From exploring new career to selecting right branch for engineering course

Managing career change

Q. After working in the media for several years, I find that my interests have changed. I wish to change my line while I’m still young. But how do I find the time to explore the options while still holding a full-time job?

— Sneha Malik

A. Self-discipline and hard work. Give yourself a year to see how it goes. Set yourself a time limit.

No matter where you are in your career or how much you enjoy it, you'll find that if you don't do something new to shake things up at regular intervals, you’ll easily end-up doing exactly what you’re doing today and yesterday.

However, re-careering or making a mid-career change, calls for a lot of soul searching, a great deal of stocktaking, planning and research. And if you’ve never done it before, it can be a bit scary.

So, let me share some useful time-saving tips from those who’ve successfully managed to do just that.

After taking stock of your key skills and interests, identify your strengths so you can capitalise on them. Explore fields related to your work for starters because the transition will be that much smoother.

1.  Keep at it…! Use every spare hour you can find. Press evenings, weekends and lunch-breaks into service. The more you explore, the more you'll learn. The internet is a great tool. The more you learn, the better poised you'll be to act.

2. Do your entire initial planning and homework after office hours. Later, use this time to write thank-you notes, correspond, etc.

3.  Put your lunch hour to work to call upon potential prospects, leads etc. If you carry a dry lunch, it will enable you to keep one [not-too-long] appointment. If you do it regularly over a period, you'll be amazed at how many leads you've managed to pursue.

4. Similarly, fix meetings straight after work. Many senior managers and businesspeople work late. Estimate the time it will take you to go across, and make sure you don't keep anyone waiting.

5. Use holidays to maximum advantage. If you’re in govt. service or working in a school or college, you'll have far more holidays than most business people or organizations. Use them to chat-up people who are actually working in the field and for exploring further leads.

6.  Use your sick-leave, if you have any due, for the same purpose. It’s better to use it now when you need it most, than to cash it in at the time of leaving.

Similarly, make the most of your vacation — if you’re dead serious about a career change, it’s no great sacrifice. This comes in particularly handy if you need to go outstation. Schedule your appointments so you can squeeze in a spot of vacationing on the side.

7. If you still feel you need more concentrated time to visit a whole list of people and places, take leave without pay. No one will deny you a week off for "personal business" if it’s scheduled in advance.

8. Review your findings with trusted family and friends. They can be good sounding boards.

 Be prepared to take less money initially and work hard to learn new skills. It could even be a part-time or contract job or even a spot of moonlighting.

Remember, reinvention is not an overnight process. Learning new skills needs to be reinforced with the humility to accept lateral or even lower-grade assignments.

A “beginner’s mindset” will certainly help.

Above all, keep at it, even when you find your enthusiasm flagging at times. You need to ‘drive’ yourself to succeed.

 Online courses for engineering hopefuls

Q. I have taken my Class XII Boards and I am preparing for engineering entrances including JEE. However, because of the prevailing pandemic conditions, I am confused whether a regular course will actually begin and I am totally confused about which branch to choose?

— Sarthak Pal

A. IIT-Madras has launched a new initiative where eminent professors from various departments of the institutes will deliver online lectures on engineering streams to help Class XII students like you to identify the discipline that’s best aligned with their interests.

The JEE Mains 2020 which was earlier scheduled for April 5 -9, 2020, has now been scheduled for July 18-23, 2020 across the country.

Admit cards will be released 15 days prior to the exam which is held for admission to BE & BTech courses in the IITs, NITs and various other engineering colleges across the country.

Incidentally, IIT Madras & the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) have begun enrolment for 400+ online courses.

The courses (with provision for credit transfer) are free and open to everyone across the world. There is a nominal fee only for those interested in taking exams for certification.

The enrolments are currently open for July-December 2020 semester. Students can register for these courses via https://nptel.ac.in

NPTEL currently works with 3,800+ colleges across the country including those in Engineering, Arts, Commerce, Science and Management.

Universities and Autonomous colleges that wish to take advantage of credit transfer, must implement the credit transfer policy in their institutions. Some have already started doing so.

AICTE has requested all universities and colleges to allow up to 20% credit transfer in every semester through the Central Government’s SWAYAM initiative. Students can request for transfer of credit once they clear the certification exam as per the regulations of the institute concerned.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.