Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Statistically speaking
Pervin Malhotra

Q I am doing B.Sc Statistics. I searched for jobs on the Internet and found nothing for ‘statistician’. Help!

— Sukhvinder

A: Many people with degrees in statistics do not work with the title “statistician.” They are business analysts, professors, economists, mathematicians, statistical software engineers, risk analysts, quality analysts, investigators, environmentalists, pharmaceutical engineers, and researchers who use statistics on a daily basis to perform the functions of their jobs.

Try using key words such as “research” and “analysis” instead. Alternatively, you could also focus your search on the specific industry in which you are interested and see what jobs are listed.

Soar to new heights

Q: After completing my class 12 (PCM), I have admission in B.Com. Will it be possible for me to become an Air Force pilot or officer?

— Dolly Kaur

A Do you know something — women graduates (any discipline) who had mathematics and physics in plus two can join the flying wing of the Air Force through the Short Service Commission?

Not just that, young men and women between 20-25 years who did not have science in class XII or at the bachelor or post-graduate level are also eligible for the Ground Duty Officer course for joining the administration, logistics, accounts or education wings of the Air Force.

For further information, log onto: www.careerairforce.nic.in

Geography for IAS test

Q I am interested in joining the Civil Services. What are my chances of success if I take up geography as an optional paper in the Mains?

— Jasbinder Singh

A Geography is definitely a good choice, particularly after changes were introduced to the course curriculum. The new syllabus has a lot more theoretical content with more objective type questions — which makes geography a very scoring subject. Familiarise yourself with the atlas and if you are good at maps it is theoretically possible to score 50 out of 60 in at least one question in each paper.

Another advantage of map-based questions is that it saves time and gives you that much needed breather to tackle the more complicated sections. The syllabus is interdisciplinary and incorporates a confluence of topics ranging from science, economics and sociology to philosophy. You now have a greater choice of selecting topics that are more scoring.

Focus on the economic, social and physical aspects of Indian geography including highlights of agricultural and natural resources. Also shore up on geomorphology, climatology, biogeography in Section A and population and settlement, economic models and theory in Section B and you should easily be able to tackle all the answers and get good scores. The same applies for the second paper. The examiner is essentially going to grade you on the basis of your knowledge, clarity of concepts, organisation and illustration.

There is a close correspondence between the contemporary issues in the second paper and the new current affairs section of GS. These changes in the syllabus have made life a lot easier for candidates.

Legal entry

Q I am planning to study law straight after school. Is corporate law a good field? Will it matter if I don’t belong to a lawyer family?

— Vishal Tarneja

A While this is a profession where family connections do matter, the lawyer’s reputation and track record is what clients go by. And that’s something you’ve got to earn; it rarely comes fast, or easy.

Moreover, along with the winds of globalisation sweeping through corporate India, the legal profession has also undergone a sea change in recent times. Especially in corporate law, as the rules governing companies have been virtually rewritten with the opening up of the economy in the last decade. The changing face of corporate law is increasingly catering to the specific needs of each organisation — large or small. If you can figure out the core functions of an organisation, you can tailor the generic law to suit their requirements.

Broadly speaking, corporate lawyers advise corporations on their legal rights and obligations. Very few matters actually come to the court. Multi-crore suits have changed the very complexion of the game, making corporate law a popular and lucrative career option. And with foreign law firms moving into India, salaries have begun to shoot upwards.

Demand for lawyers with experience in securities and transactions, is growing in proportion to changes in the global marketplace. While till some time ago, only major companies did international business, today even small players have foreign transactions requiring the services of corporate lawyers who are well-versed with International law.

Besides large corporate houses, some of the big accounting firms like PwC and KPMG have opened their own legal departments. And with global law firms poised to enter India, the market for corporate lawyers is on the verge of an exciting spin.

The average starting salary for those graduating from reputed law schools is anywhere between Rs 10,000 - 25,000 depending on the reputation of the law school and the firm that recruits you. International law firms pay more.

It may also help to specialise in other niche areas, i.e. environmental law, IPR and Patent laws for instance.

 

 

Jobs after B.Tech

Q My batchmates and I will be finishing B.Tech this year. Can you give some useful tips for students like us looking for jobs after BE/B.Tech?

— Ankit Bansal

A The job market is fairly upbeat right now — particularly in the IT and technology sector. However, here are some useful tips for final year engineering students or recent graduates who are trying for jobs off-campus — from veterans who’ve managed to land plum jobs:

First of all, decide whether you wish to go for a job in your particular branch of engineering or for a software job, as is increasingly the case with in the top campuses. This is particularly significant for those in electrical, electronics, civil and mechanical engineering.

If you are double-minded, you’ll have to prepare and apply for both types of jobs. There are a fair number of jobs in technical companies.

Information about jobs in Govt. undertakings like BHEL, NTPC, DRDO etc. can be found in Employment News (there should be a copy in your library). However, some of these companies ask for 70 per cent plus in B.Tech.

Tests for jobs in technical fields definitely require you to have thorough knowledge of the major subjects of your branch, so make sure you have brushed up your fundas.

The other option is to take the GATE and pursue a Master’s in your area of interest at an IIT to upgrade your qualifications — particularly if you wish to go into R&D or academics.

For Software/Hardware jobs, learn your C/C++. “Object-oriented Programming in Turbo C++” by Robert Laffore and “Let us C” are popular with beginners. Plenty of advanced level text books are also available. Those interested in networking/VLSI etc. will have to be thorough in those areas. Many students also manage to pack in some Java in between their year 3 and 4.

If you want to improve your skills for the written tests, go through maths books by R.S. Aggarwal & Summers/Shakuntala Devi’s Maths Puzzles (Orient Paperbacks) thoroughly. Don’t worry too much about the GD. Software companies essentially want people with logical/analytical skills, although good communication skills are always a great asset. If you are good at programming then you are the person they are looking for. You only have to showcase it in the interview. Don’t let the panel dwell too long on the extra-curricular stuff. Try to steer the discussion around to your area of strength e.g. your summer project, your paper presentations, subjects you like etc.

On the other hand, if you are looking at the MBA option, then you do need to prepare for the GD/Interview properly. Don’t keep waiting for your turn to start speaking in the GD. Try to initiate/conclude the GD if possible. IT is presently on a roll. Many of the leading s/w companies like TCS, Satyam, Infosys hold walk-ins all over India. Log onto the “Career” section on their respective websites.

Just keep your eyes open for any opportunity you can spot. Good luck!

— The writer is a noted career consultant

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