need to encourage innovation and scientific curiosity among young engineers

Engineering innovation

Padma Shri-winner NK Gupta of IIT Delhi speaks to Jayashree Arunachalam about the need to encourage innovation and scientific curiosity among young engineers

    Engineering has always been one of those fields of study that has become ubiquitous in India, a country which produces lakhs of engineers every year, though the specific number is open to debate. Considering that engineering will continue to be a sought-after option among students for years to come, it is important to understand the significance of this field of study.
    Currently a professor of mechanics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, NK Gupta says it is difficult to explain how the field of engineering science has grown, and continues to develop at a rapid rate.
    “I’ve had five-and-a-half years in this profession and I think it’s important for students of engineering to understand the changes and issues that govern the thought process of an engineer,” he says.
    This statement gains cognisance since the profession is one that has continued to grow as opposed to other careers and has immense potential. Speaking at the DWIH — excellence on tour event, Gupta says that the reach of engineering spans major sectors, and can help overcome various issues, from energy and food crises to waste management and terrorism. “You need to start with something — a problem or an issue — and define the need to solve it, discover the knowledge that exists in that area, and then improve it and design it. That’s what engineering is all about,” he says.
    Gupta lists out the attributes for an engineer in 2020, which include ingenuity, problem-solving capacity, creativity and curiosity.

LEADERSHIP CONVENTION

NEW DIRECTOR Shiv Nadar University (SNU) announced the appointment of Shekhar Chaudhuri as director of the university’s newly-launched School of Management & Entrepreneurship. Chaudhuri joins SNU from IIM Calcutta, where he served as director from November 2001 to April 2013. Prior to that, he was associated with the Vinod Gupta School of Management at IIT Kharagpur. He said, “I look forward to working with the faculty to put into motion the great ambitions we have for the university and to capitalise on the many opportunities that lie ahead.” 
 
LEADERSHIP CONVENTION Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a non-profit organisation, and School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), a Gurgaon based leadership school, hosted the grand finale of the series of roundtables of the National Convention on Leadership and Mindfulness from May 3-4. The themes of the roundtables, which created nationwide awareness and discussion around inspirational leadership, were ethics, compassion, sustainability, diversity and mindfulness. The roundtable series, which started in December 2012, were held across various cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. During the seminars, industry leaders addressed the changes in the external and internal environment (at global, national, industry, organisational and team level) and the significance of a value based leadership in the current dynamic business scenario. Rahul Khosla, managing director, Max India Ltd, Nazeeb Arif, vice president, corporate communications, ITC Ltd, and Nand Kumar, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, were amongst the few leaders who shared their perspectives during the two-day finale. 
 
GREEN TALENT The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is holding the fifth round of the ‘Green Talents - International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development.’ The competition under the patronage of minister Professor Johanna Wanka annually awards the 25 most outstanding minds worldwide. The winners are honoured for their original solutions for a more sustainable future. Deadline: June 9. Visit www.eccouncil.org for more details. 
 
NATIONAL CONCLAVE Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SVIMS) is organising ‘Evolve,’ a national conclave on retail and e-commerce at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai on May 16 and 17. With an objectives to discuss the emerging trends in retail and e-commerce, the event will focus on the policies affecting retail and e-commerce, role of customer relationship management and supply chain in retail and need for training in these areas and the future of retail and e-commerce. It will facilitate information dissemination on retail and e-commerce amongst the small and medium enterprises and retailers along with young retail professionals. 
 
LANGUAGE SKILLS A project of helping teachers improve English language literacy skills using mobile phones among primary school students in Nigeria is being launched by Unesco and Nokia, with support from the British Council and the National Teachers’ Institute of Nigeria.

