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Degrees that deliver
Study
Abroad
Career Hotline
Happiness@work
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Degrees that deliver
With the grueling entrance examination season finally over, it’s time to make one of the most important choices of life. It’s time to choose the course which will lead to our preferred career paths.
Does your forte lie in a creative career in animation and multimedia, or are you an engineer or an architect in the making, or would you like to shift gear after your Diploma with a professional degree, and then use your skills to manage and run bigger projects? The process of choosing the right discipline, the right college, and indeed a career, is not a cakewalk. A wide range of career options are available to the students today not only in the conventional and high demanding engineering, medicine and pure sciences group, but also the lesser known, however not less promising, fields of aviation training, IT, animation, networking and many more. There are more than 3,000 careers open to the students but, and one has to be aware about the various industries and the appropriate courses to make a career in them. So keep up your faith and try the new age career options before you go in for the vanilla courses. Here are a few of the fields where students can have a rewarding career. The information provided below would give students an overview of some of the most current and upcoming professional courses. In the recent years, the demand for vocational and specialised degree courses has been rising steadily due to the
growing emphasis on professional and skill-based knowledge. While India seems to have a large number of graduates, not all are rightly trained or employable. Today it is the degree programmes with strong industry focused curriculum, like the BSc. in Computer Applications, BSc degree in Multimedia & Animation and BSc. Degree in Hardware, Networking & Digital Communication that are drawing students in large numbers because of their dual advantage of vocational training and formal education.
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Study Abroad Land of myriad opportunities R.M.S. Atwal
Under the present circumstances, when the world economic situation is slowly limping back to normalcy, it would be wise for students to opt for smaller countries like New Zealand which have opened major education opportunities for them. “New Zealand universities and colleges never compromise on quality of education despite the fact that some educational institutions even accept students without the IELTS,” says Harpreet Singh Oberoi, a leading New Zealand study visa and immigration expert and managing director of Jalandhar-based IFM Immigration and Visa Consultancy in an interview. Excerpts How do you see students’ priority shift towards New Zealand following Australia and the UK crises? New Zealand is currently ranked among the top quality education providers of the world. Its credential carries enormous recognition and value that eventually assists students getting settled in their respective career streams. With Australia and the UK tightening their visa regulations, there is certainly a steep rise in the number of students opting for New Zealand as their study destination. Nonetheless, the country has never compromised on the substantial academic quality of students. All it wants from them is that they should show a good academic background, English language proficiency, sound financial standing, and course pursuit relevant to qualifications /experience, clean character, and sound medical fitness. Immigration to New Zealand is known to be pretty strict on background checks and documentation. How long does it normally take to get a student visa? Immigration New Zealand is the most systematic body that processes visa applications according to the contents subjectively. Applications are processed mainly under two categories viz ‘Positive Profile Applications’ or ‘Need to Review Stream Applications’. The former is decided on the basis of the factors mentioned above. The conditions are: good academic background, overall 6.5 bands score in the IELTS, post-graduation studies, smooth course pathway for career pursuit, sound character and sound financial ability to support for expenses in New Zealand. While Positive Profile applications are processed within three weeks, others under ‘need to review stream’ take 12-15 weeks following thorough verifications. How easy or difficult it is to migrate to countries like the US and Canada after getting a degree from New Zealand? Since New Zealand imparts world class education, it becomes very easy for the students to migrate to other developed nations after completing their studies. Neighbouring Australia, Canada and the US being other developed nations, recognise the importance of a New Zealand credential and therefore it portrays a good impression of the student for further career pursuits in such countries and eases their entry. Of late, there has been a demand for jobs for only ‘sons of the soil’ in New Zealand. How is it affecting Indian students there? New Zealand offers jobs to those who deserve them. Presently, nurses, professional chefs, electronics engineers, lab technicians, teachers at early childhood, primary and secondary education level, are very much in demand. Kiwi land has a set criterion while offering employment options to prospective applicants. Therefore, the new migrants with right type of job skills and qualifications do not find it difficult to find one. Permanent residency is certainly one of the aspects on the minds of Indian students. How good is New Zealand for them? New Zealand is one of the safest and most easy-to-settle places within a short span of time. In the Indian scenario, where students are all determined to achieve permanent residency on study completion, that country provides a wonderful option. For New Zealand PR, an applicant needs to score at least 140 points which can be scored on the basis of their academic qualifications, work experience, age, language proficiency, etc.
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Q. Although I was expecting much more, I have scored only 49 per cent marks in Class XII (CBSE) board exam. As it is a very poor percentage, should I appear for the exam again and how should I go about it? I am very confused and depressed.
