Counselling for Career-7

Q. I am a third-year BA student in the University of Delhi. I have English as my main subject and am very keen to work here as a lecturer. What are the eligibility criteria for the entrance test for MA in English? What should I study after my master’s? Can I also do a language course along with my MA? -Ashna Mehta A. You need to do an MA programme in English to become a lecturer in Delhi University. You must have at least 55% marks in graduation with any subject to apply for the MA programme in English. There is an entrance test for admission to the course, which many find difficult to clear. The entrance test usually includes a character sketch, a book review, an essay, a comprehension passage, story writing based on pictures/cues, questions based on current affairs or general knowledge. You should have good knowledge of English classics, current affairs, and authors (who are best selling and are making news). Read five to 10 of the top 100 fiction and non-fiction bestsellers. You also need to be good at grammar as the course requires a lot of writing and good expression. To be eligible for lectureship, you need to qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) for which a minimum of 55% marks in postgraduation are essential. I passed my Class 10 in 1996. Due to some personal reasons I could not complete my Class 12 (PCM). Then, I started working. During this period I enrolled for a BA programme at Dr BR Ambedkar Open University in 2002 but could complete it in 2007. I attempted papers of all three years of BA in the year and my degree says that. I am now thinking of completing my Class 12 through the National Institute of Open Schooling. Will this help me? I am also doing a distance-mode PG diploma programme in business administration (human resources). I have a total work experience of six years. Will this help me migrate to another country?

Q. I am a Class 9 student living in Noida, near Delhi, since childhood. However, my birthplace is Ranchi. I am interested in pursuing an MBBS degree. To be eligible for the Delhi pre-medical test (PMT), do I need to change my school to one in Delhi? If I finish my Class 11 and Class 12 from Delhi, will I be able to take the Uttar Pradesh Combined Pre-Medical Test by virtue of being a Noida resident and having done my schooling there till Class 10? Also will I be able to sit for the Bihar/Jharkhand PMT because of my birthplace? -Aditya A. There are about eight-10 tests for admissions to national institutes, as well as those for medical colleges in your state of domicile. This means that as a resident of Noida, you are eligible for admission to all government-run medical and dental colleges in UP. You can also appear for all the all-India tests. The Central Board of Secondary Education conducts an all-India entrance test for 15% seats in MBBS and BDS programmes in all medical and dental colleges run by the Central and state governments in all other states, except Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. A number of medical institutions have their own selection tests. So, you need not change your school — there are many medical colleges you can apply to. You should also know that there has been a move to conduct a single admission test for all medical colleges in the country, and it is likely that this may be in place by the time you are ready to sit for the PMT.

Q. I am a BSc (mechanical engineering) student at Canada’s University of Alberta. Should I do a master’s in engineering or in management? I want a very good pay package. At the same time, I want to enjoy pure engineering work and acquire management skills? -Himanshu A. You have answered your question by saying you enjoy pure engineering work. The choice of doing an MSc or MBA depends entirely on your interest areas, your aptitude and personality type. If you have enjoyed studying mechanical engineering and are interested in the technical field and research, then it’s good to do an MTech programme. A master’s degree enables you to hone your knowledge and skills in a specialised area, which leads to enhanced career growth. However, if you wish to combine your know-how with managerial skills, then an MBA qualification is better. After an MSc programme, you can continue working in your area of specialisation or look at options in research and teaching while an MBA degree can take you into finance, marketing, sales, human resources, operations management and so on.