While students want to work abroad after completing their courses

WORK WISE

While students want to work abroad after completing their courses, career experts urge them to consider opportunities back home, a new survey reveals

    According to a survey conducted by TimesJobs.com, nearly 39% surveyed candidates said that if they have a foreign degree they would prefer to work abroad because the professional opportunities are better there than in India. Another 33% prefer working abroad with the motive of securing a healthy bank balance before returning home. Sunil Goel, MD GlobalHunt India Pvt Ltd, an executive search organisation, agrees and believes that these findings are aligned to the mindset of the candidates due to obvious reasons. “The Indian professional setup is very competitive at every level,” he stated.
    Pallab Mishra, an engineering graduate, who is moving to the US in a few weeks to pursue his Masters in Information System Management from a leading university, says he chose to pursue his degree abroad because he believes that foreign universities offer a more specialised fast track career growth where past experiences can be put to relevant use. He adds that he would prefer to look for a job there after he has completed his course.
    Clearly, foreign degrees remain a popular choice among Indian students. According to the data shared by British Council India, 29,000 UK student-visas were issued for Indian students during 2011-2012.
> EMPLOYER PREFERENCE Though Indian employers do give preference to a foreign education, Goel believes that an employer would prefer a candidate from a reputed Indian university rather than a not so well-known foreign university. Sundararajan Narayanan, vicepresident and Global HR Head, Virtusa Corporation, believes that degrees from foreign universities certainly improve job opportunities of candidates in India. The primary reason for this is course structure and global exposure.
    The survey also indicated that majority of the surveyed employers would hire foreign educated freshers because of their international exposure, and strong application-based knowledge. Goel believes that dealing and interacting with
    global stakeholders comes easy to these foreign educated freshers.
> REVERSE BRAIN DRAIN While the survey indicates that students prefer to work abroad after their course, experts caution that students should not rule out India as a good option for working after studying abroad.
    Goel explains, “India has become a hub for global organisations and most of the organisations have their operations and back operations in India. So, there is good professional growth here.”
    In fact, he adds, there are Indian professionals with even 10-15 years of global experience who are willing to shift base to India. Narayanan says, “Reverse brain drain has increased in the last 18 months and organisations are cashing in to fill their mid and senior level positions.”
    So while pursuing foreign degrees is still a good professional investment for students, industry experts urge students to consider career opportunities in India as well before settling for a job abroad.
    Source: TimesJobs.com 

RADIO WAVES - FOOD STYLIST - SPORTING CAREER

RADIO WAVES I am thinking of specialising in mass communication but I am not interested in print or TV. What are the career opportunities available in radio?
    Harsh Juneja With FM Radio entering phase III i.e. 839 new FM channels in 294 more cities slated for auctioning in the near future, radio offers great career prospects. Attracting the attention of both domestic and international players, radio is going to be a win-win deal for everyone – the broadcasters, the government, the advertisers and the public, not to mention aspiring RJ’s and other professionals.
    A typical radio station is divided into four parts –creative, activation, marketing and sales. The creative side, dealing with the programme content of the radio station, is manned (and womanned) by RJs, producers and scriptwriters. RJs interact directly with the audience. They must be adept at handling the console with its numerous buttons, the inflow of phone calls and messages, while making the programme engaging or ‘sticky.’ Understandably therefore, an RJ should be articulate, engaging, spontaneous and alert. Behind the RJ is the producer who comes up with ideas for the programmes. The producer often works along with the scriptwriter who writes copies for different promotions, advertisements and miniplays. Both producers and scriptwriters should have a strong creative bent.
    Music is a very important element in radio. Those with a keen ear for music and melody become music managers or sound engineers. In addition, as in any other media organisation, there are jobs for researchers and those who market the radio station as a brand as well as those who procure ads and jingles for the radio. 
 
