Counselling for Career-2

Q. I am a second-year student of tourism at the University of Delhi. I am also doing a computerised reservation system course from a private institute. How should I pursue my career in the tourism industry? Is a postgraduate qualification necessary in this field? -Shivam A. The courses you are doing will help you get into the expanding job market of travel agencies, airlines, travel websites, and hotels. Being a very wide field, the employment scope in this sector is very large and includes government tourism departments, immigration and customs services, tour operators, airline catering, guides, interpreters, tourism promotion and sales as well. Job prospects are now the greatest with travel agencies and tour operators, and in self-employment, particularly if you can find a unique niche in the kind of service you provide to clients. With the qualification and training you have received, it is best that you start by working with a travel agency or tour operator. Today, the players range from major international organisations with a workforce of thousands to the small private travel agent employing a few employees. After a few years of experience, you may join a travel and tourism management programme to boost your career growth and help you not only in a management-related post with a travel organisation, but also provide you with the basic skills to start your business, handling all requirements of a client and gradually building up business, recruiting additional employees. You may also think about learning a foreign language depending on which one seems familiar and easier to you. The knowledge of one or more foreign languages is a definite asset in this industry.

Q. I am a Class 12 student. I have been accepted by Penn State University and I am considering BE in aerospace engineering. Is it advisable to go there? What are the study and work options after this programme? -Rahul A. Aeronautical or aerospace engineering is one of the most challenging fields, with a wide scope for growth. It deals with the development of new technology in aviation, space exploration and defence systems. It is good that you have got admission into one of the good US universities for this programme. As regards going for such a degree in the US, you need to consider your future study and career goals before making a final decision. The aerospace engineering courses in the US are among the most advanced in the world as the country is at the cutting edge of space science. If you wish to do research in this field, the US is a good option. You can take up further study — ME and PhD — in aerospace-related fields such as atmospheric sciences, space engineering and rocketry, missile technology and so on. Aerospace engineers work in airline companies and aircraft manufacturers as well as in defence research, aeronautical development labs, and with space research programmes whether in India or abroad. However, if you intend to work in the US, it is sensible to keep in mind that this option has been greatly reduced over the last few years. It is possible that you may not get a job with a work permit to stay on there. Moreover, higher education in America is expensive and while financial assistance is available in the form of scholarships, grants, or student employment from the universities and other US foundations, many institutions have cut back on it due to the recession. Aspirants with a good application profile, including exceptional grades in school and the SAT, can hope to get some financial aid. So, do check all your options both in India and abroad before taking a call on this programme.

Q. I am a Class 11 student studying physics, chemistry, math and computer science. I want to make my career in architecture. I have heard that architects struggle and are not paid huge salaries as compared to engineers. Please guide. -Sudipto A. You must not decide on a career just on the basis of the salary you will earn. Money is a strong factor in the career decision process but it shouldn’t be the main criterion. There are so many other aspects you need to think about when choosing a career, particularly your abilities, interest, the work environment and the kind of work it involves. You can excel and do well only if you do what you / enjoy doing and for which you have the natural ability. While it is true that architects do go through a bit of a struggle when they enter the profession, not all engineers start on high salaries. A career as an architect may be the preferred option for you if you are creative and have good sketching skills, a high level of practicality, accuracy, understanding power, the capacity to observe and conceptualise. As a qualified architect, you can work in a firm of architects, in partnership with other architects, or set up your practice after some years of experience and earn a fat income. In the last five years, there has been a huge demand for good architects as new complexes, housing projects, shopping malls, educational institutes, hospitals, as well as huge infrastructure projects come up in the country. Admission to any architecture programme in India is based on the results of a National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) conducted by the Council of Architecture. The test measures drawing and observation skills, sense of proportions, aesthetic sensitivity and critical thinking, related to the field of architecture. NATA is offered year round at designated centres, usually at colleges/ schools of architecture in India. The basic requirements for NATA include 60% marks in Class 12 exams in any subject combination, including maths. Some architecture institutes have their own tests. Entry into the School of Planning and Architecture (www.spa.ac.in), New Delhi and to architecture programmes offered by engineering institutes is through the All India Engineering Entrance Examination. Other prominent institutions offering architecture include . School of Architecture, Centre for Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad www.cept.ac.in . Sir JJ School of Architecture, Mumbai www.sirjjarchitecture.org . Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh www.cca.nic.in . School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Chennai www.annauniv.edu . Faculty of Technology & Engineering, MS University, Baroda www.msubaroda.ac.in . Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi www.ipu.ac.in . Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi www.jmi.nic.in Check the requirements of each institute.