Taking up two courses simultaneously not feasible

Q. I am doing BA in English Literature. I am keen on pursuing a career in law and journalism. Could you please tell me whether it’s possible for me to pursue these courses simultaneously? — Yasmin Javed

A.      As you’re equally interested in Law and Journalism, I don’t see why you can’t pursue courses in both disciplines simultaneously. But what you can do is opt for a regular course in the field that interests you most and enrol for a distance learning or part-time course in the other.

However, there’s a small hitch. If you’re keen on practising law, it’s mandatory that you enrol for a regular LLB course. While a few universities offer BGL/BAL (Bachelor of General/Academic Law) via distance learning mode (due to statutory requirements, these courses are not recognised by the Bar Council of India). What this means is that you can’t practice in a Court of Law after such a course. Be that as it may, given the highly litigious society we live in, knowledge of law will always prove useful across fields, including legal counselling. You could of course handle the legal beat as a journo with ease.

However, the reverse is eminently doable. While pursuing your regular LLB, you can opt for a PG Dip/degree in Journalism/Mass Communication via distance learning (and there are plenty of these available).

 If you can comfortably balance the two, go for it — so you can have your cake, and eat it too!

But before you proceed, make a realistic SWOT analysis to assess your strengths and weakness. Not only will it make for greater clarity, it will also help you prioritise your goals.

Start working on your skills

Q. I have done my MBA via distance mode while working as a salesperson in the pharma sector. I am now looking to work as a manager in a digital marketing firm because DM was covered as a module in the course. However, I’m finding it very difficult to find a relevant opening. I keep getting offered routine sales jobs of the type I’m already in. — Devyani Baxi

A.      Start by honing your skills, which probably means working in a company with a good digital marketing presence. Companies have never had so many ways to broadcast their message and connect with clients. They need to be social media savvy if they want to be heard /seen. While looking for openings, try to focus on digital and data-driven marketing rather than traditional marketing.

 Even though you may have theoretically learnt some aspects of Digital Marketing as part of your curriculum, “don’t be a know-it-all; be a learn-it-all”, advices Microsoft’s Satya Nadella.

Instead of considering yourself an expert, think of yourself as a student. Sign up for some advanced courses in DM – albeit online through Coursera, Udemi and such like. Have you done Google AdWords and Google Analytics? If not, please do so (they’re for free). This will demonstrate your serious intent besides adding further depth to your basic understanding of digital marketing which is now emerging as a veritable science.

Which is better, BBA or BCA?

Q. I am a student of Class XII commerce (with maths). I’m finding it very difficult to decide whether I should go for BCA+ MCA or BBA + MBA. I am very confused. — Sameer Rohatgi

A.      Making a successful career choice – deciding which field to pursue, how to qualify, where to study – these are some of the most vital decisions you’ll ever make in your life. As also the most perplexing. As if lack of objective, timely and up-to-date information weren’t enough, totally new career options keep emerging with unfailing regularity, further compounding the confusion.

To answer your question, both the options which you’ve listed are top-of-the-line ones. Which also leads me to believe that you’re keen on pursuing a professional career? It’s, therefore, very important to go by your interests, aptitude and inclination rather than popular perceptions and media hype. The two require fairly different aptitudes and temperament. And unfortunately, without the benefit of a crystal ball, no one can say whether you would come out ahead by pursuing management or IT.

If business, marketing and finance interest you, then you can go for a BBA/BBE/BCom and follow it up with an MBA.

But if you like computers and computer languages, then a BCA degree under your belt also makes for a win-win situation. You can top it with an MCA or an MBA degree subsequently.

If you decide to go for an MBA being an IT graduate you have another advantage. Besides specializing in the traditional functional areas of Marketing, Finance or HR, you could opt for an MBA in IT or Systems which are highly in demand.

You can even do an MBA after you complete your MCA or after working for a couple of years, by which time you will be clearer about your goals.

Even if you pursue a career in IT, you’ll find that a significant part of your job content, a few years down the line, ends up being administrative or managerial in nature — managing the project, leading your team, handling the planning and financial aspects of the project etc.

 As the MBA programme is more holistic and covers a wide range of subjects, it helps you develop an all-round personality and equips you with confidence to adapt to varied functions and environment.

There’s an equal demand for business savvy tech guys as well as tech-savvy business guys.