FOOD STYLIST I am a housewife. Besides being very creative with home decoration I am also a good cook. People always praise the way I decorate my table when they visit, but I’m not sure how that translates into a job since I don’t have any formal qualifications. Since I have plenty of free time I am keen to take up some work. I am not too sure where to get started. Please advice.
    Gloria Pinto
A food stylist is someone who arranges food to be professionally photographed. Whether it is for magazines, cookery books, food shows on TV, ads, hoardings or restaurant menus, a food stylist is today quite indispensable.
    They have a number of tricks up their sleeves to make food appear appetising. The harsh camera lights would make the ice cream melt so pronto... ice cream is replaced with mashed potatoes.
    Similarly, motor oil substitutes for honey while the frothy beer ad is created using detergent and chalk. Get the picture?
    With your experience as a cook all you need to do is add a dash of creativity and I am sure you can stir up a feast for the eyes.
    Unlike the fashion world, as a food stylist you’ll be spared the starry ‘nakhras’ of models and you get to work at your own pace. You can work with advertising agencies, women’s magazines, film and TV production houses, publishing houses or freelance.
    To develop contacts you need good communication skills. The key ingredients for success are of course creative and artistic ability, attention to detail coupled with some practical business sense. While some food stylists may take a short-term photography course to translate their works of food art into perfect pictures, others work in close coordination with photographers to achieve the desired effect.
    Best of all, there are just a handful of food stylists in India presently. Even a beginner can earn close to Rs 10,000 - 20,000 per shoot. So even if work is available intermittently, you can make a tidy sum. Once you establish yourself as a professional you can even earn close to Rs 1 lakh per month.
    There aren’t many formal courses that teach you how to style food in India. The best way to get started would be to take a shot at styling food on your own. Get yourself some useful props (bowls, table linen etc) that add colour and style. In the comfort of your kitchen, play with curries and cutlery to make food look simply yummy.
    Team up with a photographer to create a start-to-finish portfolio of all that you make in the kitchen, beginning with salads, appetisers, moving on to the other inbetween courses, and ending with seductive desserts. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
    Another good way of getting noticed is to create your own blog, Facebook page or website. So now that you hopefully have the recipe for success – start experimenting. 
 
SPORTING CAREER Our daughter is seven and enjoys playing tennis. Is it a good career for girls?
    Dibankar Sen You need to look no further than the reigning international women tennis stars (Sania included), to draw inspiration for your daughter.
    The right age to get started in tennis is just after five, although a child can begin playing as soon as s/he is able to hold the racquet.
    However, there are costs involved including coaching fees, sports gear etc. Professional racquets cost Rs 10.000+. Also there’s a lot of sweat and hard work behind the glamour. Around three hours of practice is enough
for a school going child, although serious players pack in more than five-six hours of practice everyday.
    Breaking into the professional circuit is no mean task, though. Amateurs can make their way up the ladder by participating in ATP tours. Your daughter can start by competing in the junior playoffs that consist of four segments: the Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Under-8.
    Ranking is based on the points awarded at entry-level events consisting of four tournament sections. With the points won during these events, tennis players can participate in major tournaments.
    It would certainly help to enrol your daughter for training at a good tennis academy (there are plenty in Delhi NCR).
    Moreover, you can’t reach the top of this sport by staying in one place. You need exposure to different techniques and styles. Later on, it will be useful for her to travel, to play tournaments and to interact with other players. It will give her a perspective and contributes to her growth as a player and as a person.

PERVIN MALHOTRA Director, CARING Career Information & Guidance, New Delhi

e-mail: pervin-et@careerguidanceindia.com or write to — Editor, Education Times, TOI, (3^rd floor), 7 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002

Crack Civil Services (Prelims)

Crack Civil Services (Prelims)

With CSAT scheduled to be held on May 19, Venkat Lokanathan, assistant professor and co-ordinator of Master’s programme, St Joseph’s College, Bangalore, talks to Poonam Jain how to ace the exam

>> What are the recent changes in the civil services preliminary examination? The new syllabus that was introduced in 2011 has two papers. Paper I (general studies and current affairs) consists of all the topics from the old syllabus Paper I excepting for general mental ability. It also has new topics such as economic and social development and general issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity, climate change.
    Paper II (Civil Services Aptitude Test) includes general mental ability (shifted from Paper I) along with comprehension, interpersonal skills including comprehension skills, logical reasoning & analytical ability, decision-making and problemsolving, basic numeracy, data interpretation and English language comprehension skills.
>> What is the question pattern for the preliminary examination? There are two compulsory papers of 200 marks each. Both the question papers will be of objective type (multiplechoice questions). Paper I will comprise 100 questions with each question carrying 2 marks each while Paper II will have 80 questions with each question carrying 2.5 marks each. There are four alternatives for answers to every question. The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English language comprehension skills will be tested through passages from English language without providing Hindi translation in the question paper.
>> What qualifies as a good score to clear the preliminary examination? A combined score of anything around 210-220 marks from both the papers should be good for general category candidates to qualify for the Mains.
>> Does the preliminary examination have negative marking? There will be negative marking for incorrect answers for all questions except some of the questions where the negative marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and not-so-appropriate answer for such questions. If a candidate gives a wrong answer, one third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.

On a career as a Zumba education specialist

STEP UP

 

On a career as a Zumba education specialist

    There is a popular misconception that Zumba is a dance form, it is in fact an international fitness programme inspired by world dance rhythms and aptly named the dance-fitness party. It is exercise in disguise with the flavours of various dance forms like salsa, flamenco, soca, belly dance, samba, tango, and more.
    Zumba, which has caught the fancy of fitness and dance enthusiasts across 150 countries, is led by one or more Zumba education specialists (ZESs), the only authorised professionals who can conduct an official Zumba fitness training and license the participants to become Zumba fitness instructors. 
 
INDUSTRY STATUS The industry size has grown at a fast pace and is today considered a profession with immense potential, which was not the case a few years ago. Today, Zumba has broken all rules of the fitness world and has successfully instilled a new-found respect for the trainers. As trainers, Zumba instructors earn on a par or at times even more than anyone working in the corporate world. But to be successful as a fitness professional, one needs to be up-to-date with their skills and invest time and effort in learning. 
 
GROWTH AREAS One cannot be a successful instructor by just going for a day-long session or undergoing a month-long training. It is always the on-ground experience that makes a good fitness professional. Today, there are several international licensed fitness programmes other than Zumba, for instance, LesMills, Piloxing, Yogalates, Crossfit, etc. Each one is unique with its own benefits, but why Zumba stands apart is because it is easy and fun. Anyone can do it and it is a people-centric workout. Zumba fitness has teamed up with music stars like Pitbull, LilJohn, Daddy Yankee and Wyclef to create customised music for Zumba. 
 
SKILL-SETS REQUIRED Apart from being a licensed Zumba instructor, to become a ZES, one needs to be passionate, willing to work hard and be aware of the latest trends in the field. Once the license is obtained, a ZES needs to be a part of the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) — the continuing education and support framework of Zumba, having an AFAA or ACE group fitness certificate.
    Once an audition call comes from the Zumba Home office then it is time to shine. They test an aspiring ZES on the basics of Zumba fitness as taught in trainings, communication skills, people management and teaching skills, etc. After rigorous auditions you are interviewed, shortlisted, re-auditioned by teaching a live class. And on completion, you become a Zumba education specialist. Every year, a ZES needs to re-audition to keep the position.
    On the other hand, to set up a fitness academy one not only needs passion but also business acumen. For this venture one needs to know the in and out of fitness or dance to be able to offer quality classes and a sense of business. 
 
REMUNERATION A fitness professional can earn between Rs 10,000 and over 50,000 per month based purely on talent and hard work.

INDUSTRY EXCHANGE

INDUSTRY EXCHANGE A delegation of government officials and industry representatives from India is visiting New Zealand’s vocational training institutions, industrial enterprises and industry training organisations. India is New Zealand’s second-largest source country of international students and plays an important role in the future growth of New Zealand’s international education industry. The visit is an outcome of the inaugural meeting of the India New Zealand Education Council (INZEC), which was jointly launched in India in October 2012 with a jointly-funded annual budget of up to NZ$1 million.

FUNDING EDUCATION

FUNDING EDUCATION A new Unesco report shows that 17 developing countries could pay for education for 86% of out-ofschool children or 42% of out-of-school adolescents if they managed revenues from natural resources better. Released in the week of World Economic Forum on Africa, the policy paper reveals that an extra US$5 billion in funding for education could be raised from these countries per year if 30% of income from minerals and 75% from oil and gas was converted into public revenue and 20% of this sum invested in education.

