I’m in class XII (commerce) and interested in pursuing a career in banking and finance. Please advise.
Sudhir Das, New Delhi
Graduates of all disciplines are eligible to write the probationary officers’ exam conducted for recruitment into all public and some private sector banks. Moreover you will have an edge in the jobs market if you also have an MBA or postgrad diploma in banking and finance of the National Institute of Bank Management, Pune.
I’ll be completing class X in 2010. I want to qualify as a chartered accountant. Please advise.
Deepika Chandran, Bangalore
After completing class x, register for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. After clearing CPT and Plus Two you have to complete three and a half years of practical training in a chartered accountancy firm as an articled/audit assistant, while reading for a B.Com degree. After finishing at least 15 months of practical training with a practising chartered accountant, you are eligible to write the Professional Competence Exam (PCE).
Thereafter you can begin preparing for the final exam for which you are eligible only after you complete three and a half years as an articled clerk. Once you qualify in the final exam, you will be admitted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
I want to pursue a postgraduate degree in sound engineering in the US. What are the eligibility requirements?
Rahul Fernandes, Mumbai
The most reputed sound engineering study programmes in the US are offered by Colorado and Clemson universities. You need to check with each university about their admission requirements. Most colleges in the US require GRE and TOEFL for the Master’s programme. For more information visit www.usnews.com.
I want to work abroad. After completing B.Pharm next year should I enrol in an M.Pharm degree followed by MBA or should I opt for an MBA immediately after graduation?
Satish Kelkatr, Pune
An M.Pharm degree is necessary if you are keen on research and development and teaching jobs. How-ever, if you don’t have such aspirations and want to work as a professional manager in pharmaceutical or allied industry companies, you should enrol for an MBA after your B.Pharm. After your MBA, it would be advisable to work for a few years in India before applying for jobs abroad.
I’m in my third year BA and want to work in the media. Which are the best institutes for postgraduate program-mes in mass media and communication?
Meena Shah, Mumbai
In Mumbai, the most reputed institutions offering full-time postgrad programmes in mass communication include: University of Mumbai; Times School of Journalism and SNDT Women’s University. Outside Mumbai the most well-known institutes are the Indian Institute of Mass Communi-cation, New Delhi; Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia; Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi and the Amity School of Communications, Noida.
I’m in Plus Two (science) and interested in acquiring a B.Sc (nursing) degree. Please provide a list of government and recognised private colleges offering this degree programme.
Sophie Dias, Panjim
More than 120 institutes across India offer degree programmes in nursing. They include College of Nursing, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur 302 004; Armed Forces Medical College, College of Nursing, Pune 411 040; All India Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Nursing, New Delhi 110 029; Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing, New Delhi 110 024; Rufaida College of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110 062; College of Nursing, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal 576 119; College of Nursing, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana 141 008; and College of Nursing, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160 012. Most of the colleges mentioned above admit students on the basis of a national level test. State-level nursing colleges usually admit state domicile students.
I will complete Plus Two (science) next year. Can I switch from the science to commerce stream for the bachelor’s degree programme? After B.Com I want to study further in the US.
Deepak Chatterjee, Kolkata
You are permitted to switch to arts or commerce after completing Plus Two (science). In the US, undergraduate education is of four years duration, so the three-year B.Com degree doesn’t qualify you for admission into a Master’s programme there. You need to consider completing a Master’s degree in India before proceeding for graduate studies in the US.
I’m studying electronics engineering. After graduating in 2011, I want to specialise in systems management. What are the job prospects for systems management graduates?
Rajan Nair, Trivandrum
Specialisation in systems management will equip you with a mix of technical and managerial skills. A thorough understanding of business processes and knowledge of computer hardware and software is important for jobs involving systems management. The work essentially involves understanding an employer’s business system, studying its usage pattern and flow through the organisation, and finding reasons why information gets distorted to improve information processes and management. Hence your background in engineering will work to your advantage. Job prospects are good and you can find employment in all industries, including IT.
I’m an arts postgraduate keen on joining the Indian Foreign Service.
Niloufer Irani, Nasik
You have to write the Civil Services Examination conducted by the UPSC (www.upsc.gov.in) to join the IFS. If you qualify, you could eventually become an ambassador at an Indian embassy in a foreign country or equivalent. Candidates 21 years of age or older are eligible to write the UPSC exam.