Q I am a student of Class XII interested in e-commerce. What are the basic skills required for this profession and its job prospects?

A E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to the buying and selling of goods on the web. This, in turn, has ushered in a new type of economy in which business transactions, whether between companies (B to B) or between the company and the customer (B to C), are carried out through the Net.

Fresh graduates, engineers, MBAs, CAs/CWAs, MCAs, BCAs or working professionals are eligible for some courses in e-commerce, while for others graduation with thorough knowledge of C-Language is required.

You can work in the following areas: designing and developing websites, managing and transacting business on the web; as a specialist web applications developer for both content and page development, as a web page designer or as a JAVA programmer for writing and securing web applications.

The advent of e-commerce has also created a need for professionals who are adept at both creating as well as managing corporate websites.

If you are lucky enough to get a foothold, do grab the opportunity. Internet solution providers and e-commerce start-ups offer jobs to freshers, particularly n thea area of content creation (writing for the web) or in marketing.

While choosing an e-commerce course opt for the one that offers best value for money like placement facility and hands-on computer experience.

Potato planting

Q My family owns a fairly large farmland on which we grow potato. We would like to upgrade our farming methods. Is there any course for this?

A The Central Potato Research Institute, headquartered in Shimla (HP) undertakes basic and strategic research for developing technologies to enhance productivity and processing of potato at its eight research stations in potato-growing zones.

Established under the Ministry of Agriculture, the CPRI also acts as a centre for training and upgrading scientific manpower in research methodologies and technology. Doctoral and post-doctoral Fellows are involved in producing seed for diverse climatic conditions, disease and pest management, tissue culture, biotech and plant protection, storage, processing, marketing, improving nutritional value of the potato and modifying the starch quality.

The institute specialises in producing disease-free basic seeds of different potato varieties. They would be the best source for guidance and inputs.

Psychology after engineering

Q I am a student of Mechanical Engineering but I’m very interested in psychology. I have heard that I’ll get to interact more with people if I do an MBA with HRD. Please advise.

A Topping up your graduation with MBA (HRD) may be a good idea. You can even enrol for a Master’s in Psychology through distance mode after completing your BE to gain in-depth understanding of the field.

— Pervin Malhotra

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