Dear Sir,
I have completed my B Pharma this year. My teachers are insisting I do M Pharm. What are the job opportunities for M Pharm students in Bangalore and Mysore? What are the other courses that I can pursue?

MS

Dear MS,
If, after studying a professional four year degree course B. Pharma, you are still not confident or deeply involved in the pharmaceutical field, then just doing a post graduation may not help much. If you feel that you are not cut out for a technical career in pharmacy, you may consider going in for higher studies in management (MBA or specialised management streams – Pune University in Maharashtra also offers an MBA in Pharmaceutical Management), hospital management, project management, mass communication, design, marketing, law – the list is endless. This time ensure that you are going into a stream you have a flair and aptitude for, and not just because of scope. When you qualify in an area you are good at and passionate about, jobs will never be a problem. 

Dear Sir,
I  will be completing my PUC this year. I am very interested in doing my CA right after my PU but my parents are against it. When can I take up this course? Which institutions offer this course? I am an average student scoring 80%. I stay in Bangalore and would like the addresses in Bangalore.

SD

Dear SD,

One can enrol in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India even while studying +2 (with any optionals). What you require is a very sharp mathe-logical mind and a good capacity to concentrate and calculate. You can appear for the Common Proficiency Test as soon as you have completed your 2nd PUC.  This is a foundation test that determines whether you are likely to do well in the subsequent CA exams.

If you do pass this test in the first attempt, you can convince your parents that you can take up further studies of CA. In Bangalore the office is located behind Mahavir Jain Hospital off Miller Road near Cantonment Station. You can get further details on www.icai.org

Dear Sir,
I am a 19 year old science student. I have not been able to clear my 2nd PUC. I faced many problems at home. I am interested in further continuing my education. My friend suggested I join National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). After completing my exams from NIOS can I join BCA?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) is a government Board like CBSE or PUC, which conducts exams for 10th and 12th standard level, recognised all over India.  The advantage is that you can select any subject of your choice in any combination, and even appear for one or two subjects at a time. For the 10th standard exam, any student is eligible, while for the 12th, you need to have a pass in 10th. The Head office is in Delhi (www.nios.ac.in) and they have an examination centre in Al-Ameen College opp. Lalbagh Main Gate.  Training for the 10th standard is provided by many institutions, while training for 12th standard is provided by Asha Kiran (ashakiran@vsnl.net) Phone: 25258159 and a few others.

Dear Sir,
I have done my BSc. I am interested in doing MHA (Master of Hospital Administration). I would like to know the colleges which offer this course in Bangalore. I would also like to know the job opportunities in this field. Please give me the addresses of the colleges which offer this course.

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
MHA is offered both through contact and correspondence courses. Some institutions restrict entry to medical personnel, while most others take graduates from any stream. The scope is increasing significantly because of the large number of private and corporate hospitals and health institutions that require professional administration. Some of the well-known institutions offering courses in Hotel Management include BITS Pilani (correspondence with limited contact classes), Narayana Hrudalaya, Apollo Hospitals, Padmashree College of Hospital Management, Bangalore Management Academy, and Administration Staff College of India (Hyderabad).  Correspondence courses are available through many open universities.

Dear Sir,
I am an 8th semester mechanical engineering student. I have an aggregate of 55% upto the 7th semester. Since I will find it tough to find a job with this percentage I am planning to do higher studies. I am interested in Marine Engineering. Can you please help me by giving the names of reputed institutions which offer the course and also give the eligibility criteria for the course? Does this course have a good scope ? Can I get a good job once I complete the course?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
Please do not push yourself into higher studies just because you feel you may not get a good job with your engineering degree.  And do not take a random choice of something like Marine Engineering just because it sounds alluring.

In fact, if you feel you are not a highly academic person, it may be better at this juncture to take up a job (even if it is not well paid), and get a feel of the industry and business world, before deciding what area you can do higher studies in. 

Alternatively you can undergo an Aptitude Test to determine your strengths and potential.  Keep in mind that higher studies for engineers includes a very wide range including technology, management, communication, administration, design, IT related courses, product development, marketing, research, and many more.

 Sir,
My daughter is in final year PUC and getting prepared for Board exam and CET. She is keen in pursuing her career in Bio Tech (BT). I seek your advice/comments on (i) what is the scope of employment in this field, (ii) whether BSc & MSc (BT) or BE (BT) is more job oriented.  (iii) If she takes BSc(BT) then in what subjects she can take MSc (iv)  Can she join MSc after BE (BT)  (v) Is there facilities to acquire MTech in BT in India, especially in Bangalore and (vi) and What are the qualifications required for making a career in Techning Bio -Tech field

Biotechnology as a career has been hyped up far beyond its current ability to absorb graduates.  More and more young people are getting enamored by its lure.  There are innumerable colleges offering both B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biotechnology (and its related subjects like Biochemistry, Microbiology, Genetics, etc.), and the industry is not growing fast enough to absorb them.  B.E. in Biotechnology offers slightly better job opportunities at present. 

Your daughter should enter this field only if she is sure that she not only has a fascination for it, but also the aptitude and necessary skills.  She should also check whether she is oriented towards teaching, research, quality control etc., and whether she is willing to go abroad to get into the global market.