Counselling for Career-6

Q. I am a science student in Class 11. I want to become a corporate lawyer. I am very good at science but I came to know that it is necessary to be good at social science. Which specialised field should I take for it? Does law continue to be a good option? -Ashima A. You can take up a law programme after any subject stream. Irrespective of the subjects you specialise in, you must have above average intelligence, analytical ability and excellent communication skills to become a good lawyer. You may be good at science, but if you also have good communication skills, memory and reading power, law can be an interesting career option. The entrance test for the five-year BALLB includes objective type multiple-choice questions as well as short answer questions on general knowledge, general English, and aptitude for legal studies which includes problem solving and logical reasoning exercises. Law continues to offer excellent career prospects. With so many multinational companies streaming into the country, lawyers dealing in corporate law and international collaborations are much sought after. Moreover, legal complexities in general are multiplying rapidly, opening many challenging opportunities in civil, criminal and corporate law, intellectual property rights or in areas such as international law, human rights law or labour law. If you are unable to get into the five-year programme, you can go for the three-year law degree after graduation in any discipline, offered by almost all universities in the country.

Q. My daughter is a biomedical engineer (2010). She had an offer to join TCS but she did want to get into the software industry. She now works in a small firm that manufactures biomedical testing equipment. I find that it is not very prosperous. After graduation, it is very difficult to get a good job, except in sales, in healthcare companies. Can she do her master’s in biomedical engineering with some specialisation that can help fetch her good job? She appeared for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)) but she is not expecting much. Is there any good college which admits aspirants directly in PG programmes? -Gautam Kumar A. Biomedical engineering (BME) is a relatively new discipline which combines the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to help improve patient health care and the quality of life of individuals. Biomedical engineers work on medical devices such as pacemaker and other diagnostic tools and imaging equipment such as MRIs and ECGs. Biomedical engineering is a career of the future and one best suited to those who are technically sound, enjoy research work and are deeply interested in developing cutting-edge technologies. If interested in this field and looking for growth in her career, your daughter will need to take an MTech degree. Admission to any MTech programme is on the basis of a test, so she will have to prepare for that.

Q. I am a Class 12 student studying physics, chemistry and maths. What are the possible posts for female candidates in the Indian Railways and when will their application forms be out? Which department has the highest pay scale? -Santoshi A. There are various departments in the railways, which are categorised into two broad areas, technical and non-technical services. The non-technical services, which handle transportation and commercial matters, the accounting and finance section of the railways, the personnel and the security of railway property, include: . Indian Railway Traffic Service Group A (IRTS) . Indian Railway Accounts Service Group A (IRAS) . Indian Railway Personnel Service Group A (IRPS) . Indian Railway Protection Force Group A (IRPF) . Railway Board Secretariat Service Group B In technical services, employees include engineers in the railways who look after maintenance of diesel locomotives, rolling stock of railway wagons and goods carriages, as also drivers of engines etc. The options here are: . Indian Railway Service of Engineers (civil) . Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers . Indian Railway Service of Signal and Telecommunication Engineers . Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers There is also the Indian Railway Stores Service and the Indian Railway Medical Service. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts open competitive examinations for recruitment to all gazetted posts in the railway services. Recruitment to all services is through examinations conducted by the UPSC. You need to be a graduate in any stream, and between 21 to 30 years old to be eligible. To apply for the technical services, you must possess an engineering degree or its equivalent to take the Combined Engineering Services Examination held in early July every year. Other conditions remain the same as for the Civil Services Examination. A separate examination is conducted in August every year for the recruitment of mechanical engineers, called the Special Class Railway Apprentices. These candidates, aged 17 to 21, are selected at the pre-graduate level (10+2 with physics or chemistry and maths) and have to undergo practical and theoretical training given by the railways at the Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, at Jamalpur. Those who enter this service constitute the top rung of the mechanical wing of Indian Railways. One must clear the Combined Medical Services Examination to enter the Indian Railway Medical Service. The eligibility requirement for this service is an MBBS degree, and the upper age limit for the candidates is 30 years. Recruitment to the railway services is open to both men and women. All salary grades for officers of the railways are fixed by the Government of India and follow the pattern of other civil services.