CAREER HOTLINE
Ground realities
Pervin Malhotra

Q Could you please let me know about insurance valuation and the institutes that offer courses in this field? I want to become a real estate assessor. Please also explain the terms underwriter, business analyst and business development manager.

— Hemant Khurana

A I hope you have an engineering background because valuers (real estate) must have thorough knowledge of civil engineering, architecture and property laws.

The Institute of Estate Managers & Appraisers, Kolkata offers a course in Real Estate Management and Valuation (1-yr). Elig: BE/BTech or Diploma in Engineering. Selection: Entrance Test (first divisioners are exempted).

Your work areas could include govt and semi-govt sectors, banks, insurance companies, municipality, the IT department or businesses that deal with immovable property, industrial/housing estates.

You can also work independently as a real estate valuer or consultant. Yet another area fresh entrants can target is that of claims. Accuracy, not qualifications, is what is needed to be an underwriter or claims professional.

Here is a brief description of the other designations:

The underwriter's job involves filtering the bad or sub-standard prospects, if operating in the life insurance sector and managing risks in the general insurance sector. This is ideal for those in the fields of medicine, pharmacy and life sciences.

Business analysts are required to design the process flow of the organisation. This is a new opportunity for fresh business graduates who can be trained in the company's processes and for customising them to match the workflow.

Business development managers: An MBA with 3-4 years of experience in marketing can join an insurance company as a business development manager. Handling a team of 30-40 insurance agents, you will co-ordinate between them and the company, besides handling the customer care service.

The initial spell of recruitment that started with senior professionals for the top slots — VPs and Directors, has now trickled down to the middle and lower rungs — Managers, Asst. Managers and Executives. A goldmine of opportunities awaits not only the nationalised insurance staff but also all those willing to take a plunge in this new 'sunrise' industry.

Q Which is the most suitable course after Commerce in Class XII? Please explain the prospects of journalism? Why is it said that journalism is not suited for women?

— Gurcharan Kaur

A With a degree in Commerce, there are options open for you in a number of fields, including Business, Finance, Economics, IT & IT Enabled Services, Travel and Tourism and Mass Communication, among others.

Journalism is a good choice if you are cut out for it.

However, let me clarify that some of India's best journalists are women and there seems to be no reason why journalism cannot be suited to women. It is a known fact that most editorial departments in leading publications are manned by women. Similarly, the electronic media has an equal number of male and female presenters, reporters and anchors.

Journalists write news reports and features for newspapers, magazines, radio, television or the Internet. Some may get openings in large commercial organisations and government departments where the work involves preparing annual reports, speeches and media releases.

In the print and broadcast media, a journalist's job is to collect and analyse facts about newsworthy events by interviewing, investigation or observation. Journalists usually start out as junior reporters writing about routine events. In the Press and on radio, Internet and television, most reporters are expected to be 'generalists'; that is, be able to cover almost any topic of interest. While it is not mandatory, a degree in journalism is a good starting point.

Here are some places you can look for work: Newspapers and magazines, news agencies/ regional bureaus of international papers/ networks, Television, Radio, FM, Internet Websites, PR departments of public and private sector corporations.

Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com