Non-techie? Come to Bangalore for job

BANGALORE: Are you a graduate looking for a job but prefer to keep away from the tech world? Make a dash to Bangalore. The IT hub is slowly emerging as a ‘job capital’. Bangalore, with its strong tech customer base, is pushing jobs in other sectors too.
Financial services, hospitality and services sectors are the new aggressive employers looking to beef up their marketing strength.Ajit Isac, CEO, Peopleone Consulting, says: "Expenditure is going up for most youngsters. This has increased the focus on retail lending and services. Every bank and insurance company is keen on putting more feet on the street."
A multinational bank has a mandate to recruit 400 sales executives a month. Of these, 100 are expected to be based in Bangalore.
Pandyarajan, CEO, Ma Foi Management Consultants, says the South definitely leads the recruitment list, but Bangalore’s needs are 30-40% more than Chennai and Hyderabad. Isac is bullish on Bangalore’s job scene. The city’s demand for graduates with an experience up to three years is much higher than country’s other cities. "I estimate Bangalore’s requirement to be 20 per cent of the total demand in sectors like hospitality, services, banking and retail."
While there is no consensus on the number of jobs being created in the city for non-techies, the estimates ranges from 6,000 to 8,000 a year. It is probably no match for the tech sector (including BPO) which adds 7,000-8,000 people a month. But the good news is that Banglore’s young professionals can think beyond technology for a career.
"Recruitment requests are coming in from even the non-traditional sectors like engineering and auto components but they are more sporadic. But the FMCG culture of putting more people on the feet is spreading to other sectors too," says executive vice-president of Teamlease, a recruitment firm.
Are there takers for jobs in the old economy when a tech tag is more fashionable in Bangalore? Ramesh, director, FiveM Consulting, admits that for many, tech is still the preferred destination, but the current salary levels in non-IT companies are not disheartening. "An employee with 1-3 years’ experience can expect an annual package of Rs 1.2 lakh-1.5 lakh, which is not very bad."