Worried about what career to choose from after the Board exams? Career counsellor Usha Albuquerque answers the queries of students who wrote in to IBNLive.com.
Shivangi Samant, Lucknow, UP: I have scored 72 per cent in my 10th board. I want to become a doctor but as per the score, I have taken up commerce and want to know what career prospects are available in this field.
Usha: With commerce subjects in +2, you can pursue almost any career, except those which require science. Identify what you are good at, what you enjoy doing and the kind of atmosphere you would like to work in, before choosing a career. Then check out the courses you need to do and the institutions offering those courses.
If you are good at Maths and keen to go into a finance field, you can consider doing B Com and then getting into Banking, and financial services, where you can work with non-banking financial companies, or in stocks and securities. Business management - BBA and MBA - is a popular choice for many commerce students and provides openings in multi-national companies, banks and other organisations. You can also consider Chartered Accountancy, if you are good at accounts, or Company Secretary, if you like legal work. Other good options include law and insurance. If you have a good logical mind and communication skills, you can take up the five-year law degree after Class XII and specialise in Corporate Law or Patency Law for which there is a good demand. Insurance and Risk Management is another growing field for which B Com is useful.
Depending on your personal aptitude and interests, you can take up careers such as Advertising after an MBA or a PG diploma in mass communication for jobs as accounts executives, and media planners in advertising agencies. Mass Communications, Journalism, Public Relations and Market Research are other options. If you have the required aptitude, you can also take up careers such as Photography, Fashion Designing, Modelling and Performing Arts.
Alagappan R, Chennai: I am interested in Architecture because I have very good mathematical and creative skills. But I am equally interested in Mechanical or Electronics Engineering because I have a liking for physics. My parents suggest that I take up B Arch. What are the career prospects for both?
Usha: Both architecture and electronics or mechanical engineering have potential in India. There is no better course, except what is best for you. You should choose what you have an interest in and where you can excel. For architecture, you need creative ability, high intelligence, and an ability to get on with people and work in a team.
A high level of practicality, skill, accuracy, understanding power, capacity to observe and conceptualise are also needed. The full-time architecture course takes a minimum of 5 years, which includes apprenticeship training with an architect firm. Once qualified as an architect, you can work in a firm of architects, in partnership with another architect, or set up your own practice specialising in construction design, urban design, landscape design and so on.
There are many good architecture schools, admission for which is on the basis of an entrance test, which includes a drawing test too. These include the School of Planning and Architecture, IP Estate, New Delhi, the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, Sir JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai, School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Chennai, Faculty of Technology & Engineering, M S University, Baroda, Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh and several others.
Arnav, Kolkata: I have passed my ISC (Indian School Certificate) examination this year. I have scored 67 per cent overall. But I’ve got 88 in English. I want to pursue Journalism. I would like to know which colleges in India are good for pursuing journalism or mass communication.
Usha: There are many universities that offer BA in journalism. In Kolkata, the University of Calcutta offers this course at several of its colleges. So also does Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism, Bhopal, Kurukshetra University, Delhi University and many others. BA in journalism is available at 6 colleges in Delhi for which admission is on the basis of an entrance test - Lady Sriram College, Kamala Nehru College, Kalindi College, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, Bhimrao Ambedkar and Maharaja Agrasen College.
If you are unable to get admission to any of these courses, you can also complete your graduation in any subject and take up a post-graduate diploma in journalism or mass communication offered by many institutes.
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These include the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, the University of Burdwan, Vishwa Bharati at Shantiniketan and many others. If you are prepared to go to Mumbai, some colleges of Mumbai University also offer BA in Mass Media (BMM), which includes journalism. These include St Xavier's College and HR College of Commerce and Economics.
Sharad Sharma, New Delhi: I have scored 78 per cent in medical stream with Maths. I want to know about the scope of Biotechnology and the institutes that offer this course.
Usha: Biotechnology is among the fastest growing careers, with applications in the fields of medicine, genetics, in agriculture, environment and for industrial purposes. You can opt for the four-year B-Tech offered at Guru Gobind Singh, Indraprastha University, New Delhi, Allahabad Agricultural University, Bharatidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, UP Technical University and Vellore Institute of Technology. Admission to all these institutes is through an entrance test.
There is also a four-year B-Tech in biotechnology as well as an integrated M-Tech (five years) at IIT Kharagpur.
The M-Tech five-year dual degree in biochemical engineering and biotechnology is also offered at IIT Delhi.
You can also consider the B Sc Biotechnology offered by several universities including Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. You can also do BSc in any life science to be eligible for the M Sc in biotechnology.
Prominent Institutions that offer the M Sc in Bio-technology include: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, Anna University, Chennai, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar (UP).
Smritu Bhargava, New Delhi: With 91.6 per cent as my aggregate, what are my chances of getting in BA Economics (Honours) course at Delhi University? What are the top 10 colleges for the course? Are Maths marks considered for this course?
Usha: Congratulations on your excellent score! Going by last year’s cut-off list, you should be eligible for admission to several of the top Delhi University colleges. The list appearing in the papers over the last couple of days have given a list of colleges. The top ones are those with the top scores. I trust you had taken up Maths in Class XII as Maths marks are necessary to be considered for admission to the BA Economics (Honours) programme.
Tanmay Sinha, New Delhi: My parents have made me join training for IIT as most of my family members are ex-IITians. But I want to become a chef. What should I do?
Usha: You are quite right. If you want to become a chef, that’s what you should do. That’s where you will be a success.
Moreover, today with the growth of the hospitality sector, and the food and beverage business, there is a huge demand for trained chefs, both in India and abroad and they are paid very well too.
A career choice must be made on the basis of interest and aptitude, not on what your father has done, or what others may do. I suggest you take up PCB if you like science, as it will be useful particularly in the area of quality control and food sciences. You can then apply for the three-year course in Hotel Management and specialise in Food services or Kitchen services. Of course, you can also do Hotel Management after 10+2 in any subject. There are around 22 institutes in different parts of the country set up by the National Council of Catering and Hotel Management which offer the 3 year B Sc in Hotel Management, for which selection is through a combined entrance exam held in May each year.
Hotel Management training courses are also offered by several private institutes and some hotel chains. The Welcomgroup School of Hotel Management in Manipal, and the Indian Institute of Hotel Management at Aurangabad set up by the Taj group of Hotels also offer four-year hotel management degree programmes for those who have completed Class XII.
In addition, the Oberoi Hotels offer a 3 year work cum training programme for 10+2 students which enables them to get experience while training, while also earning a stipend and a possible job offer from the Oberoi's at the end of the study period.
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