I want to sign up for a course in retail management after completing my B.Com degree in 2012. What are the career opportunities in India’s retail sector?
Ravi Dias, Panjim
The retail sector is characterised by high employee turnover, shortage of trained manpower, and a large number of employees vying for few supervisory positions. The different types of jobs available on the retail front are sales, store management, stock management, supply chain management, warehousing and operations etc. In business development, job opportunities include leasing and mall operations management. In organised retail stores, managers, merchandise, shop floor and sales executives are in great demand. These front liners have to directly communicate with customers. Backroom jobs are in store management, accounts, stock management, accounts, opera-tions, loss prevention, distribution, marketing, finance, HR, IT, etc. Many institutes offer educational programmes in retailing, including courses in merchandising and management.
I’m a class XII student interested in a career in media and communication. Please advise.
Avantika Ghosh, Kolkata
Aba degree in english and/or social sciences is a good found-ation for the postgraduate programme in journalism and mass communication. You could also apply for a trainee position after graduation, if you have strong communication skills, proficiency in English and good general know-ledge. Invest time in developing these skills and look for vacation jobs and internships in media-related organi-sations before graduation.
I’m keen on enroling for an MBA programme in Singapore after compl-eting my bachelor of engineering in 2013. Please advise.
Suresh Iyer, Chennai
Applicants for an mba degree abroad must have a strong academic record with minimum two years’ full-time work experience after graduation. Submission of IELTS test scores is mandatory for admission into higher education institutions in Singapore. Students admitted into universities in Singapore are entitled to apply for government tuition grants and scholarships. Private institutions such as PSB Academy, S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, and Singapore Institute of Management offer Masters and MBA programmes while other institutions offer progra-mmes of Middlesex University, Brad-ford, Wales (UK), Grenoble (France), James Cook and New South Wales (Australia) universities.
I’m a third year B.Com student keen on a career in banking or tax department of a reputed company. I’m good at accounts but not interested in chartered accountancy. Should I instead sign up for a CPA (certified public accountant) or CFA (chartered financial analyst) programme followed by an MBA degree?
Srinivas Rao, Bangalore
For employment in nationalised banks, you need to apply against vacancies advertised for probationary officers. Recruitment is through the Probationary Officers’ Exam. In private sector banks, first class graduates may be invited to join as trainee officers as per vacancies. If you want to work in a private or foreign bank as a manage-ment trainee, sign up for an MBA programme straightaway. Premier banks usually hire through campus recruit-ment from reputed B-schools in India.
CPA qualifications are useful only if you want to work as an accountant in the US and the CPA exam can be written only in the US. On the other hand, CFA prepares you for a career in financial services management, although when it comes to placements, you will not enjoy the advantage of campus recruit-ment if you sign up for distance education or even a full-time progra-mme. An MBA in finance from any of the Top 10 business management institutes in India is a better launch pad for a career in banking.
I’m in class XI (science) and interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering. Nanotech-nology also interests me. Please advise.
Shalini Patil, Pune
You should consider bioinformatics, biotechnology, biomedical engin-eering, pharmacy or agricultural engin-eering as career options. Nanotech-nology is an experimental technology using individual atoms or molecules as components of minute machines, measured by the nanometer or millionth of a millimeter. Nanotechnology research in the 1990s focused on testing molecular structures and refining ways to manipulate atoms using a scanning tunneling microscope, to create very small computers and molecular mach-ines which can perform vital engin-eering or medical tasks. It’s a developing field with a good future.
What does it take to get employed with the CBI?
Navin Chawla, New Delhi
Cbi recruits sub-inspectors through its Staff Selection Commission (http://ssc.nic.in) which also conducts a Combined Graduate Level (preliminary and main) examination for graduates. Police officers of the rank of sub-inspector/inspector of state police forces may write to the local CBI Superi-ntendent of Police (usually located in the state capital) for deputation to the CBI. If you are a graduate, you are qualified to seek recruitment into the Indian Police Service by writing the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (www.upsc.gov.in), and you can apply for deputation in the CBI later in your career.
I’m a class XII (arts) student interested in a career in foreign languages. Please suggest institutes where I can qualify in foreign languages.
Sheila Vaz, Mumbai
You can enroll for a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages either at Delhi University (www.du.ac.in) or JNU, New Delhi. Alternatively you could enroll for a part-time foreign language course while reading for your full-time bachelor’s degree. Alliance Francaise (www.afindia.org) and Max Mueller Bhavan (www.goethe.de) are good institutions for learning French and German respectively. In addition, the cultural centres of consulates/embassies of various countries also offer a variety of foreign language learning programmes.