5 career courses to choose after Class XII

Pankaj Sharma

Deciding on the right career option post your Class XII board exams is one of the toughest choices in one’s life. It’s not just you but most of the students go through this confusing phase. They predominantly choose their careers on the basis of the advice either from their parents or seniors in school. But, those careers might not be appropriate for you. So it’s important to choose your academic career after Class XII according to your skills, interests and abilities at a time when the employment rate has gone down and each industry has been impacted in a different way.

Here are five most-relevant courses of today’s time:

BTech. 

This course provides a multi-disciplinary approach to engineering that focuses on creating problem solvers. Under BTech, one can opt for programmes, including Computer Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Most colleges design their curriculum to keep pace with the technological innovations, industry demand and contemporary academic research. After completing the BTech course, students can either pursue higher studies (one popular exam that they can give for this is GATE) or consider pursuing a job in the field of their choice. If you are a star performer then you can also get an opportunity to pursue one semester in some foreign universities as most colleges these days have many international student exchange programs. One can even pursue some short-term and diploma courses after completing their B.Tech course. There are many benefits of certifications, such as they help in expanding knowledge and skills, increasing earning potential, giving you a competitive advantage and boosting professional credibility.

BBA

In the 21st century, BBA is one of the most progressive programmes that aims to create future global leaders for business and society, who are equipped with must-have skills. This course is designed with the understanding that management is both a science and an art. This management programme builds insights from the lived wisdom of professionals, industry-contextual courses and active engagement with the world of business. The Bachelor of Business Administration graduate gets adept in skills including best management practices, finance, accounts, economics, marketing which makes them highly valuable for businesses and industries.

After pursuing BBA, one can try his/her luck in MBA, Branch Manager, Retail Manager, Hotel General Manager, Human Resource Manager, Event Manager, Operation Manager and Airport Manager. Many students even prefer to go for higher studies after completing the BBA course. Since BBA is a well-recognized 3-year bachelor’s degree course, it allows candidates to look for higher study options in multiple fields.

Bachelor of Design

Design has become the career of choice for many candidates, in the recent past. Design education offers an exciting new opportunity for all kinds of students as it straddles science, technology, art and aesthetics in equal proportion. If you think design is your ‘thing’, then start preparing for it. Learn to communicate, through sketching, drawing, photography or even articles. Begin  observing things and people around you. Become a detailed person: understand the intricacies of objects and spaces. Be creative in whatever you do. Start putting together a sampling of all your creative endeavors’. Arm yourself with the knowledge of the profession. Meet designers in the field. Observe how they work. Visualize your career.

In the new-age design courses, students are fostered to understand technologies like AI, IoT, and automation that are transforming the nature of Design. They are enabled to develop a deep sense of empathy with design’s role in building society. Designers have excellent career options that can take you to pinnacles of success. The new-age professionals include Product Designer, Interaction Designer, Interdisciplinary Designer and Design Enterpreneur. Sustainability is the mantra for the future of design.

BCA

This three-year programme focuses on building skills and knowledge base for computer application development and IT administration. This course is designed in such a way that it helps to motivate students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds to bring in a multi-perspective approach and creativity to their IT projects. The curriculum includes many core courses on contemporary and emerging technologies. There are several career options available to students after completing a graduate degree in BCA, but not all students are aware of the different routes they can take to establish BCA job opportunities. One can either pursue a MCA degree or become a data scientist, digital  marketer, cyber security expert and  enter the blockchain industry.

BFM

Financial markets have huge career prospects. If reports are to be believed, the Indian Economy is estimated to reach $5 trillion in 2025. The financial market in India is currently dominated by 44 Asset Management Cos (AMCs), 20 million unique investors in the field, and 24 Life Insurance companies. Therefore, a degree and the training in Financial Markets will give your career a double boost. A bachelor degree in Financial Markets opens up opportunities in the Financial Planning &  Advisory, Business Development, Mutual Funds, Equity Derivatives & Acquisition sector.

The writer is Director Admissions, JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur