E & C in MBA or Civil Services after B.Tech, microsoft certified systems engineer (MCSE) course, Career in Analytics, How to prepare for GMAT, Selecting an happening career, US ADMISSION : scholarships for the spring semester

E & C in  MBA or Civil Services after B.Tech, microsoft certified systems engineer (MCSE) course, Career in Analytics, How to prepare for GMAT, Selecting an happening career, US ADMISSION : scholarships for the spring semester


CAREER DILEMMA : MBA or Civil Services after B.Tech

I am a third year student of BTech engineering. I am confused about what course to choose — an MBA or Civil Services. What would be a better option?
   Shagorika Basu

The MBA route will lead to a career in the corporate sector, while IAS will lead to a career in the government impacting the lives of the public. The MBA route would help you to play a role in the success of private companies making a difference to the bottom line and reach of one company/organisation's business while the IAS will allow you to make a difference to the lives of a wider public. Life is good on both sides, but the decision of which is better would depend upon your perception and priorities in life. Selection for the IIMs as also in the IAS, would be very competitive.

BACKUP CHOICE : Selecting an happening career

After doing my BBA, I am now pursuing MBA from IP University. I have decided to take finance as my major subject but I am confused between taking marketing, information technology and international business as my minor subject. As a result, I am unable to decide the specific line in which I would like to make my career. If I opt for a career in research or logistics or stock broking, which subject would be more helpful? I will be grateful if you could help me in this matter.
   Debjyot Kaushik

In an indirect manner, all the three areas you have mentioned — marketing, IT or international business can be connected to finance. One way to select your choice of minor is to think of which area after finance you would choose (or are better suited for) as a 'backup' job/career. As you have already decided on finance as the area you will be majoring in, the choice of minor should then be based more on the subjects that you enjoy.

microsoft certified systems engineer (MCSE) course

 
Could you please tell me the minimum eligibility criterion for the microsoft certified systems engineer (MCSE) course? Please also suggest some institutes that provide the course and the future job prospects.
   Anmol Gehlot

You have not mentioned your current academic status, but you can do the MCSE/MCSD course along with your graduation although the general profile of those attempting the exam is people with three-four years of experience in the industry who are trying to improve their prospects. Moreover, you also have several choices. For instance, you could look at a certification in networking like MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) — globally recognised for LAN design, implementation, administration, trouble-shooting, creating web servers, etc. The Windows platform enjoys a customer-base running into millions.
   The full certification involves clearing seven papers. After you clear the first paper, you will get the MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) card. Clearing four papers will equip you with knowledge of LAN networking to start working in the technical support area. The passing mark is 80-90% per-exam. Along with that you can continue to prepare for the remaining papers or acquiring a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administrator) certification. While MCSE certification is fine for handling 500-1,000 client/seat establishments, broadband, internet and intranet environments are better served by Cisco-certified experts.
   So if you are looking for better value-addition, CCNA will give you expertise in ISP (Internet Software Protocol), ASP (Application Software Protocol), WAN (Wide Area Networking), etc. It will also teach you how to design, build, and maintain global computer networks from a single location. This involves clearing exams at four levels — 1) associate level 2) professional level 3) expert level 4) specialist level. Make sure you register for the course at a Microsoft Authorised Training Centre. The intake is typically restricted to 15-20 students per session. The passing mark is about 90%.

ANALYTICAL CAREER

Could you please tell me if a career in analytics is good for a BTech graduate? Would an MBA degree suit that profile well?
   Ritwik Ahuja

Knowledge Process Outsourcing or KPO has given a new dimension to the outsourcing industry in India. KPO differs from BPO in that they require specialised knowledge and skills and often require qualified professionals (lawyers, engineers, doctors, etc). KPO services also tend to be more qualitative and judgment based. In short, they are higher IQ jobs. Analytics is the process of analysing (raw)
data to unearth hidden patterns, understand trends, and draw meaningful conclusions to help in business modelling, decision-making, and forecasting. It uses computers, mathematics and statistics as its tools. Thus as an engineer you possess the requisite skills.

SEARCH FOR B-SCHOOL

Could you please tell me how to prepare for GMAT? From where can I get the US government ranking of American B-schools?
   Anonymous

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is designed to help business schools assess the qualifications and potential of applicants for advanced study in business and management. To begin, log on to www.mba.com and click on 'Take the GMAT' and scroll down to 'Tools to help you prepare' for GMAT test taking strategies. For a list of MBA schools, log on to www.educationusa. state.gov, click on 'Find a School' and go to MBA programmes in the left margin under 'Graduate.' The search options will generate a long list of B-schools. When you ask for the best management schools, you are basically considering rankings. The US government does not rank universities, hence there's no official source to begin with. However, some of the popular private rankings are those compiled by the US News & World Report or The Princeton Review or BusinessWeek.
   Make sure you understand the specific methodology and criteria on which the rankings are based (and be particularly wary of rankings that don't explain the criteria on which they are based). While this could be a good starting point, the 'best' B-school for you would be the one that best matches your profile and preferences. You need to prioritise your preferences and be realistic in terms of matching your background with the B-schools you plan to shortlist. Weigh the strength of the B-school in terms of quality, competitiveness, programme design, special features of the programmes offered. Then consider admissions requirements, cost effectiveness, internship opportunities, placement and lastly scholarship possibilities for foreign students.

US ADMISSION : scholarships for the spring semester

I am a final year student of BTech electrical engineering. I am planning to apply to universities in the US for admission to the spring semester next year. But my friends are saying that it's very difficult to get scholarships for the spring semester. Is it true? Should I apply for fall 2013 instead?
   Danish Trehan

As an international student it is better to apply for the fall semester admission, mainly for three reasons. Firstly, financial aid is relatively easier to get in the fall semester than in the spring semester. Secondly, though not perhaps as important, February is one of the coldest months in many parts of the US. It is therefore not a particularly good time to have your first stint with snow — especially if you're not a native of the Himalayas. And finally, more students are admitted in the fall semester than in the spring semester, so naturally your chances of getting in are greater. Timing your moves correctly while applying to a US varsity is a most crucial factor. So when should you start the application process? At least 18 months in advance of your intended date of enrolment. For example, if you wish to enrol in the Fall session: August/September 2013, you should ideally start the process around April 2012. Also, do browse the net for college rankings and other useful info. There are plenty of websites including www.usnews.com  and www.fulbright-india.org .

TRENDY CHOICE : pursue a career on the basis of current trends?

Is it advisable to pursue a career on the basis of current trends? For instance, if information technology is a 'happening' career, then should one go for it?
   Mihika Saha

While planning your career it is important to keep employment trends and scope for advancement in mind. Selecting a 'happening' career, which offers more openings, is ok from the short-term perspective of getting a job. Flowing with the tide is perfect when the 'happening' career also matches your priorities, skills, aptitude, abilities and interests. But, don't take on jobs for which your personality and abilities are not suited because your chances of success would be low. There are no good jobs or bad jobs, nor is there a 'future' in any job. Remember, the future lies in the person who holds the job. So at the end of the day, its better to choose something you like, lest be forced to like what you get.

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The Counsellor - 22

Prime worries 

I have appeared for Civil Services preliminary examinations for the first time. I'm sure I will be able to clear the preliminary test. I am worried about the preparation for main examinations as I am working. 

   Seeta Sharma

 

The Civil Services Exams fundamentally differ from the university-type exams. Ideally you should start preparing for the main exams even while preparing for preliminary test or at least study the syllabus, browse through a few topics which are common to both exams and start making notes. In any case you must begin studying for the main exams soon after you finish your preliminary exam. At the maximum, give yourself a week's break only. One may ask — "Why should I start preparing, when the results have not been declared" or "What if I don't make it and the whole exercise goes waste?" Convincing arguments and, in fact, most get cracking only in August, once the preliminary results are out. But don't forget you would have wasted a month and a half — a time you could have easily prepared for one optional subject. Also, if you make it through the preliminary exam, this time will have been well utilised. 

   Keep abreast with new developments in the country and abroad by regularly scanning national, financial and international dailies and magazines. 

   At the end of the day remember preparing for this exam requires a planned effort and time. 

Career ensured 

What is the actual demand for actuaries in India? How many actuaries are there presently? Please tell me the procedure to become an actuary. 

   Kumud Purohit

 

The demand for actuaries in India is expected to exceed supply for the next five years. Insurance firms face competition from other industries to retain actuarial talent. In fact, the shortage of actuaries is a major problem. 