PhD in research themes - natural resources, human-natural systems, policy & governance, sustainability management, plant biotechnology, renewable energy, etc.

TERI University Applications are invited for admission to PhD in research themes - natural resources, human-natural systems, policy & governance, sustainability management,
    plant biotechnology, renewable energy, etc.

• YOU NEED: Master's degree in relevant field or BE/BTech. A written test and an interview would be conducted

• FORM: Download application form from University website (www.teriuniversity.ac.in); apply online or obtain form from campus

• DEADLINE: May 31

• NOTIFIED: Email > RAMAKRISHNA MISSION VIVEKANANDA UNIVERSITY
Applications are invited for the integrated fiveyear MA in Sanskrit (three years BA Hons plus two years MA)

• YOU NEED: Male candidates who have secured minimum 60% marks in aggregate at both the secondary (class X) and higher secondary (10+2) or equivalent exam. Students without Sanskrit at higher secondary also may apply. An admission test will be conducted on June 21 from 10:00 am at University Central Building (Medhabhavan), Belur Math

• FORM: Application forms may be downloaded from the website www.rkmvu.ac.in. Filled in application forms may be sent by hand, post or courier. Attach the attested photocopies (not originals) of the results of class X/10+2

• DEADLINE: June 19

• NOTIFIED: Website

CAREERS IN LUXURY MANAGEMENT AND FASHION STYLING

CAREERS IN LUXURY MANAGEMENT AND FASHION STYLING

    India’s luxury lifestyle products and services industry is booming and the Indian market is now one of the most promising destinations for any global luxury brand. According to CII-AT Kearney Survey on the luxury market in India the Indian luxury brand market will be worth US$ 14.7 billion by the In 2015. That’s 110% more than in 2011. There is a tremendous shortage of trained manpower to cater to the demand and one of the biggest challenges is to understand the mind set of an elite customer who is the prime target audience of luxury products and services.
    The luxury lifestyle product industry requires trained people who love and understand the brand DNA, those who can bring the brand essence alive and share experience with customers, share the customer experience and create unforgettable moments, it requires people who are ambassadors who are perfectly groomed, who treat all customers equally, give personalised service and are perfect at etiquette and body language. Image Consulting Business Institute, a pioneer in the field of image management in India, offers a Diploma in Luxury Management and an Advanced Diploma in Fashion Styling to cater to this need. The luxury management course prepares students to work with luxury lifestyle brands and the fashion styling course additionally prepares them to advice customers on what to buy based on personal characteristics of body shape and colours in premium fashion outlets. Fashion stylists also have an option of freelancing in media and entertainment industry for styling in films, television and fashion related events. Elite individuals also hire stylists to style their look or wardrobe. Suman Agarwal, the director of the institute, is the senior most certified image consultant in the India Sub-Continent. Most of the training in these courses will be provided by certified image consultants. For details, visit www.imageconsultinginstitute.com or call: Mumbai: Andheri:26343478/9/ 9619008828, Thane: 8652132121, South Bombay: 23517778/79/; Delhi: South Ex: 41643085/86/ 8826357785, Rajouri: 45017548/ 9971452070, Gurgaon: 0124 – 4381580; Bangalore: St Marks Road: 65660022/ 9611054391, Kormangla: 42122020/ 42162020, Jayanagar: 42281010/ 42291010, Chandigarh: 8727054002/ 8699122066, Chennai: Adyar: 43102978/ 8754579310, Nungambakkam: 42009694/95/, Hyderabad: Somajiguda: 65742625/ 9010426777, Kukatpally: 40138690/ 9951708777, Pune: 30583080-83/ 8605003775, Kolkata: 32216568/ 9836314050, Ahmedabad: 40098740/ 9099968789, Vadodara: 2324692, Nagpur: 6600445, Jaipur: 45777700, 9461243550, Kochi: 080 – 65660022/ 09611054391

US Consul General JOSH GLAZEROFF answers queries on the US student visa process

AMERICAN DREAM

> US Consul General JOSH GLAZEROFF answers queries on the US student visa process

