Advisor" visitors.

Now assuming; you have really considered your future steps and still willing to make the move to IT; the following addresses your questions with regards to the MCSD:

The Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) is a credible and well recognized certification for lead developers who design and develop leading-edge enterprise solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, platforms, and the Microsoft .NET Framework. By earning the MCSD credential, individuals demonstrate that they have the skills necessary to lead organizations in the successful design, implementation, and administration of business solutions with Microsoft products. The MCSD is therefore appropriate for:

· Software engineers
· Application analysts
· Software application developers
· Software developers
· Technical consultants

The recommended experience for MSCD candidates is that they have at least two years of practical experience as an application developer.

To get MCSD certified you will need to pass three core exams and one elective exam. The core technology exams require candidates to prove their competency with solution architecture, desktop applications development, and distributed applications development. The elective exam requires proof of expertise with Microsoft development tools.

From the above; we believe at this stage the MCSD is too advanced for you; it could be more suitable after two to three years of hands on experience in application maintenance and development. All advanced IT certifications, certify you have a certain level of experience and competence in a particular field or with certain IT tools. In your case you want to acquire such expertise first. Therefore we would recommend you enroll in basic IT skill development courses, these would then allow you to get into an IT related job. Some of these could be:

Business Solutions Developer: offered by Raya Academy in association with Microsoft. The program aims to provide the student with the knowledge required to properly design and develop tailored business applications. The courses in this program are selected to gradually build the experience the student need starting from creating and maintaining simple business programs up to developing multi-tier client-server solutions. Click here for details.

The Macromedia Flash Developer certification is based upon the most critical job activities a Flash Developer performs. This one is somewhat relevant to your background as a designer. IBM is offering preparation courses in Egypt, in cooperation with the Ministry of Communication and IT.

CIW Associate Certification: The CIW Associate has the basic hands-on skills and knowledge that an Internet professional is expected to understand and use. Foundations skills include basic knowledge of Internet technologies, network infrastructure, and Web authoring using HTML. This requires a simpler body of knowledge, when compared to the MCSD.

ORACLE: you may want to consider a number of ORACLE course - at various degrees of complexity - offered by RITI (the Regional Technology Institute). Click here for details.

We hope the above was of some use.

Good Luck.

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Q3: Could you solve the unsolvable problem?

I have been registered with skill-link.com for about 2 years and I thought "Your Career Advisor" might answer this question after I failed to find any logical answers to my problem.

I am a fresh graduate from Menoufeya University's Faculty of Electronic Engineering. Unfortunately, I graduated in November 2000 and not in May 2000 (due to having to re sit for certain exams - dor tany). This has resulted in me waiting till the following September to start my military service (7 months were wasted… of course without work as I am without the army service completion certificate). Then to my luck, when I joined the army to start my military service I was selected as an officer (reserve officer), which means I am in it for about two and a half years; as opposed to the regular one year for soldiers!!!

That is a very long time to stay without working and practice. So could you tell me what to do, find a suitable part time job or training for me to solve this unsolvable problem!

W. Z. (Cairo)

Replying:

Dear Mr. Z.

This is not an easy situation; while you are responsible for one year that went by unnecessarily (due to your retaking some exams) the rest is part of our duty to our country. I know that some people spend only one year performing their military service and others do not perform it at all, but we cannot change the system. It happens all over the world, a lot of the US soldiers and officers currently in Afghanistan were called from their jobs to serve for an undetermined number of months.

What you have not mentioned in your message is what is it you are assigned to do in the Army. From our experience, doctors and engineers are usually assigned tasks related to their education while undergoing their military service (ie. Working in hospitals, maintenance, construction projects etc...). It is not clear to us what you are doing; and if you are one of those who manage to spend most of their time at home… then you should not complain. There are numerous courses you could consider enrolling in; you may also think of free-lancing for some small companies.

In any case, we sympathize with you since it is not a nice situation… with regards to training you will find plenty of references throughout our site; as for jobs… we do not create them - as we often say - but facilitate them. Thus we will keep our eyes opened for any potential employers that could accommodate your situation.

We hope the above was of some use.

Good Luck.

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Q4: It feels like driving a car in the fog; what career direction should I follow?

I feel like driving a car in the fog .I don't know which direction I should take so please open your heart for me and do not neglect my problem.

