Category Career Query

I wish to earn an honours degree in economics and follow it up with an MBA so that I can find a job in a foreign bank.

I have PCM and economics as subjects. I wish to earn an honours degree in economics and follow it up with an MBA so that I can find a job in a foreign bank. But will I get admission to the economics or commerce stream at the degree level since I am not a commerce student? What are the other career options I could consider after obtaining a degree in economics and MBA? Would you recommend any post-graduate study other than MBA?

Science students do take up commerce and economics after class XII. Depending upon the university, a few percentage of marks are slashed from a science student’s mark sheet to bring him on par with students from the other disciplines.

In terms of subject options after class XII, science students are at an advantage because all the three streams – science, commerce and arts – are open to them. Job options after economics and MBA range from academics and research to joining the corporate world. Or as you are saying, you can work in a bank. It will depend on the kind of work atmosphere you like to work in, your interests and aptitude. Whether you like planning, whether you like statistical work or research work, or whether you like the hurly-burly of a corporate office, it will help you zero in on your career. You can even appear for the civil services examinations after graduating in economics.

As regards MBA and post-graduation, you should do a post-graduation if you are academically oriented and want to take up a career in academics or research. But if that is not the case, and if you want to join a foreign bank, an MBA would be a better-option.

 

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Playing police

I am a student of class VIII. I want to know the rules for becoming a police officer. Do they induct police officers because they are strong? Or do they have to clear a test of intelligence?

Police officers are part of the Indian Police Service (IPS). They should have cleared the Union Public Civil Services exam, the interview and fulfilled the physical fitness requirements. States  recruit police officers for provincial civil services through a similar exam.

 

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I am a class XI student. Should I opt for law after XII or obtain a bachelor’s degree before joining an LLB programme?

Joining a BA (LLB) course straight after XII, say at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, will give you a distinct advantage over a student who joins a law course after doing graduation in any other subjects. You will be part of a focussed programme. At the end of the five-year programme, you will be well-qualified to join a law firm, corporate organisation or an advocate.

 

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Investigating options

I am a student of class X. I am going to join humanities in class XI. I wanted to know whether it is necessary to have journalism as a subject in college if I want to become a journalist. Also, if I join a particular media, can I hop from one media to other, or will I be stuck with one media?

It is not necessary to join a degree course in journalism. In fact, people from as diverse backgrounds as Hindi, English, Sanskrit, history, economics, physics and chemistry join journalism. Study of a liberal arts or science subject broadens their perspective. If you want to hone your skills, you can do a PG diploma in print or electronic media after graduation.

Again, journalists are known to switch from print to electronic media. The other way round is also possible, provided you write well.

 

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I am a second year BE (Electronics and Communication) student. Please tell me what is the selection procedure to join the Indian army, and also when and where to apply.

Students who have not applied for the NDA route to army straight after class XII, can apply for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) exam, the eligibility for which is graduation. CDS examination is conducted by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) and followedby a Staff Selection Board (SSB) interview. This mode is for graduates or equivalently qualified candidates between 19 to 24 years of age.

January and July are the entry months. In fact, for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy (the batch commencing in January 2005) and the Officers Training Academy (the batch commencing in April 2005), the admission announcement has been made in leading newspapers dated September 13. This mean that you should start looking for the related advertisements in leading dailies and the Employment News about 15 months in advance. A written examination is conducted, and based on your performance and on the order of preferences you have listed, you will be allotted a seat in any one of the following institutes:

  •  Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. An 18-month course. There are 150 vacancies out of which 32 are reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate (army wing) holders.
  •  Naval Academy, Goa: There are 20 seats out of which six are reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificate (naval wing) holders.
  •  Air Force Station, Begumpet, Hyderabad.
  •  Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai. There are 235 seats. This is for short services commission officers.

You should specify, in order of preference, the services for which you wish to be considered. Indicate as many preferences as you wish, so that you can be assigned a service depending upon your rank in the merit list. For the Air Force and Navy, a science background- B.Sc. (Physics), B.Sc. (Maths) or BE is a must. The first stage of selection is based on objective-type written exam.

The questions test your mathematical ability, general awareness and English. Once you clear the written test, you will go through an SSB interview that will test your aptitude for the army.

Since you are an engineering branch of the Army, Navy or the Air Force. In fact the Air Force looks for people with electronics background for recruitment to aeronautical engineering. Recruitment is done through the University Entry Scheme and announcements are carried in leading newspapers and the Employment News.

 

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Bridging distances

I am a student of class XII. Because of certain household constraints I know I won’t be able to attend college after class XII. I will have to contribute to the family income at the earliest. But since I am keen to pursue graduation, I want to join a correspondence course. Are correspondence courses worthwhile?

Ideally, you should join a regular course. A college of repute will make a big difference to your CV. But if you are simply unable to join a regular course, then at least join a distance education programme of repute like IGNOU. Harp on the work experience that you gain in the next three or four years as a positive factor, something that has contributed to you learning. Don’t be apologetic about not being able to join a regular programme. Also, don’t stop your learning process after graduation. You can gain a post-graduate degree too. And as your family circumstances improve, you can take a break from studies and join a reputed programme like MBA or MCA, depending upon your field.

 

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