The future is digital
By Taru Behl

THE information super highway is no longer a mere information technology jargon, it is a reality which most of us must accept, especially those who are aspiring to launch themselves on an eventful career path. Computer hardware and software, information technology, the Internet and E-mail have changed the way offices function and individuals think. Our social, political and economic lifestyles have altered. Work environment, productivity and efficiency levels have undergone a sea change. The 90s have brought about widespread awareness and sensitivity in all facets of computer technology and the next decade is going to see a more focused application, usage and connectivity as people begin to shed their inhibitions and mindsets and adopt computers as a way of life.

Computers now have pervaded the fields of telecommunications, office automation, integration of state-of-the-art client/server and the Internet technology, strategic planning, project management, technical staffing, systems integration and capacity planning. Professionals are offering information technology expertise, in -depth software products, offshore capabilities, year 2000 solutions, Euro conversions, hardware and software support. When you study application development, you get familiarised with common business systems, tools and techniques that enable to analyse and design similar applications. You gain confidence in developing and maintaining systems, and can handle payrolls, financial accounting, inventory and production planning as also the sales and marketing functions.

With computer companies becoming more and more aggressive with their target audience, you find schoolchildren turning into efficient end users. Outreach programmes are giving schoolchildren access to new, high-performance multi-media computers. Children are realising that the future is digital and they are happy pushing their digital microchip.

Computer software industry is growing phenomenally and Indian software professionals are finding the going rather good. Hardware engineers have catapulted towards the software side to cash in on the growing demand. Body shops are doing brisk business. They send Indian professionals to foreign shores and earn hefty commissions on their recruitment. Job seekers need to be careful before signing on the dotted line because they may be asked to sign a bond and the company they have been shortlisted for may turn out to be a dubious one. Many fresh recruits use body shops to get to the USA on their new employer’s expense, work for a while, terminate the terms of the contract and seek another more lucrative job. As illegal immigrants, they manage their hide and seek game but present times are tough and anybody embarking on such wild adventures would be advised to do so at his or her risk. Check the credentials of both the body shop and the firm you are supposed to be joining before you take the fabulous job offer. However, there is no doubt that if you have a Masters in Computer Application (MCAs), you are likely to be flooded with job offers both in India and overseas.

The objective of the three-year postgraduate MCA programme is to provide excellent theoretical and practical input so that the candidate can develop computer applications in both science and engineering. The MCA professionals are nothing but troubleshooters. Their work is to resolve any problem associated with computer software and programming. They must have the technical expertise and a logical bent of mind, strong reasoning and analytical abilities. The professionals should also be imaginative, creative and open to new ideas, changing paradigms and evolving systems. They must have the flexibility to innovate and experiment with existing norms in their quest for the ideal solution.

Computer professionals are not an isolated entity unto themselves. It is not as if they are assigned a computer terminal with the latest attachments and then left to their own devices. On the contrary they must move away from the solo player status to the team player level because ultimately in any job you have to work and synergise together. Different departments have to corelate and produce results collectively. Howosever good you may be, you are still dependant on others for inputs, all of which will go into making the composite whole of whichever project you are working on.

To join an MCA programme, you have to have a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 45 per cent marks. Some universities like Delhi University insist on a 50 per cent aggregate in your Masters which could be in maths, statistics, operational research, economics, MBE (master in business economics) or an MBA. You will also be eligible if you have done your Bachelors in maths/science/statistics/computer science/economics (honours). Once you clear the eligibility criteria, you will have to go through a written test and an interview where 80 per cent weightage is given to the written exam and 20 per cent to the way you conduct yourself in the interview.

Some of the institutions conducting the MCA programme are Delhi University, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Pune University, Institute of Management Technology, Gaziabad’s School of Mathematics, Hyderabad’s Computer Information Science, Aligarh Muslim University and Universities in Cochin, Jadavpur and Bhopal. Towns like Rourkela and Allahabad too offer recognised and full-fledged MCA courses.

The course includes maths, physics, chemistry, reasoning, general awareness and computers. The project oriented course deals with application of principles, skills and art of the design and construction of software system in a realistic environment. Topics include integrating programme sub-systems into efficient and aesthetic systems, information engineering and testing, de-bugging, documentation and maintenance, programming and data structure, visual basic programming, statistical computing, UNIX and Windows, DBM and software engineering. The course is divided into six semesters spread over three academic years. Most institutes have active placement cells which ensure the placement of the promising students. With the Indian computer industry pitched at 50 per cent growth per annum, the future is bright for those with expertise in software technology.

Some of the companies which recruit a large number of software professionals are Microsoft, HCL-HP, Futuresoft, DCM Data Systems, Tata Consultancy Services, Birla Infotech, Maruti, Wipro, Pricewater House, Nestle and Smithkline Beecham. The turnover is large in the field because most youngsters use Indian corporates as a stepping stone to get to the USA. At present, there is demand for Indian software professionals but soon the market is going to get saturated. If you have a good opening in a domestic company, it may not be a bad idea to work in one place and work your way steadily to the top. MCA is one profession where there are as many women as there are men.