I am an Egyptian Faculty of Commerce graduate, who initially worked as an accountant for 6 years. About three years ago I joined a software company and go involved in its software package implementation business. I am now an implementation consultant and I'm certified in their package (which is an ERP package: enterprise resource planning system).

What should I do with regards to the future? I am hesitant; should I remain in the ERP field and progress to CRM (customer relationship management) and e- business; or, alternatively obtain an accounting certification such as: CMA or CPA and get back to mainstream accounting and finance?

S. A. (Saudi Arabia)

Replying:

Dear Mr. A.

You message does not indicate you are miserable being an ERP implementation consultant or that you hate it. Therefore, we will assume you are only concerned about the future. Before presenting our opinion, we would like to share the following with our readers who may not be that familiar with ERP:

What was the biggest IT story of the 1990s? Without a doubt, it was the explosive growth of the Internet. What was the second-biggest development in the IT field? Most professionals would vote for the rise of ERP (enterprise resource planning). ERP completely changed the way most commercial organizations approached their information systems. What is ERP? It basically means the integration of high-end applications, usually based around manufacturing or accounting systems. In the early days of commercial computing, applications didn't talk much to each other. As they grew more sophisticated, they started to interact, with data from purchasing feeding straight into the manufacturing system and sales information flowing directly to the general ledger.

Now that we have established the importance of ERP, you may also agree that for every 20 good accountants available in the market there is probably only 1 good systems integration and/or ERP implementation professional. Naturally, income growth prospects reflect this supply reality.

Again, assuming you like what you are currently doing and that you are good at it… you are in an enviable situation. Just going through the various messages sent to "Your Career Advisor" you will notice how many people are keen to switch to the IT / ERP / e-Business fields… you are already there… why leave it all behind you?

By the way remaining in your line of business does not mean you should not consider obtaining a CMA certification (certified management accountant); which we believe would be more useful to you than a CPA (certified public accountant).

For you own benefit, try to get exposed to / experienced in more than one ERP package; that will make you a more valuable professional and should minimize your risk should a certain package/vendor goes out of favor (or even stops operating). Such a diversification may be acquired by moving to an IT consulting firm, or just another company using different solutions.

We hope the above was of some use; and please update us next year on your latest progress.

Good Luck.

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Q5: What stock performance related incentive could be designed to reward a company's key staff?

As the general manager of a growing IT and e-business company, I would like to know what sort of stock performance relate incentive scheme I could use to reward my key players in the company (on top of their regular salaries and plan achievement bonuses).

M. B. (Saudi Arabia & Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Mr. B

There are various stock performance related incentive programs; these are relatively new to the Egyptian and Arab markets. They have proven to be successful in other countries and with a number of multinationals

Such programs (or schemes) could be in the form of an ESOP (employee stock ownership programs), SOP (stock option program) or SAR (stock appreciation rights). The following is a summary definition of each:

ESOP
The process involves the direct purchase of company stock by its employees either by the company making stock contributions (existing or new stock issues) or by making cash contributions to employees, which are used to directly purchase stock. Ownership of stock, in both scenarios can be either directly to eligible employees or to an Employee Shareholders Association (ESA), which is a legally registered entity separate from the company, which will manage and maintain accounts for participating employees. During privatization in Egypt, the government has been using this method.

SOP
An employee stock option is defined to be a 'legal right - by contract' for a number of eligible employees to buy a number of shares from an employer at a 'pre-determined purchase price' or 'grant price' with this right remaining outstanding for a period of time 'validity period' or 'vesting period' after which this option matures and can be exercised for a specific duration 'exercising period' after which the option expires i.e. actually exercise the right to buy the shares at the purchase price regardless of its value (strike price or market price) then, naturally, these rights are only exercised if the strike price of these shares exceeds the purchase price.

SAR
SARs give the employee the right to receive compensation (appreciation) in cash or stock (or a combination of both) at some future date, based on the difference between market price of the stock at the date of exercise over the pre-established price (price at time of granting the rights) without risking capital. Therefore the employee is given the economic benefits of ownership without actual ownership of stock.

SARs are sometimes called phantom stocks because they shadow the performance of stocks.

We wish you the best of luck.

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Note from the editor: 
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality