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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SCHOLARSHIP WATCH

SCHOLARSHIP WATCH

   

HUMBOLDT RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP FOR EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS 

The Humboldt Foundation grants approximately 600 Humboldt Research Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers and experienced  researchers annually. A Humboldt Research Fellowship for experienced researchers allows you to carry out a long-term research project (6-18 months) you have selected yourself in cooperation with an academic host at a research institution in Germany. The academic host is also of your choice. The fellowship is flexible and can be divided up into as many as three stays within three years. Shortterm study visits, participation in congresses and training courses cannot be financed. 

Requirements: 

Researchers from abroad with above average qualifications who have completed their doctorate less than twelve years ago and already have their own research profile and are working at least at the level of Assistant Professor or Junior Research Group Leader can apply for this research fellowship. Alternately researchers who have a record of several years of independent academic work can also apply. Scientists and scholars of all nationalities and disciplines can apply. Scholars in the humanities or social sciences and physicians must have a good knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully. Otherwise they should at least have a good command over English. Scientists and engineers must have a good knowledge of German or English. 

To apply: 

Download from

 

 http://www.humboldtfoundation.de/pls/web/wt_show.text_page?p_text_id=1710.

 

Applications may be sent to Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, Selection Department, Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn, Germany at any time. Please send your application directly to the Selection Department at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn, Germany. If this is not possible, you may submit your application via the branch offices of the DAAD or the German Embassy or Consulate to be forwarded to the Humboldt Foundation. 

Submission: 

Any time. Selection committee meetings take place three times a year, in March, July and November. 

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The Counsellor - 28

Fund wise 

I have always dreamt of going to the US for pursuing higher studies in physics. I have worked very hard to excel at studies both in school as well as college. What is the possibility of getting a scholarship or fellowship for pursuing my PG studies in a good college there? I belong to a middleclass family. My family does not have a house or land, which could serve as collateral for securing a student loan from a bank. 

   Shounik Kamboj

 

Most universities in America generate income from several sources -- primarily tuition fees, public funds, returns on endowments, rentals on university-owned housing, grants and awards, industry funding, and other private financial support. 

   What you need to do is look at the endowments and college funds vis-àvis the number of students enrolled in that particular institution. While the endowments of a larger university would probably exceed that of a smaller one, the per-student funding for the latter could be much more inviting. 

   There are three major and a couple of minor sources of funding at the graduate-level in US universities. 

   Fellowships: These are only given to the extraordinary students. Fellowships pay full tuition fees and provide for a comfortable living. No extra work is required. Fellowship-holders are academic 'superstars' and are expected only to deliver research results in their chosen field. 

   Teaching Assistantships: TAs assist the department that is funding them in grading term papers, taking occasional classes, supervising lab sessions etc. In exchange for a committed number of hours per-week, teaching assistants get a tuition waiver and adequate money for living expenses. 

   Research Assistantship: Research Assistants are funded and selected by professors. Applicants need to be skilled and knowledgeable about the ongoing research in their respective departments. For a certain number of hours of work per week, these graduates get a tuition fee waiver plus adequate money to live comfortably. 

All universities offer assistantships and fellowships -- the wealthier universities naturally have more of them than the others. The good news for undergraduate aspirants is that there is substantial money available on an extremely selective basis. Meritorious students with outstanding academic track records, strong recommendations from teachers, top SAT 1 and II scores, high TOEFL scores, leadership experience and potential and record of community involvement make the going comparatively easy as far as funding goes. Universities these days look for bright well-rounded students who exhibit evidence of an abiding passion and excellence.

Sound basics 

I am a graduate working with a small travel BPO and also preparing for my MBA exams. The night shifts are proving to be an inconvenience as I am too sleepy during the day to concentrate on my studies. Are there any BPO jobs available during the day? Are there nonvoice BPOs? 

   Jyoty Prakash

 

You are in luck. Working with BPOs no longer means keeping erratic hours. There are several BPOs that offer day shift jobs. For example, domestic BPOs essentially operate during the day and recruit graduates and even undergraduates. Similarly, the advert of a company carries the tag line - "Don't lose your sleep to earn a living". Genpact is yet another BPO major, which does not compel its employees to work during night shifts. All you need to do is scan the job openings section of newspapers and the "Career Section" on websites of the major BPOs and you are sure to find something that will match your requirements. 

   To answer your second question, there are several companies like ICICI Onesource, EcomEnable, MsourcE, Tricom India Ltd that hire graduates and undergraduates who have a good command on English and are conversant with computers for their non-voice operations (your typing speed should be at least 30 wpm). These include litigation coding, electronic data discovery, indexing, remittance processing, drafting mortgage documents, claims processing, e-publishing etc. Banking, finance, legal, insurance, pharmaceutical and logistics are some of the companies that need offline services. The new knowledge based or KPO non-voice segment does not require you to flaunt a fake foreign accent, which is a deterrent for many 

BPO aspirants. The best part is that you get to work day shifts, as there is no direct interaction with irate, overseas clients. Non-voice BPOs account for 35%of the BPO-ITeS industry and not surprisingly the attrition rates are also much lower. In addition most of the companies offer in house training so you don't need to enrol for expensive courses

Looking ahead 

As science is my favourite subject, I opted for PCMB in class XI. However, I am not really aware of the options available for science students other than engineering and medicine. 

   Sumit Kumar

 

Options related to the sciences are many and varied -- engineering, architecture, technology, civil aviation, merchant navy, computers, medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology and related fields including microbiology, biochemistry, forensic science, agriculture, pure and applied sciences (physics, chemistry, maths etc), environmental science/technology, geology, meteorology and many others. 

   If you are academically inclined, you can go into research or teaching. If you are application-oriented, you can go into engineering or technologyrelated careers in industry. Alternatively, you can opt for a degree in business management at the postgraduate level if you wish to broad base your options. 

   Moreover, after completing your 10+2 with science, you can choose to pursue just about any field open to humanities and commerce students ranging from law to design and mass communication — adding up to a mind-boggling choice of 3000-plus career options. 

Do make it a point to read up and talk to people about various possibilities and options that interest you. If you do this consistently, you'll be amazed how much you pick up. The more informed you are, the better equipped you'll be to rule out several of the inappropriate options and flag the "possible" ones. After you've found out some more about what is involved in pursuing each of these, you will be able to further pare down the list. 

What you really need to do at this stage is to try and narrow down your choices to one or two broad options so that you can concentrate on planning a career around it. Take a good career aptitude test to help you identify the fields that are most suited to your interests, temperament and personality. I have an excellent one called the "I-Opener", which you could take.

Beauty business 

I am in class XII. Instead of doing a routine graduation, I am very keen to pursue a career in beauty-care. Please tell me if there are enough opportunities in this field? I need to convince my parents. 

Sariska Singh

 

When it comes to choosing careers, many women are stepping off the beaten path to explore offbeat vocations. Beauty offers several career avenues with lucrative opportunities for growth and specialisation. A minimum school leaving education is enough to enter vocational training in beauty. Some major career opportunities include: 

   Entrepreneurship - starting one's own beauty clinic, managing beauty salons, health clubs and spas 

   Beauty therapists in salons and day spas 

   Masseurs, beauty consultant / advisor 

   Makeup artiste, hairstylist, hair colourist 

   Product consultants in cosmetic companies 

   Teachers in beauty schools The fashion industry, advertising, TV and Films also require expert makeup artistes and hair stylists. 

   You can specialise in different kinds of makeup (bridal makeup, makeup for TV, film, theatre, still photography, ramp modelling etc). You can also freelance after advance training in the respective field. You should be creative and have a keen eye for colours and how to relate them to individual features, skin tones and use different techniques like shadowing, highlighting, concealing into play. 

   After a professional diploma, you can pursue an advance training in the selected field: makeup, hairstyling, massage, nail art, spa treatment, traditional ayurvedic treatments, aromatherapy, laser or electrolysis. 

   With experience and qualification from reputed beauty schools can expect higher remuneration. Make-up artistes and hairstylists for ad campaigns, modelling and fashion shoots charge Rs 1,500 -3000 per day depending on their experience and reputation. Managers of salons and product consultants in cosmetic companies can earn salaries commensurate with the corporate world. 

   While a regular Bachelor's degree is not essential, it may be useful to pursue one through distance learning mode at least. Should you wish to pursue a course at the PG level, this will come in handy. So go ahead, follow your heart, instead of following the herd - and you'll never have to "work" a day in you life

 

 

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AIMA announces scholarships

AIMA announces scholarships

 

THE All India Management Association (AIMA) has announced 30 scholarships for underprivileged students from this year. Students who clear the Management Aptitude Test (MAT), conducted by AIMA, and qualify for AIMA's postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM) or postgraduate diploma in information technology and management (PGDITM) through the distance learning mode would be eligible for these scholarships. 

   Elaborating on the scholarships, D N Rao, director, centre of management education (CME), AIMA, said: "We would award 30 scholarships annually to economically weaker students enrolled in CME's distance learning programmes. As part of our corporate social responsibility, we would offer these scholarships to students whose parents earn less than Rs 2 lakh per-annum so that these students can obtain postgraduate qualifications." 

   Both PGDM and PGDITM comprise four modules and the total cost of the programmes is Rs 76,000 and Rs 1,20,000, respectively. The cost is divided into equal parts per-module. AIMA would initially offer the scholarships to eligible students in the first module and then extend it on the basis of their academic performance. "If their academic performance merits it, then the total cost of the course can be covered by this scholarship," informed Rao. 

   The association plans to increase the number of scholarships from the next session in January. "However, this is still a proposal and the final decision would be taken in August. If approved, the number of scholarships would be increased to 50," added Rao. Besides, AIMA also plans to introduce a PG diploma in financial planning and a PG diploma in management from January. The scholarships would be extended to these new programmes as well.

 

 

 

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Scholarships Available

UK scholarships for Indian students

A REASON to rejoice for Indian students who are keen to pursue a career in art conservation and museums, in UK, as the Charles Wallace India Trust (CWIT) has recently tied up with the British Museum to offer courses in museology (museum studies) to Indian aspirants.

Informs Richard Alford, secretary, CWIT: "The Trust, so far, had been offering fullyfunded scholarships in the field of arts and heritage conservation to Indian students but now on, the awardees will also be offered special programmes by the British Museum."

Vijaya Amujure, one of the scholarship awardees, who got an opportunity to pursue an MSc in conservation of historical monuments, says that it was an enriching experience studying at the University of Bath. She adds: "The one-year postgraduate programme equipped me with various advanced skills." She is presently working with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage as a conservation architect.
Colin Perchard, chair CWIT and one of the trustees, while elaborating on the scholarships, says: "We have fully funded longterm scholarships for students who want to pursue an MA besides grants for pursuing research in humanities. We have also started offering one fellowship in journalism from Cardiff University."

Since its inception in 1981, around 3,000 Indian students have benefited from the Trust's scholarships.

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Scholarship Program

Fulbright up for expansion

THE Fulbright Scholarship programme that offers an exchange of around 250 scholars per-year between India and the US, through the US Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), is all set to expand its base in India in terms of funding and offering new topics of research offered under the programme. The programme, now, aims to increase the number of scholars benefiting from it by inviting private players from India, besides the government, to contribute to the funds.

Through increased funding, the programme would aim to double the number of scholars going on exchange programme. "We have been in discussion with the Indian government for amending the agreement signed by the two countries in 1950. Under the current agreement the US government offers $2.3 million per-year as funds, which includes the operating cost of the programme in India. The Indian government has not contributed funds up until now, but has provided in-kind support through tax reimbursements. We now wish to renew the original agreement as two equal partners and look forward to the Indian government contributing financially, so that the budget doubles in size," said Adnan A Siddiqi, counsellor for cultural affairs, US embassy. He was speaking at the embassy's 'Founder's Day' celebrations held recently in the Capital.

Set up in 1950 to increase cultural understanding between the US and other countries, the scholarship programme in India has benefited more than 5000 scholars each way. Its benefits are manifold. "Since the entire idea of the Fulbright programme is to increase mutual understanding between US and India, the former also invites English teachers from India to teach regional languages at colleges in the US under the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Programme."

However, a growing relationship between the two countries has led to a greater need for promoting cultural understanding between the two. "Once the new agreement is signed and increased funding is available, we would like to broaden the diversity of topics like IT, agriculture, business and management - topics that define the new India," explained Siddiqi.

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