Career Hotline
Back to work
Pervin Malhotra

Q I am trying to get back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. Please help. I don't know where to start.

— Radha Bali

A You haven’t mentioned what you were doing before the break, so let me give you a few general guidelines.

The prospect of going back to work can certainly be daunting and strike fear in the hearts of even the most seasoned moms. But let me assure you, there’s never been a better time to do so. The most important thing individuals need to focus on when re-entering the workforce is that it isn't so different from the regular job seeker's focus - figuring out potential employers' needs and what you've done in your past that demonstrates you can meet those needs.

Volunteer experiences, committee work, part-time jobs and leisure pursuits can all be used as experiences to draw from. Taking a group of kids on a field trip sounds a lot like special events management. Establishing a sanitation drive for your neighbourhood has a lot in common with programme management. When you break down the tasks, roles, responsibilities and functions of any given accomplishment, the similarities between paid and unpaid work are easy to see.

If you don't have any volunteer or leisure experiences to draw upon and want to get back into the workforce, try figuring out how you can solve a problem for, say, a local business you frequent. A friend, who never worked a day in her life and suddenly needed to, observed her dentist, an independent practitioner, desperately needed some office help. Patients waited restlessly while he searched his office for misplaced medical files, tried to return phone calls and make follow-up appointments. She approached him and suggested he let her handle his administrative tasks so he could focus on his dental practice. She offered to work with him on a trail basis. He agreed and she worked as his clinic manager for several years. Sometimes the most difficult aspect of going back to work is figuring out what you want to do. Focus on your interests and the skills you've developed.

For example, an avid home decorator might apply for a stint as a window displayer starting out with a local showroom or retail store. If you are academically - oriented, KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) is the next boom after BPO. Read up on the possibilities and identify the area where you could fit in. From editing and designing to creating instructional design packages to online tutoring---there are countless opportunities to be explored.

Meet up with those working in the fields you have identified. Scan the appointment ads and browse some of the leading jobsites to get a feel of industry trends. Check if you need to sharpen and upgrade your skills. Find out about prospective employers and contact them directly.

Engineered success

Q I want to pursue engineering after Class XII. Can you tell me about the fees and seat allocation for colleges in Haryana, since there is a lot of confusion about the issue?

— Anchal Sehgal

A Students who wish to apply for the engineering courses at Haryana state-run universities; affiliated colleges and institutes for the year 2006-07 will now have to take the centralised All-India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE). Earlier admissions to the 13,105 B.Arch, B.E and B.Tech seats was done through CEET, the State Level Entrance Test which has now been scrapped. For details log on to: (www.techeduhry.nic.in).

Sound speech

Q My four-year old son, who is otherwise very bright and lively, has a stuttering problem. Should we do anything about it right now or wait till he gets into school? Do you think it is caused by nervousness and will he outgrow it?

— Priyanka Dutta

A Stuttering, which affects about 5 per cent of the youngsters, is best treated at the pre-school stage. It usually begins when a child is 3-4 years old. Boys are three times more likely to suffer from the problem.

I am no medico, but I do know that stuttering can be a frustrating and often misunderstood disability. The strange thing about it is that sometimes a person can be perfectly fluent one day, and be very disfluent the next. Doctors are now saying that it is caused by a neurological reason, not because we're nervous, or scared. Slowing down and thinking before we talk doesn’t always help.

However, the good news is that scientists at the University of Sydney, Australia, have recently developed and evaluated an early intervention called the Lidcombe programme (named after a suburb in Sydney), to treat the problem. This behavioural programme is administered by the parent with guidance from a speech pathologist. The result can be measured on a 10-point scale. Once the stuttering has disappeared or vastly diminished, the second stage of the programme which is aimed at maintaining the improvement for a year begins.

Do consult a good speech therapist anyway.

Future in foreign trade

Q I am keen on doing a course in International Business from prestigious institutions. Can you please tell me about the courses offered by IIFT and its track record in terms of placements?

— Manjot P

A The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, established by the Government of India is a deemed university and one of the premier business schools in the country.

The IIFT offers an array of full-time and short-term programmes for those seeking professional degrees, mid-career executives and government officers from India and abroad.

These include its flagship full-time 2-year MBA (International Business). The eligibility is a bachelor’s/master’s degree (50 per cent agg). There is no age limit. Selection is through an entrance test (200 Qs: Eng Comp, GK & Awareness, Logical Reasoning and Quant Analysis), GD and interview.

An MBA (International Business) is also offered as a 3-year part-time evening programme in Delhi.

The other short-term courses are mainly meant for working executives, self-employed individuals and officers involved in international trade. The dates for short-term courses are notified from time to time. These courses include:

Certificate in Export Marketing (Even): 4 months.

Incidentally, the IIFT also offers a Certificate Course in International Business Language (6-month) in Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese Languages in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Commerce,. Eligibility is plus two and selection is on the basis of an interview. The application deadline is December 1, 2006.

For further information and calendar of courses you may contact: the institute at B-21, IIFT Bhawan, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110016 (www.iift.edu).

On completion of the course, students are assisted with job placements.

As far as campus placements are concerned, for the year 2006 the average package was Rs 8.1 lakh p.a. The highest domestic salary was Rs 10.6 lakh and the highest international salary was US $100,000 (10 p.c students offered overseas jobs).

Application Deadline: December 01, 2006.

Move into microbiology

Q I am a student of Industrial Microbiology. I want to know the job prospects of this field. Kindly let me know the names of the institutes that offer this course at the Master's level?

— Jaspreet Singh

A Industrial microbiology finds important applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries, in medicine and agriculture.

Industrial microbiologists work with micro-organisms or microbes such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and their metabolism to produce such products as antibiotics, amino acids, citric acids, Vitamin C and alcoholic beverages. This technique finds wide application in food processing, dairy, alcohol and agro-based industries and those involving fermentation processes.

Besides enhancing the value of natural foods, it is used for developing artificial fibres with the help of enzymes and in manufacturing oils, paints and plastics.

Biotechnology (the control of biosynthesis through genetic engineering) is a development of industrial microbiology that has helped develop new chemicals and drugs and special membranes used in microelectronics.

With a Master’s /doctoral qualification in microbiology, you can work in the manufacturing, quality control or R&D departments of pharmaceutical companies, chemical industry, wine manufacturing and food industries as well as in research laboratories run by the government and corporate sector. Prospects of a career in this field are very bright.

Although M.Sc (Microbiology) is offered in a large number of universities across the country, a master's in industrial microbiology is specifically offered at the University of Madras and Annamalai University in their affiliated colleges, both in Tamil Nadu at present.

Two other universities in the South: Bharthiar University, Coimbatore (TN) and Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati (AP) offer M.Sc in Applied Microbiology.

Experiment with lab technology

Q Please tell me about institutions conducting an M.Sc in Medical Laboratory Technology in India and what is the eligibility criterion? Also, are there any institutes that offer this course through distance education?

— Hazara Duggal

A An M. Sc Medical Lab Technology is offered at only a handful of institutions as of now:

Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar 364002 (www.bhavuni.edu) Eligibility: B. Sc

University of Calicut, Malappuram, Kerala-673635 (universityofcalicut.info) Eligibility: B.Sc (MLT / DMLT); 50 per cent with 5-year work experience in government-recommended laboratory.

Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences, MAHE, Manipal-576104 (www.manipal.edu) Course: Master’s degree with two specialisations: Microbiology and Immunology and Clinical Biochemistry

Incidentally, Symbiosis Dept of Health Sciences, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune-411004, www.sihspune.com offers a PG Diploma in Med Lab Technology (1 year)

Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur (Raj), has distance learning course.

The writer is a noted career consultant