Bengaluru: Expo throws light on career planning, draws large crowds

BENGALURU: The seventh edition of The Times of India’s ‘Mission Admission 2022’, presented by Presidency University and powered by IFIM, was a mixed bag of expert sessions on the National Education Policy, psychometric analysis, design and architecture and more.
Mission Admission, a higher education seminarcum-expo in Bengaluru, aims to assist students stepping into graduation courses.It is a single platform to help students and parents get an understanding of courses available after class 12 or PU with eminent educationists, industry stalwarts and other experts speaking on various streams. The best colleges and universities in Karnataka will provide students and parents with information about admission, courses, fees, campus and infrastructure.
Hundreds of parents and students thronged Jayamahal Palace from Saturday morning to attend the seven expert sessions and visit the 25-plus stalls put up by colleges, universities, studyabroad platforms and more. Sunday will have sessions on international education, IELTS, etc. (see box). The event was inaugurated by Thimmegowda, vice-chairman, Karnataka State Higher Education Council. Elaborating on the flexible and multidisciplinary framework that will be introduced through the National Education Policy, he said: “It will fill the gaps in education to make graduates employable.” He added that every policy has its pros and cons. “However, NEP’s positives overweigh its negatives,” he said.
Jacob Mathew, design principal, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design and Technology, spoke about careers in design & architecture. “The qualities that a designer needs are curiosity, optimism, compassion, perseverance and the ability to co-create,” said Mathew, advising students and parents to hone these skills, attitudes and aptitudes. He also shared the wide career opportunities for designers in corporates, design consulting studios, government sector, think-tanks, civil society organisations, etc. Pralhad SS, AGM (Bengaluru south) and Srinivasa Rao, ÀGM (Bengaluru north), State Bank of India, explained how one could avail of loans for studies. With a stall at the venue, the bank representatives said the priority is on education loans. The next session grabbed the curiosity of parents and students alike where Joseph Paulson, proprietor, JoPaulson & Global Psychometrics Café, spoke about psychometric analysis.
Psychometric testing or analysis is a scientific method used to measure an individual’s cognitive capabilities and behavioural style. Paulson, who has a 20-year specialisation in the field, shared insights on how he could help individuals land their dream jobs by psychometric analysing. “It involves three types of profiling – interest, personality and ability. It aims to find the intersection between what a person is good at doing and the natural skills he/she has to do it,” he said, adding that a dream career is one where a person has natural skills, enjoys doing it, adds value to society and meets his/her legitimate needs through it. He advised parents and students to not aim for a career because of parental or peer pressure. Later, Uttam Kumar Badiger, senior assistant, Karnataka Examinations Authority, cleared several doubts posed by students as part of the session, ‘CET Counselling – All that you need to know’.