   India currently has 18 life and nonlife insurance firms each and one reinsurance firm.These insurance firms, which need actuaries to help develop products, assess profits, conduct valuation and reinsurance based on historic statistics, have barely half the number of specialists they need. 

   There are 225 actuaries in India at present against a requirement of at least 400. Many of them are close to retirement. Demand for the specialised talent will only grow as more and more Indians opt for insurance. 

   The Institute of Actuaries in India has 6,500 members and is growing by 30% every year. The Institute expects to add at least 1,000 actuaries in the next 10 years. Many Indian firms are using services of actuaries of their foreign partners. According to a Reuters report, there are 43,000 actuaries, globally. In addition to the inherent shortage of actuaries, insurance firms also face competition from other industries and countries in attracting and retaining the specialised talent. 

   Many Indian actuaries move to other countries, especially Middle-East and Africa, where the demand is high. Actuarial talent can also be used in other areas such as banking and environmental science where different actuarial models can be applied.Many big companies,abroad, have their own actuaries to develop their own health insurance and pension products. A number of firms have an actuary as chief risk officer who works to either minimize or transfer risks. 

   To qualify as an actuary, you must be a fellow member of the Actuarial Society of India (ASI), Mumbai. This involves clearing a series of exams conducted by the ASI. Details are available at the website: www.actuariesindia.org. An MSc in mathematics/statistics would be an ideal qualification to enroll for the course. 

Auto drive 

 

I am passionate about cars and want to become an automotive designer. Please tell me about this field and suggest some institutes offering courses in automobile design. 

   Shiv Chandan

 

The driving factor in automobile designing is an insatiable passion for design. The second fastest growing car market in Asia, India's automobile industry is moving in top gear. It is also emerging as the most preferred sourcing base, knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) destination and R&D hub for global auto majors like Hyundai, Fiat, Ford, GM, Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan Volvo and several others. 

We have already begun exporting our cars. For example, Indica is a big hit and so will be Nano from the Tata stable. Our two-wheelers have been enthusiastically received in many European countries. Low cost multiutility vehicles could be our forte. 

Experts are very optimistic about the future prospects of this field since car volumes in India are on an upsurge and the industry is set for a major boom. 

After completing your course in automobile engineering or even mechanical engineering you can work as part of the team, working with a design services provider, to offer both industrial and transportation design solutions or later in the automotive department coat hangars, bottle holders etc. There is also a need for visual merchandisers to design automobile showrooms. Exclusive branded dealer outlets want to stand out among other shops to project a specific image. To successfully conceptualise your dream machine, you must get some hands-on training using manual methods of designing. Performance modification has emerged as a popular segment. An automobile broadly comprises of the engine, chassis, gearbox, differential and suspension. Each of these and their components come in many different specifications and designs. Someone who has done a course in automobile engineering can only figure out the various permutations and combinations ideally suited for a particular kind of vehicle. 

Diploma-level courses are ideal for those who wish to go into servicing and maintenance or wish to work on the shop floor of an automobile plant Diploma courses are also helpful for those who want to work as a supervisor in bus depots or work in maintenance, overhauling, production, servicing at service 

as a specialist in automobiles, design and engineering services. Car designers also work with original equipment manufacturers like Maruti,Tata motors etc. 

However,when compared to Japan, Europe or US, India is still relatively new to the concept of automobile design. Therefore, you need to be finely attuned to market demand in terms of comfort, safety, and even cultural sensitivities and preferences. To stand out in automobile design you can't simply rely on computer aided design. You also need good sketching skills and understanding of 3D shapes and models. There is enormous need for automobile stylists as well. Today every aspect of the automobile is designed. The emphasis is on futuristic concepts, your understanding of different aspects of styling, of dimension and proportion. 

The industry also needs component designers — people who can design rear view mirrors, outlets of OES. 

While there are a number of colleges including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that offer courses in automobile engineering, there are very few fullfledged courses in automobile design — particularly at the bachelor's level. 

For further guidance,you could also contact the Automotive Research Association of India, Pune, www.araiindia.com. Engineering colleges usually have active student chapters of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The website of the US-based SAE — www.sae.org — including its Indian chapter in Chennai should be useful in your search. You could also contact faculty advisors of the various Indian collegiate chapters at Delhi College of Engineering (DCE), IIT-Delhi, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT), Jamia Millia Islamia and Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.

