Dated 31st January, 2001

My son has got a BTEC Diploma in Business and Finance, BA Honours in Management and MBA Degree, all from UK. He worked for an Internet Bank in UK for 5 months. The salary is not very good in UK since he is an Indian without much experience Last week, he returned to India to look for job in an multinational company. He will be doing an IT Course at Hyderabad. I would appreciate it, if let me know the chances of getting a job in India.

Dr. K. S. Reddy,

U.K.

There is no dearth of opportunities for a well-qualified individual in seeking employment in India. Your son can apply for positions in the management cadre in any industry. Since he has experience in a banking enterprise, banks such as HSBC, ABN AMRO, BNP, Citibank, ICICI, etc can promise much. Openings in the software or the Internet sector are equally lucrative, though the job offered may essentially be in the area of marketing rather than management. IT giants like Wipro, Infosys, Satyam, IBM, BAAN, Intelligroup, Metamor etc also employ those with a management degree possessing a certification in IT, in their HR and marketing departments. A substantial degree in finance may enhance your son's chances of securing employment in the capacity of finance professional. Registering with well-known placement agencies, being aware of internal qualifying tests of employment, approaching companies directly or through corporate websites to post resumes and persistent follow-up are necessary to ensure a wider choice and better prospects. Much depends on his ability to communicate, hence a dynamic personality as the key to tremendous opportunity that can be tapped.

What are the career prospects for a graduate in pharmacy? I hold a diploma as well as a graduate degree in pharmacy. Will my prospects in the field be enhanced if I pursue a master's course in pharmacy? What are the career prospects for a pharmacist in the US? How do I go about it? How do I become a government drug inspector?

Shalam,

Raichur

There are various openings in the pharmaceutical industry such as being a pharmacist, chemist, manager, production engineer, chemical engineer, packaging specialist, sales personnel, advertising staff and so on. With your qualification, you can seek the mentioned openings in addition to research and teaching avenues. A master's degree will definitely add to your qualification and secure better employment. Research, manufacturing, hospital pharmacists, marketing and retail are the main areas of employment in pharmacy globally. The regional food and drug administration departments in various states also employ pharmacists. The advertisements for the same are carried in regular dailies.

I am a final year B.Sc. student with physics and mathematics as the main options. I have a creative bent of mind and have experience as a political cartoonist and illustrator in a local English daily. However, having little scope in it, I left the job. I am interested to enhance my creative writing skills as well. Presently, I'm preparing for the CDS and SSC - graduate level examinations. Kindly lend me advice to develop my creativity while at the same time guiding me to prepare for competitions. Does this field of specialisation promise lucrative career openings?

Abhisekh Vohra,

Dehradun,

Uttaranchal

You can continue to write and send your contributions to various journals or newspapers as a freelancer. You can conveniently make time for such a pursuit without any drastic interference in your study schedule. Short story competitions are also an excellent way to give free rein to your creative expression in writing. Your skills in illustrations and cartooning can be put to productive use through multimedia and animation. Employment opportunities are open for those talented in the art of drawing and illustration equipped with technical skills in animation houses like ZICA, UTV, Pentamedia, etc.

I am a B.Sc second year student. I am confused about my career and cannot take up MCA just because mathematics was not my option in 12th standard. Kindly inform me about Probationary Officers examinations and Post Graduate courses in Mass Communication.

Shikha Gupta,

Allahabad

Prominent universities like JNU and Pune University offer a course in MCA for a graduate from any discipline who has not had mathematics as an option in their 12th standard. Students are admitted on the basis of entrance examinations. The Banking Service Recruitment Board (BSRB) conducts an examination to select Probationary Officers. Selection is through a written examination, which consists of general awareness, testing of English proficiency, and reasoning and quantitative abilities. The final stage is an interview for entry to the executive/managerial cadre. Mass communication can be pursued from any recognised university. A few universities and institutes that offer a course in mass communication are the Symbiosis Institute of Mass communication, Pune; Indian Institute of Mass Communication, JNU New Campus, New Delhi; Department of Communication studies, University of Pune, Pune and Bhavans College of Communications- which has various regional centers across the country. You can correspond directly with the above institutes to garner further information.

I am a B.Com graduate and hold a higher diploma in software engineering (HDSE) from Aptech. I want to know about the MCA course being offered by IGNOU. When does IGNOU call for applications into MCA?

P. S. Leena,

Trichy

IGNOU offers a three-year course in MCA. Eligibility to apply for the same is a bachelor's degree with maths as an option at the 10+2 level (Intermediate). The application should have completed DCO or CIC from IGNOU to apply for the same. Admission is through a common entrance exam conducted all over India. For more information you can write to IGNOU at IGNOU, Maiden Garhi, New Delhi or visit their website www.ignou.com.

I am a B.Sc 1st year student. I would like to go in for marine engineering. Kindly mention some reputed institutes/engineering colleges that offer this course.

S. Sudhakar,

Rayagada

To become a marine engineer you need to have a diploma certificate in Directorate from Calcutta in Marine Engineering Training with physics, chemistry, and mathematics as an option at the 10+2 level (Intermediate). Andhra University, Vishakapatnam, College of engineering, Waltair, Andhra Pradesh; TS Chanakya, Mumbai and the Marine Engineering Degree course at Marine Engineering Research Institute, Calcutta; KLE Engineering college, Belgaum, Karnataka; Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune, Maharashtra are some of the institutes that offer a course in Marine Engineering. You can correspond with them for further relevant information.

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