QUERY HOTLINE 
We often undervalue our skills

A What is an "average" girl? And how did you arrive at that conclusion? Each one of us is unique – in our own special way. And while the most important voice is always your own, sometimes other people — your family, teachers or friends may be able to discern certain qualities you may not have recognised or valued in yourself — qualities that will give you a clue to selecting a career that’s right for you.

We often tend to take ourselves for granted and undervalue our skills. At such times an objective assessment from someone who knows you well could give you an insight into your natural talents and what you may be likely to excel in.

Of course, you could also take an aptitude test to help you identify your strong points. But ultimately go by what really interests you and what you feel you will be most happy doing. Nine-to- five jobs are a thing of the past. Today even a top honcho in a multinational company or a software programmer in an IT firm works close to 12-15 hours. It’s therefore very important that you enjoy the work you do so that you can do it well — day after day. As far as skills are concerned, they can even be picked up or honed along the way.

A Yes, as an undergraduate student you can enrol for the foundation courses of all three programmes: CA, CS and CFA while still in college. In fact, this is a more time saving route if you are pretty sure of what you want to pursue subsequently. All these courses are typically of 9-10 month duration with an exam at the end.

In terms of status and remuneration, they are equally comparable professional qualifications. However, chartered accountancy is a good stand-alone qualification and CAs have a somewhat wider scope in terms of being able to set up their own independent practice. The CFA is a full-fledged course and it also makes for a good add-on qualification along with an MBA, CA, CS or CWA.

As far as compatible computer courses are concerned, any decent short-term course that teaches you the basics of database management and spreadsheets e.g. MS Office or Excel should suffice. Depending on your area of specialisation, more advanced or work-specific courses can always be picked up as you go along.

A The all-India test for admission to Master’s in Computer Application programme (AIMCET) is a common entrance platform to admit students for MCA programmes offered at nearly 300 universities across the country. In addition, states have also been given permission to conduct state-level common entrance tests for MCA programmes. The eligibility for taking this exam is a three-year Bachelor’s degree with mathematics at the 10+2 level. The three-hour exam will carry 200 objective-type questions. Of these, 100 questions will be on maths, 40 on computer awareness, 40 to test analytical ability and logical reasoning, and 20 on general awareness. Each question will carry four marks and one mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.

The first AIMCET is being conducted at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.

For details, log on to: www.iitr.ac.in/aimcet/ www.examinatioforms.com

A Most undergraduate home science courses, particularly BSc (Hons), Home Sc, require 10+2 (PCB/PCM). However, there are an equal number of courses (BA/BSc (Pass) in Home Science/Home Economics) which are open to Arts and Humanities students as well. For instance, students from the Arts stream who have home science as a subject in 10+2 can also take BSc (Home Science) in Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’s College of Home Sciences.

A The TOEFL Academic Speaking Test (TAST) evaluates the English speaking proficiency of students whose native language is not English. While writing and reading skills are assessed using paper and computer-based tests, TAST, which is conducted over the telephone, measures your ability to speak English clearly and fluently.

You could practise taking the TAST privately using a computer and telephone. You will find sample questions, test-taking tips and registration information online at www.toefl. org/tast.

You can register online, then phone into the TAST system and respond in English to the questions asked. Your test will be digitally recorded and stored in a secure database where it is accessed and graded by specially trained ETS raters.

Phone access to the TAST will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The test contains six questions, takes about 20 minutes to complete and costs $30 per test. After you take the test and it is rated by the ETS, you will receive your results online.

by Pervin Malhotra

Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Query Hotline, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160020, or at careerguide@tribuneindia.com