Career Hotline Pervin Malhotra Q. Like some of her pals, my daughter (17) insists on becoming a fashion designer. She says there’s more money in fashion than in any other field of design. Is it true? — Tejender Singh
What you can do as a parent is to arrange for your daughter to meet a couple of designers so that she goes into the field with her eyes open. Then, if she is convinced that she is cut out for it, let her prepare for the entrance exams of some top-of-the-line institutes such as NIFT, NID, Pearl etc. If she makes it through the competitive selection procedure, you can be assured that she has the necessary aptitude. The course should hopefully groom and equip her with the necessary skills to make it in this industry. However, with just about everyone rushing into fashion design, it may be wise to look at some of the other related courses like textile design, garment manufacturing technology, apparel merchandising, leather design and technology, accessory design, jewellery design, window display, fashion photography, fashion journalism, etc, all of which have a component of fashion design in them. Biotech or fashion
Q. I have finished Class XII and am looking for a course that can give me an easy-going and well-paid job. What are the job opportunities for biotechnology and fashion designing? I am from the science stream. I got only 61.4 per cent with 68 marks in biology. I’m totally confused. — Pammi Kochhar A.
One thing every young person beginning his/her career should understand is that there is no such thing as an “easy-going and well-paid job” (unless it is in your family concern). Please understand that the employer does not give a job for charity. Companies need to get some specific work done and consequently, look for the hardest working (and cheapest) employee who can do the work quickly and efficiently. Full stop. As an employee you commit your skills and dedication to do the work for the salary paid to you — value given for value received. You are unlikely to get any job with such an easy-going attitude and even if you do manage to find one, it is unlikely to last. The easiest job is one that enables you to do something you enjoy doing. So, don’t look at fields as diverse as fashion designing and biotechnology since they appear to be the most glamorous at this point in time. It goes without saying that those who are successful in these fields would have worked tremendously hard to learn the ropes and stay at the top. Work seems easy only if you love what you do (and do what you love). So to get an ‘easy- going’ job, specialise in a field that you would enjoy working in, be it glamorous fields like biotech or fashion or even the most mundane ones such as sales or teaching. Ticketing track
Q. I am doing my BA. I want to become a Railway TTE. Please guide me how I can fulfill my dream. — Surjeet Singh A.
In order to become a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) you will have to become a Ticket Collector (TC) first. Because of the large number of applicants, recruitment for the post is done through a written test which, at times, is followed by a second stage test for which approximately 10 times as many candidates as the number of actual vacancies are short-listed. The selection is done by the Railway Recruitment Board concerned (there are 19 RRBs). The minimum requirement is matriculation (50 per cent agg). On completing the stipulated years of service as a TC, you will be promoted to the post of TTE. While you have to be always on the lookout for defaulting passengers, the job is also a very sensitive one as it entails maximum interaction with passengers. And since you are the visible face of the railway establishment, you must always come across as helpful and courteous while discharging your professional duties. You could also check out the website: www.railwayrecruitment.org B.Ed courses
Q. I have completed my graduation and wish to opt for a B.Ed. Can you please suggest some universities offering a correspondence course in B.Ed? — Harjeet Singh A.
Under the guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education, the apex statutory body for co-ordinating and monitoring teacher education in the country, only working teachers with a minimum two years of experience in a recognised school (primary, secondary or higher secondary) within the jurisdiction of the university concerned can enrol for B. Ed (DE) courses. All others must enrol in regular full-time B. Ed programmes. This rule has been formulated with a view to achieving planned and co-ordinated development and also maintenance of norms and standards in teacher-education system throughout the country. Here are some universities in the North that offer B. Ed (Distance) courses. All these courses are of 2-year duration:
Indira Gandhi National Open University (www.ignou.ac.in): contact your nearest IGNOU Regional Centre for details). Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (Punjab) Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi (for Govt school teachers in Delhi). Jamia Milia Islamia, Centre for Distance & Open Learning, New Delhi-110025 Maharshi Dayanand University, Deptt of Distance Education, Rohtak -24001 (Haryana). Panjab University, Directorate of Correspondence Courses, Chandigarh Punjabi University, Directorate of Correspondence Courses, Patiala-147002 (Punjab). Log onto: www.ncte-in.org for details.
Prospects of psychology
Q. I have just got admission in BA Psychology. Can you please tell me about the career options in this field? — Gurwinder Kaur Chanda A.
If you are really interested in a career in this field, a Master’s in Psychology would improve your job prospects. Subsequently, depending on your area of specialisation, you could work as a psychologist in government or private institutions, as a psychiatric social worker, industrial psychologist, personnel/labour welfare officer or industrial relations officer, counsellor (vocational, educational, behavioural), psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, etc. Using no-drug therapies, you will probe into the patient’s psyche and help them open up. Other interesting areas that need people with a background in psychology or a specialisation in consumer or social psychology are market research, psychometric testing, organisational behaviour, training and motivation, etc. You can even set up practice as a private consultant after gathering relevant work experience. Even the Armed Forces recruit postgraduates in Psychology. The Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Delhi, recruits postgraduates in psychology as Research Fellows. Those with a specialisation in Educational Psychology can work as counsellors or counselling psychologists in schools, special education departments and guidance centres. Social psychologists can work with market research organisations and advertising and industrial organisations. While child psychologists treat emotional problems, clinical psychologists are employed in hospitals, prisons and juvenile centres, destitute homes, mental asylums and drug de-addiction centres. Industrial psychologists work in the personnel and marketing departments of industries, large organisations and market research organisations. Occupational psychologists work with placement agencies and consulting firms. While the WHO pegs the global figure of those afflicted by mental, neurological or behavioral problems at a boggling 450 million, over 10 million patients suffer from severe psychiatric illnesses (and perhaps several times as many with borderline psychological problems) in the country, there is great need for committed psychologists. Studies on mental health across the globe indicate that at any given time, 10 per cent of the population is in need of psychiatric help. Taking this as a standard, the gap in mental health services even in an A-category city like Delhi is shocking. In fact, mental health facilities are abysmal in most parts of the country. Since there are no psychiatric departments in a very large number of hospitals, patients have to travel miles before they can get professional help. Computers and creativity
Q. I am interested in doing something creative in the field of computers. What course will enable me to take up such creative work? Is there good money in that? — Dolly Kaur A.
If by ‘creative’ work you mean creating graphics and animation on computer, you could look at animation (2D and 3D) or multimedia, a term for integrating sound, visuals and text using sophisticated designing software. Armed with these skills, you could work in advertising, publishing, television and film production, web and mobile computing, engineering design or work on a freelance basis if you invest in the necessary equipment. Your creativity and flair for designing reinforced by some formal training in art will put you on a much surer footing. Even non-linear editing for television and producing instructional software etc that is essentially computer-centric requires a combination of “creativity” and technical savvy. So does web designing and developing. On the other hand, programming at higher levels can also be a highly “creative” option. For this, you will require a good course in software programming (BE/BTech/MCA/MSc) along with solid grounding in computer languages. Developing gaming software is another hot and highly paying field internationally.
—
The writer is a noted career consultant Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com
|
||||
|
|
A. The fancy salaries and glitzy photo-features that we see in the double-page spreads of fashion glossies are only for the handful of genuinely talented designers graduating from the premier fashion schools. And that too, after years of sweat and hard work. For the rest, establishing a toehold in the industry is no cakewalk. 
A. The reputation of a restaurant mainly depends on the quality of food that is served and it is the chef who determines this to a large extent. 
