Sure and short

Usha Albuquerque

College days are probably the best day of one's life - lots of friends, no responsibilities, exciting activities, more freedom … Who says you have to study? Today you can not only have fun, while in college, but also learn a number of different skills, along with your course of study. Several universities like Delhi University offer students enrolled in the university a chance to sign up for any number of short-term courses being offered by any of the colleges in the university. So you can learn a foreign language, or computer skills, pick up a certificate in tourism or enhance your communication skills. These courses are opportunities to explore diverse interests and nurture one's talent not only for the work environment, but a broader perspective and experience. .

Here are some suggestions for courses you can take up depending on your interest, aptitude and career goals.

Picture perfect

Photography is a unique and creative medium of self expression. It is a means of expressing the nuances of history - people, places and events- through the eyes of the camera. Photographers can work in journalism, as news photographers, covering a variety of subjects from disaster, war, terrorism to travel or wildlife. They can also work as industrial photographers, fashion photographers or with advertising agencies, which is the best paid and most competitive branch of photography. However, for many learning photography can be a wonderful hobby which helps you record momentuous events, keep in touch with friends, edit and file all kinds of pictures.

Formal training earns knowledge and command over a variety of cameras, lights, props, and photographic techniques. It also hones creative skills. There are many institutes offering diploma and certificate courses in photography extending from one week to two years. Most courses cover basic photography to specialisations in fashion, desktop, events, weddings, stills, digital photo-editing and videography.

Some of the institutes that offer short-term courses include

• The National Institute of Photography in Mumbai,
• Raghu Rai Centre for Photography in Gurgaon (Haryana),
• Centre for Research in Art of Film & Television in Delhi,
• Asian Academy of Film and Television in Noida (Uttar Pradesh),
• Academy for photographic excellence, (APEX) New Delhi
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Creative contours

Becoming a writer is not an option for most young people today - except possibly when they think about Chetan Bhagat - an engineer-cum-management graduate who was a nobody until he discovered the magic of words. But written communication is a powerful medium of expression and learning to write creatively and expressively can be an asset for any career. Most creative writing courses help students to sharpen their creativity through exercises and examples, various techniques of expression, usage of language and styles of writing. Good programmes in creative writing also guide you towards thinking out-of-the-box, so that what you write is interesting and fun to read.

Modules include writing features, short stories, blogs, web content, news reports, travel writing, scripts for plays or prose for pleasure.

Institutes offering creative writing courses are:

• Indira Gandhi National Open University,
• Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning in Pune
• British Council in India
• Xavier Institute of Communications,
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi
• Several colleges of Delhi University also offer courses in creative writing
• Online courses in creative writing

Fashion your future

Fashion, clothes and all kinds of accessories are so much a part of our lives. Even if you do not wish to pursue a career in fashion, there is so much you can learn and do just to keep in style, or put together a collection of fashion items, make-up, jewellery, accessories, and what- have-you. With entry of national and international brands, there are tremendous opportunities for designers, merchandisers, manufacturers and retailers, as well as for those who work on design strategies, fashion reporting, advertising, brand creation and management, visual merchandising, styling, shop window dressing and exhibit design, and fashion journalism.

A short course in any of these fields can not only improve your dress and aesthetics sense, and help you cultivate a sense of style as well, but may well enable you to fashion your own career too.

Several fashion institutes, including National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Pearl Academy of Fashion, and many others conduct job-oriented short courses in fashion retail management, fashion and clothing technology, fashion entrepreneurship, and fashion merchandising management, fashion styling, fashion communication and so on.

Embark on an exciting journey

If you love to travel and often dream about a beach tour to Goa, skiing in the Alps, or an Alaskan Cruise learn more about the travel and tourism industry which is largely concerned with the marketing and selling of a variety of holidays and destinations to individuals or groups. Travel agents specialise in special interest trips, and book passages for air, rail, sea and road travel, arrange hotel reservations or other accommodation, hire cars and coaches for domestic and international travelers, or offer special interest packages that range from Himalayan trekking expeditions to golf, wildlife and medical tourism..

There are diploma and certificate programmes in tourism, travel ticketing, tour guide training and tourism management. The time span for these courses generally ranges from two or six months to duration of one year. You will learn about the method of booking and reserving tickets for scheduled flights, and also information to help guide the customer in planning their itinerary and making other necessary arrangements for the travel. The longer duration diploma course in travel management provides you complete knowledge of the travel and hospitality industry, while the tour guide training courses are conducted by the Tourism Offices of Government of India, and some travel institutes. You can also learn a foreign language for a successful career in travel and tourism.

• Several colleges of Delhi University offers certificate courses in travel and tourism.
• The Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management www.iitm.org with centres in New Delhi, Gwalior and Bhubaneshwar 
• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) along with the Universal Federation of Travel Agents (UFTAA) offer international travel agents training programmes at authorized training centres. 
• Kuoni Academy of Travel
• IGNOU offers a distance learning programme in travel and tourism

Computing skills

In today's digitally wired world, computer skills are not just essential but also de rigueur for any young person. Virtually every job today requires some computer handling skills. Whether keying in cash entries at a bank, or programming information for a TV show, whether shopping online, or "whats-apping' photos to friends, or preparing for an online test, the growing usage and versatility of the computer, and the ever-expanding reach of the Internet has opened a wide variety of options for those with an interest in, and aptitude for computers and others who need to use it 24X7. Moreover, it is not only computer engineers and programmers who require to have computer skills. Designers, bankers, marketing executives, airline ticketing executives, even doctors have to be familiar with some usage or application that enables them to work more efficiently.

The beauty of this field is that you don't necessarily need a degree or an engineering qualification. There are diploma and certificate courses for developing job skills being offered at computer institutes and polytechnics that work closely with industry and commerce, identify the knowledge, skills and experience demanded by employers and tailor the professional programmes accordingly. With the development of internet and mobile app related services, the demand for Web designers and developers, mobile app developers and designers, e-commerce specialists, cyber security experts and other internet specialist services has risen greatly.

There are basic and advanced courses offered by the government certified DOEACC institutes, as well as a plethora of computer institutes where you can pick and choose the course you wish to do. Once you have the basics you can build on newer programmes and technologies as they come along. Each level of fluency makes you competent enough to move into a higher and more sophisticated technology.

So whether you are preparing for a career in computers or in any other field, facility and fluency in computer usage is one pre-requisite that every student must have.

Planning for the future involves more than just getting into a college. If you are clear about your direction and focused on a career, then pick up a course which give you additional skills that will help you in the world of work ahead. For those still undecided, such short term courses of study may help you figure out which area of work is suitable and give you a chance to develop the skills required.

Whatever the purpose, such courses can also be a fun learning experience.

— The writer is Director, Career Smart Pvt Ltd., New Delhi