Career Guidan

Art Pathway
I am an arts student in class XII. I do not know what to choose after school. I want to do something related to design, but I am not sure whether fashion designing is the right field for me. How should I decide?
Ranjita Thakkar
To make a viable career in any of the several design-related careers, you need to have the right combination of skills and talents -be good with colours and designs, sketch draw paint reasonably well, be good at making things with your hands and have strong creative and visualising ability.
If you do have these skills, then it is not just fashion designing but also other design-related careers such as textile design; knitwear design; accessory and jewellery design and footwear design that you could explore. Other creative fields that you can consider are graphic design, product design, interior design and architecture.
If your creative skills are not of such a level, but you still wish for a career related to a creative area, then try courses such as fashion merchandising, fashion management and even fashion communication.
However, if you are not sure about joining a course in any of these fields straight after school, then enrol for a regular undergraduate degree at a university and pursue a short-term diploma course in one of these areas. This will give you a better idea of what is involved in each area and whether you are suitable for the same while choosing a path and course for yourself at the postgraduate level.
Job-ready
I am confused about my career. I was in the 94.3 percentile in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2012. Some people suggest I go for an MTech, while others say that I should try for a job. They say that there are few jobs for those with an MTech. Please guide me.
Rakesh Handa
Here is an option that will help you have your cake and eat it, too. Since your GATE scores are valid for two years, you can opt for a good job -if you manage to receive an offer for one.
You can decide to stay on if you enjoy the work and the company offers the kind of opportunities that appeal to you. Otherwise, you can go for an MTech from a top-rung engineering college or maybe, for an MBA.
In a way, your friends are right. By and large, industry does not give as much weighting to the MTech credential as in the West, unless when recruiting for fairly specialised hi-tech fields or for research and development.
Biotech degree
I am a student of class XII with biology. I want to pursue research-related work in biotechnology. I am confused as to whether to pursue a BSc or BTech in biotechnology. Should I complete my BSc in microbiologybiochemistry and then go for an MSc in biotechnology?
Udit Mehra
Biotechnology is an integrated subject which utilises knowledge from several disciplines, including biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology, maths, physics, chemistry and engineering. You can choose from several options after class XII. BSc, BEBTech and integrated MSc MTech courses in biotechnology can be undertaken straight after finishing class XII. However, you can pursue your MSc in biotechnology even after completing your Bachelor's in the life sciences (biology, biochemistry, microbiology andor zoology), pharmacy, medicine, veterinary science or agriculture, to name some disciplines.
If you are keen on research, you can register for a PhD and even for postdoctoral research.
Financial backbone
I am currently in class XII (commerce stream).Could you give me information on actuarial science? Where is it taught? Could I pursue a programme in this discipline through distance-learning?
Reshma Mendratta
Actuaries constitute the analytical backbone of a country's financial security programmes. They design and develop insurance products, assess the risk, fix the right product pricing and undertake asset and liability valuation. Based at the insurance company's headquarters, they calculate the premium by applying mathematical theories of probability, compound interest and statistical techniques to finance with long-term implications, such as life insurance or pension schemes.
In a fast-changing world with new risks and the need for more creative ways to tackle them, the career offers an opportunity for personal and professional growth and lifelong learning.
The profession offers considerable rewards in terms of intellectual challenge, professional status, job satisfaction and good pay.
To become a fellow member of the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI), one is required to clear a challenging 16-paper exam conducted by it.Visit http:www.actuariesindia.org for more information including on the exam, which can be taken after class XII for admission to the programme.
The Institute of Actuaries, London, too, conducts exams in India. Those who pass IAI's exams are exempted from some subjects of its exam, and vice versa.
Medico-Legal study
After completing my MD, I am practising in a government hospital. I wish to explore courses in medico-legal systems other than the LLB. Are there such options in India, preferably short-term?
Tanvir
Yes, there are a number of options, including the following: National Law School of India University, Bangalore z PG diploma in medical law and ethics (correspondence; one year) Symbiosis Centre of Healthcare, Symbiosis International University, Pune z Postgraduate diploma in medico-legal systems (one-year; distance mode) Amity Law School, Delhi z Six-month course for graduates in law and medicine ILS Law College, Pune z Diploma in medical jurisprudence Bioinformatics Institute of India, Noida (Uttar Pradesh) z PG diploma in medico-legal systems Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (deemed university), Karad (Maharashtra) z PG diploma in medico-legal systems