I am a clerk in a bank. I want to do an MBA. Which specialisation should I take? Please suggest some open universities.
You should choose your MBA specialisation based on your area of interest. Since you are working in a bank, you may choose finance and subjects related to banking. Alternatively, you could study courses related to financial services and stock markets. You may also choose to work in marketing of financial services and products. You can explore options at Indira Gandhi National Open University, Annamalai University and Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University to name a few. You may also look up distance courses from BSE and NSEIT.
I am a first-year BCom Finance and Taxation student. What are the extra courses that I can do along with this three-year course?
It is critical that you perform well and get good grades in BCom as this is the foundation. This is more important than doing any add-on course. Also decide which industry segment you would like to work in — financial services, banking or corporate finance. You can then look at courses from BSE, Unit Trust of India Institute of Capital Markets, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.
I am pursuing Master’s in social work at National Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar. I am interested in an internship in foreign NGOs. Please advise.
You may contact international NGOs like UNO, UNICEF, UNESCO and Red Cross to check if internships are available. Your scope of getting a job abroad will largely depend upon your performance in the internship and the employment laws of the country that you are applying to.
I’m a Mechanical Engineering graduate, currently working as a machine operator in Chennai. I am interested in pursuing a career in Mechatronics. Where can I do short-term or sandwich courses in the same?
Your options include SRM, SASTRA and other such universities in Tamil Nadu to name a few. More details at www.mechatronics2u.blogspot.in/2012/05/list-of-colleges-offering-mechatronics.html
I have secured 70.16 per cent in Council of Higher Secondary Education examination, Odisha, 2014. Please tell me if I can appear for JEE (advanced) 2015 after qualifying for JEE (main) 2015 with this percentage.
Yes, you can, provided you have submitted your exam forms before the deadline of December 26, 2014. More details at www.jeemain.nic.in/webinfo/welcome.aspx
I want to pursue a career in Fashion Designing. I have cleared Class XII board exams. What are the entrance exams that I need to write and the available job prospects?
You need to start by completing a Bachelor’s course in Fashion Design which is four to four-and-a-half years long. Also, do your Master’s in Fashion Design. Some of the best options include NIFT (multiple centres in India), School of Fashion Technology, Pune, IIFT and Apeejay, Delhi, to name a few. You can get details of the entrance tests from their websites. The job prospects are excellent as both the retail and fashion industry need plenty of qualified professionals.
Prof RSS Mani is an eminent career counsellor and currently VP, Institutional Development at ITM Group of Institutions. Write to him at queries.edex@newindianexpress.com