Counselling for Career-1

Q. I am pursuing my BSc (pass) home science from the Institute of Home Economics, Delhi. I am specialising in nutritional biochemistry. What else can I do? I have heard there are various fields at the MSc level. Which specialisation should I choose? Other than MSc, what else can I do? Can one pursue a course at Pusa after BSc? —Charu A. After graduation in home science, there are several avenues available for you. Nutrition and dietetics offer good career prospects as it is the science of managing food and nutrition to promote health. A relatively new profession, it has gained importance with the realisation that inappropriate eating habits can lead to many major diseases and that quality of life depends on the quality of food we eat. Nutritionists and dieticians work in hospitals, health and recreation clubs, canteens, nursing care facilities, colleges and universities, catering departments of star hotels, research labs of food manufacturers, in health departments of government etc. They can also work as consultants or run their private practice. Food technology is another good possibility. Food technology jobs are in the food processing industry, soft drinks factories, food packaging industry, hotels and catering establishments. A postgraduate in food technology can work as a lecturer or an advisor in government colleges, inspection boards or quality control cells. Companies like Hindustan Unilever, Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Nestle and many others recruit food technologists periodically for improving their products. A bachelors degree in home science, nutrition and hotel management, too, can fetch you good jobs in this sector. There are several courses in food technology, nutrition and dietetics. For a career in dietetics and nutrition or food technology, you can take up an MSc in home science, dietetics and nutrition or food science/technology courses. Some universities offering these courses include: * Allahabad Agricultural Institute * Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar * Kerala Agricultural University * Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani * Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar Also, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, and the AP Open University, Hyderabad, offer diplomas in food and health education.

Q. I wish to do a three-year BSc in agriculture from Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysore. A few universities provide four-year BSc courses in agriculture. Is the three-year degree course valid? —AN A. BSc in agriculture is offered as a three-year and a four-year course in some universities in India. The additional year often includes hands-on training, which helps in tying up all you have learned in the three years, to make you job-ready. One needs to be Class 12-pass with a science background from any of the recognised boards to get admission in BSc in agriculture. The scope afterwards is good in terms of both higher education and job opportunities. Organisations like banks, food chains, insurance companies and dairy consultancies, among others, employ professionals from the agriculture field. KSOU doesn’t offer BSc in agriculture, nor do other open universities, although some like Annamalai and Dr YS Parmar universities offer diploma courses in agriculture-related courses.e

Q. I am studying physics, mathematics and statistics in college. Other than a postgraduate course, what will I be eligible to do after graduation? —Navdeep A. With your subjects, you can probably go for any career. Combining statistical skills with other subjects such as economics, operational research, computer science and business administration can give one a competitive advantage. One advantage of working in statistics is that you can combine your interest with almost any other field in business, science and technology. Moreover, as the requirement for data in all these fields increases, job opportunities in statistics are projected to remain favourable. The private sector needs statisticians in management, market research, product quality, medicine, pharmaceutical research, medical device research, engineering, transportation, insurance, computer and data processing services, risk assessment and marketing. You can also work with government agencies or get into government service, which requires a master’s degree in statistics or mathematical statistics or applied statistics. To help you decide on your future, it is best to identify your strengths and match them against those required for the fields of interest, while also exploring the work and environment in which you will work. This will help you to make an informed decision.