>> Can you elaborate on the US student visa process? What are the key points you look for in a student visa application? It is a very simple and straightforward process. We strive to make it as quick as possible. It is a two-way process where you give your biometrics, fingerprints and picture at an offsite location. In my section, it will take you close to half and hour to wrap up the entire process. A visa officer may speak with you for around four minutes; it is a very quick process. The officer may ask a couple of very basic questions like where are you interested in studying and how did you find out about it, are your parents going to fund you or are you on a scholarship. Then we make a decision and we tell people right away. I am pleased to say that we are up 50% on student visa issuance as compared to last year.
>> How early should a student apply for a visa?
We encourage students to apply early; we don’t want people to be in a rush at the end. But you cannot apply more than 120 days in advance. What we tell people is get yourself organised and take an appointment with us online.
>> What is the average time required to get the visa processed? We generate over 90% of the visas the following day.
>> Can you list the key documents required for a student visa? The most important document is the I-20 (which comes directly from the University in the United States) and your passport. It is a very simple process.
>> Does multiple admission offers influence the visa in any way? We all want to be welcome in every place we can, and it is nice to get accepted in a bunch of places. But, you must make a careful choice about the course you plan to take. To help you come to a decision USIEF can advice you on making college choices in the US. So, we only make a decision on their reasons for studying a certain course in the US.
>> Do standardised test scores make a difference? The visa decision is a very small part of the whole process. These tests are taken much in advance while you are contemplating what your various options are. As a student, I will not be thinking of the visa at that time.
>> What makes an officer reject an application? We do turn some people down during the process. But we issue the visa in a vast majority of the cases. If someone is not able to explain why s/he chose a particular college or a course; we only look at whether s/he is a genuine student. However, once you have done all your research and spoken to USIEF counsellors you would be able to demonstrate your reasons for studying in the US.
>> Can my parents come to drop me off this fall? Can they apply right now or should we wait to get my I-20 first? They can come anytime. We issue visas for 10 years, so anybody who wants to travel on tourism or business can come in whenever they are ready to apply. Application process is very simple.
>> What are the restrictions on jobs and internships on an F1 visa? There are opportunities for international students, but there are some limitations. Generally, you have to be doing something that is related to your field of study. Your own institutions and the international student office will be able to guide you best on the opportunities available to you in the US.
>> How much money do you need to show for a visa? The requirements from our side are to show that you can pay for the first year of school. We don’t tend to spend a lot of time on funding; we are more interested to know how you selected a college and a programme.

Universities in the UK are partnering with a free online platform

Mass(ive) Learning

Universities in the UK are partnering with a free online platform to take their courses to a wide range of students across borders and age groups.

    In keeping with the trend of MOOC’s, four more institutes, including Loughborough University, University of Sheffield, University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde, have partnered with UK based FutureLearn, a multiinstitutional platform for free, open, online courses. The universities will offer various programmes through the online site that was launched in December last year and already has partnerships with organisations such as the British Council and institutes such as the University of Leeds, Cardiff University and University of East Anglia.
    Glasgow will initially offer two courses. Shares Frank Coton, vice-principal for Learning and Teaching at the university, “Though we are currently going through the process of identifying which courses we will offer, it is certain that they will have a broad appeal. Courses will be set at a level that will allow learners to engage with them regardless of their academic background and will be accessible at a wide range of levels. It will allow us to connect with a whole new group of learners and offer them opportunities to develop as individuals.”
    Strathclyde will initially offer two or more courses over the first six months. The first will be ‘An Introduction to Forensic Science,’ that will offer a broad understanding of the subject to the students. Additionally, the university is also considering a number of other courses from academic areas across the institute.
    Apart from universities that will pick from their individual range of academic programmes, organisations like the British Council, British Museum and British Library, too, have partnered with this new-age learning initiative. Says Simon Nelson, CEO, FutureLearn, “The site will try to bring these partners together with universities to create specifically designed, online courses linked to rich content archives.”
    He further adds, “Though the primary benefit that the platform will offer will be allowing learners to take courses from a range of institutions for free wherever and whenever they want, we are also looking at a number of potential options to allow people who complete a course to gain recognition of their achievement and certificates of completion. However, these will not be formal, credit bearing awards from our partner universities.”
AT A GLANCE
    Partners include 21 universities and three organisations
    Courses from across streams – arts, humanities, science and business - will be offered
    Courses will be free and accessible to everyone
    The level and duration of the courses will vary depending on the partner providing the course and the subject matter