— Ankur Kapoor So don’t worry, you have several remedial options to choose from: First things first, apply for verification of your marks within 21 days of the declaration of your results. The forms can be collected from your school itself. You can reappear for your Class XII exams as a private candidate from your own school or directly from the CBSE. However, you will have to surrender your previous marks, so make sure your performance is really good this time. The application forms for the Secondary and Senior School Certificate Exam for private candidates are typically available from mid-August up to early October. Check with your own school or from your state board for details. The third option is to take the Class XII exam through the National Institute of Open Schooling. NIOS provides you an opportunity to study and clear a subject in which you may have fared poorly either in high school or the Plus II of the CBSE syllabus. Exams are conducted twice a year in May and November. You can appear in as many subjects as you like at a time. Incidentally, you are permitted as many as nine attempts. The fourth option is to go for a bachelor’s degree through distance learning from any reputed university in your region. If you do really well in the first year, you can even hope to migrate to a full-time course in the second year. Also, even if you were to complete your graduation entirely through distance learning, your degree certificate will not mention anything to that effect. Moreover, a good percentage at the bachelor’s level will compensate for relatively poor performance at the school level. Of course the latter option may not be the ideal one for you if your heart is set on pursuing a professional course like engineering, medicine or architecture straight after Class XII which cannot be done through correspondence or pursued at the postgraduate level unlike some other professional courses e.g. MBA, MCA, Mass Com, Law, etc. which are open to students of all streams. As for students who have got a ‘Compartment’ in any subject, they need not lose heart either. Earlier only those students who failed in one-subject were allowed to take the compartment exams. However, now even those who fail in two subjects are allowed to do so, on an experimental basis. This means that you now get a chance to improve your grade by taking the exam in August. The results will be out in September. Examinees taking the CBSE Secondary / Sr. School Certificate Exams because they failed in the previous attempt now have three chances, instead of two to clear the compartment exam. What’s more, in a welcome move, the CBSE Board now provides a consolidated mark sheet to students. It will not show whether the marks have been acquired through the main or the compartment exam. Until now, the compartment was indicated on the initial mark sheet, while a separate mark sheet was issued for the compartment subject/s, which often proved to be a stigma creating problems of acceptability in many places. Incidentally, over 1-lakh students of Class X and thousands of Class XII took the compartment exams last year. So do make the most of this golden opportunity. Remember, success is not measured by how high you climb, but how high you bounce when you hit the bottom. Best of luck!
Tehsildar’s post
Q. How can I become tehsildar /naib tehsildar? Tell me about exam, questions format, interview and other things related to that exam? — Kabir Vyas For instance, the Combined Lower Subordinate Services Exam 2010 will be conducted for recruitment of 30 naib tehsildars (revenue) and other positions in Uttarkhand by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, Gurukul Kangri, Hardwar. Essential Academic Qualification for direct recruitment of Naib Tehsildar: n Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification from a recognized university Preferred Qualification: Other things being equal, candidates with the following qualifications will be preferred in the matter of direct recruitment: (i) Served in the Territorial Army for at least 2 years, or (ii) Obtained NCC ‘B’ certificate. Age: 21 - 35 years (Relaxation is available as per rules). Application Deadline: June 30, 2010. For more information visit
http://gov.ua.nic.in
World of work at home
Q. I am a mother of two college going girls. I want to utilise my spare time through some home based activity. Can you suggest some suitable options? — Suman Lamba Basing your main activity at home, you can choose to specialise in any of the following depending on your academic qualifications, aptitude and skills, training and experience etc. Giving tuitions, including online teaching, running a catering service or a boutique, offering an infant care facility, beautycare, counselling, cookery classes, dance/music classes, fitness/aerobics, starting your own home boutique or tailoring outfit, selling insurance, financial planning, network marketing (Amway, Oriflame, Avon, Aviance, Tupperware, Modicare, etc). Another variation is to take up direct or tele-marketing for marketing firms. Or even a franchise, if you have the space or money to invest. If you are computer savvy and have a computer at your home, you may try your hand at data processing, web page designing, backroom documentation for large firms, creating databases, graphic designing,
medical transcription, etc. You could also take up translation, teaching foreign languages, conversational English, editing or proof reading for publishing houses. If you have good contacts in the corporate sector, you could even run a successful placement service from home. With increasing stress levels, and the growing interest in alternative and New Age therapies, you could also learn Reiki, nature cure, yoga or even aerobics, vaastu or feng shui, tarot card reading etc from a recognised institution or practitioner. However, if you intend to teach, then you need to go beyond the basics and study or take advanced instructor-level courses. For instance, you must go beyond level 1 and 2 to levels 3 and 4 if you wish to teach or practice Reiki. The options are endless, but you’ll need to weigh your resources and explore the
requirement for your products or services before you begin.
Opt for full-time MBA
Q. I am doing diploma in civil engineering after B.Sc and want to do MBA after this. Please suggest me which branch I should take? Can I pursue it through distance education? — Mahesh Khanna Not to worry though, the first year’s MBA curriculum at most B-schools is compulsory for all students. It covers the basic functional areas of finance and accounting, marketing, personnel and operations management. You will also learn the basic principles of economics, behavioural sciences, information technology and quantitative methods in the context of business management. At the end of the first year, you will work on a summer assignment (8-10 weeks) in an organisation. In the second year, you will have the opportunity to pursue the areas of special interest to you. Therefore, all the second year courses in good B-schools are electives. Besides helping you develop an integrated approach to solve business problems, this gives you sufficient time to choose your field of specialisation. IIMA and a number of other B-schools give you the flexibility of dual specialisation. You can even mix and match courses from different streams if you like — as long as you are prepared to take on the load of extra credits. Distance MBA should only be taken up by those with several years of work experience. Someone like you would be better off with a regular full-time MBA from a reputed B-school.