 

 

 

 

 

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Civil Services Mains-2008

CIVILSERVICES MAINS2008

 

FRAME IT RIGHT

 

IT IS NOT JUST ENOUGH TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWERS WHILE APPEARING FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS.IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO PRESENT THEM WELL.

THE COUNTDOWN FOR TWO MAJOR EXAMS HAS STARTED.IF THE CIVIL SERVICES MAIN EXAMINATION (OCTOBER 17) REQUIRES PRESENTATION SKILLS,THE CAT EXAM TESTS YOU ON ACCURACY. HERE ARE SOME TIPS AND STRATEGIES FROM EXPERTS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR BOTH.WATCH OUT FOR MORE EVERY WEEK 

 

   The Civil Services main exams will be commencing from October 17, 2008. This announcement is brewing anxiety in the minds of most aspirants. They are trying to figure answers to one basic question, "how to write a good answer" or put more simply "how to please the examiner". I have always told my students that the examiner is a man in hurry. So if you make his life easy, he will make your life easy. 

   At the outset I would like to mention that confidence is what will stand you in good stead and hence it is very important that you tackle a question paper with utmost confidence. Have faith in your preparation, memory, and your ability to recall what you have read. 

   Further you should break a question into sub parts. This will aid in a much clearer comprehension of the question. My first suggestion hence to the students is to read each question two or three times with a cool head and then decide what are the requirements of the question by giving a fair interpretation to each word used in the question. For doing this the question should be treated as a single inquiry and not as a collection of inquiries. Though at times a question may require you to focus on more than one aspect of a theme. 

   Subsequent to the decision about the broad nature of the main inquiry contained in a question, students should split the question into its basic components, as almost every question would have two or three components. After deciding upon the components, students should give these components an order or sequence. This is necessary since on a plain reading of a question, students mostly don't find the components and their relation to each other laid out in a neat manner. When deciding the exact requirements of a question it is essential that you clearly understand the difference in the meaning of such terms as; discuss, critically examine, elucidate, comment, review etc. 

   Here are some tips, which you can employ while answering questions. 

  

 Analyse- You have to separate the basic constituents of the statement made in the question and state as to how they are related to each other. 

   Account for - Here you are required to chiefly give reasons, causes, bases on which a statement is made. 

   Compare - Here you have to show relative merits and demerits of an issue involved or to hint at the similarities and the dissimilarities in two propositions. 

   Contrast - You have to emphasise on the differences involved in a proposition by examining the relative merits of an idea. 

   Define - You have to set forth the contours of a debate by explaining the essential nature of the issues involved. 

   Describe - You have to give a simple explanation of the issues involved. 

   Discuss - You should present the different aspects of a question or problem in a proper sequential manner. 

   Critically discuss - For this you should present the different aspects of the problem in a critical manner and finally arrive at a conclusion. 

   Examine - You should state the pros and cons of an issue or proposition. 

   Evaluate - Here you should examine all the aspects of the proposition embedded in the question and reach a conclusion. 

   In addition to adhering to the suggestions above, you should decide the "points" that you are going to mention in your answer. These "points" should be classified as "major" and "minor" points with major points coming in the beginning of the answer and minor points being used to finally supplement the thrust of the main argument. In short, all the points should appear in a logical sequence to prove the relevance of the material or arguments given by you. 

   Your answers should be crisp, and should be a statement of facts presented in simple prose without resorting to any devices of ornamentation or flowery use of language. You should refrain from the use of any quotations. 

   Don't use any type of highlighting techniques or methods like use of underlining, inverted commas, capital letters, different colours of ink; when not required by the situation. Such things may be all right in college or university exams but are considered improper and dowdy into this exam. In short, be yourself, you are the style. 

   Also you should desist the temptation to write everything that you happen to know on the subject, since this results in mis-management of time, leading to severe shortage while attempting the last one or two questions. In fact by being precise and economical in your answers and by not including any unrelated details, you actually help the examiner and make his task easier, which he would reward, generously at the end of your answer. 

   Finally the secret of writing a good answer is to reduce every sentence to its clear and essential component. Clear thinking becomes clear writing, one is not possible without the other. Nobody is a natural good writer of answers; it comes to everybody through hard-work. Hence you can also do it as well as anybody else can and win the battle of Civil Services. 

   

 

 

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