After graduation

In a world of instant gratification, where students want fat paycheques right after graduation, there are some who want to take their time before making a big leap. Meet Deepti N Wadhwa, a brand manager with a leading MNC, she is a firm believer in ‘there is no short-cut to success.’ After completing her BCom from RA Poddar College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai University, she dabbled in various internships to figure out her calling. Once she was clear about her choice of specialisation, she started preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) and did an MBA subsequently.
    “After college, I wanted to gain some practical exposure. I adopted a long-term plan and used that time to explore my choices in commerce. After interning in various roles at different companies, I decided on marketing as a career choice and went on to do an MBA from the Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA). Today, I feel that I made the right decision by opting for PG, which not only added to my skills and knowledge but gave me an edge over graduates.”
search then a postgraduate course is mandatory. If research excites you, there can be no two-opinions about opting for a second degree. An MCom degree is purely academics oriented and will grant you all the knowledge required to excel in your chosen area.”
    Not just academics but the corporate world also requires students who have mastered their subjects well and can contribute to the overall development of companies.
    “There are many specialised courses available to commerce graduates that can lead them on to the corporate track. Specialised MBA programmes with specialisation in banking, insurance, finance, quantitative finance, retail, international business, international trade, HRM, etc, can open a bright future for you,” Gupta adds.
    At a time, when students are finding good jobs right after graduation, many students don’t feel the need to study a postgraduate programme. Gupta offers a piece of advice to such students, “Specialisation is essential. It defines your area of operations and also enhances your chances of growth. It adds to your portfolio and helps you in the long run.”
    POPULAR CHOICES
    After graduation, students can choose to specialise in either of these two streams: academic or professional. While MCom scores high as the traditional commerce programme, chartered accountancy, cost accountancy, company secretary, chartered financial analysis, actuaries, insurance, and banking along with Master’s programmes in finance, business economics and MBA remain popular options in the professional category

An MCom degree gives you an edge over those with a Bachelor’s degree

ADDED ADVANTAGE

An MCom degree gives you an edge over those with a Bachelor’s degree

    Unlike in the US or UK where a Master’s degree is usually pursued by those looking at a career in academics or research, in India a PG degree puts one in an advantageous position in the job market. And this holds true as
much for an MCom degree as for an MBA degree. Confirms Shobana Vasudevan, principal, RA Podar College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai, “A PG degree gives a student an edge in terms of knowledge and exposure. It opens up several opportunities as compared to a BCom degree, which normally leads to professions as a CA, CS, etc. It offers vast avenues for students looking at various careers which may be related to higher education, teaching, economics, banks or other kinds of financial institutions. For those wanting to pursue PhD in a commerce related subject, the precondition is a postgraduate degree in commerce.”
    Adds JP Sharma, head and dean, Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, “MCom is a prestigious course and there is a huge difference between a graduate degree and a PG degree. Moreover, the aim of MCom students, from the point of view of employment, is teaching. About 80% of students at the MCom level are interested in teaching or lectureship positions. Apart from getting into teaching, industry or trade, PG students can opt for fields such as IAS and journalism. The course titles and contents of the MCom degree fulfill the demands of industry institutes such as that of chartered accountants, company secretary, cost accountants and even other prominent bodies like the Indian Law Institute.”
    Vasudevan concludes that MCom students can perform better than those with a management degree as a management course merely attempts to inculcate administrative abilities among students, while those with a commerce background have in-depth knowledge crucial for jobs in the broking sector and financial institutions including banks. Other emerging areas that one can look at are research (related to commercial fields like commodities market) and actuarial sciences.