Effective storytelling
Q. I have done B.Com. I want to enter film line. Please tell me something about story writing for films. — Mahesh Tripathi A.
Unlike any other form of creative writing, writing a screenplay is a complex and multi-layered affair. The key to writing a screenplay lies in finding the story and shaping it in a visual context, understanding and articulating the visual component and translating what you see on to the page. A new language, it takes some learning and once learnt, continual practice and honing. To de-mystify the process, a good course will give you a hang of the tools and techniques. After all, good dialogue is a window into the soul of the film’s characters. It must sound real. The audience should feel as if it is witness to a very natural interplay between the characters. Therefore, the screenplay outlines every spoken, visual, behavioural, and lingual element required to tell a story. Media channels and production houses should be your first starting point when
looking for work. The money varies greatly from writer to writer. However, as a freelancer, a good script can command between Rs 4-10 lakh. Most people tend to opt for a production house where salaries are in the range of Rs 6-8 lakh per script and there is a constant flow of work as well, instead of venturing out on their own. While some courses in scriptwriting are full-time programmes of 6-12 months duration, others are part-time and short-term
offerings.
The writer is a noted career expert and director, Career Guidance India (CARING). Please send in your queries with your full name, complete address
and academic qualifications to: The Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers
@tribunemail.com
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Happiness@work
At the end of the kalpa (eon) and after having taken care of creation all this while, Brahma was feeling drowsy. Finding the Creator in this condition, demon Hayagriva decamped with the Vedas that emerged as Brahma yawned. The ‘ocean of knowledge’ was returned to its rightful owner by Vishnu’s Matsya incarnation after killing the demon. The Indian emblem — the Asoka Capital — has four lions and the 24-spoked Asoka Chakra on top to indicate that the ruler is keeping watch on all (four) sides 24 hours a day. One reason why Akbar was such a great a ruler was that he kept a good watch on things around him. He sent Adham Khan, son of his nurse, to fight Baz Bahadur of Malwa. After defeating him, Adham started behaving like a ruthless king in Malwa. The Emperor conducted a raid and removed Adham from his position. Later, for killing Chief Minister Atkah Khan, Adham was thrown twice from the parapet to his death. In Vedic scriptures, the Almighty is said to have the sun and moon as eyes. Through the sun, He keeps an eye on the universe during the day, and at night, by means of the moon. Once Parvati crept up from behind and playfully closed Shiva’s eyes. With Mahadev unsighted, the universe plunged into darkness. To restore order, a third eye burst open in his forehead and lo! there was light. The ever-watchful scarecrow keeps birds away from the harvest. To ward off an animal attack from behind, tribal hunters wear a mask on the back of the head. “A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip,” said the Buddha. For the good ones, the shadow will do. For the rest, you have the whip. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan |
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With the grueling entrance examination season finally over, it’s time to make one of the most important choices of life. It’s time to choose the course which will lead to our preferred career paths.
Animation, gaming and web design professionals work on full-length animation movies, create TV commercials, education CDs, games for Internet, mobile, PC or consoles (like PlayStation or Xbox), work in the advertising industry or as web designers in various companies.
Aviation is a fun, exciting industry with great growth prospects. It is also the kind of industry that offers fantastic international job opportunities.
The Information Technology industry is a huge industry. Over the past 50 years, IT has shaped the modern world and continues to change it each second. The major segments in IT are hardware and software. A career in the software industry means being a part of the most “happening” industries of our time. There is no area today that is not, or will not be touched in some way by software. If you have an interest in trying or solving challenging problems, IT is a great field to work.
Every office, home and industry today makes extensive use of computers. Telephone calls, bank ATMs, television programming, etc, all require network connectivity. According to the Ministry of IT,
MAIT, during 2008, India’s electronics hardware industry will be worth US $40 billion. The segment — which employs a large number of networking professionals —– is set to touch US $13-15 billion by 2013.
New Zealand is known for its quality and affordable education worldwide. No wonder, the country is attracting a big chunk of Indian students every year. The country also promises easy permanent settlement on the completion of studies as long as one meets the policy stipulations.
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Board results are not always a true reflection of a student’s abilities. At times, they can be downright unpredictable.
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Recruitment of tehsildars / naib tehsildars is done by the respective Public Service Commissions of each state on the basis of a written test and interview.
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The swift pace of modernisation and economic liberalisation has opened up a variety of self-employment avenues for women for beyond the usual achar-papad routine.
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As part of an MBA programme you will study marketing, HR, finance, international business, supply chain management and IT — all critical business functions. Your professional success, however, will depend on your individual skills, aptitude and initiative — regardless of the specialisation you choose. Your pay packet will also depend on the B-school you graduate from, the kind of companies that visit your campus for recruitment and to some extent on the economic cycles that prevail at the time of placement (e.g. when the economy is booming, jobs in finance are at a premium).
As a boss, you may have other things to attend to, but letting subordinates feel that ‘nobody is watching’ could lead to chaos.
