Counselling for Career-8

Q. I am in a customer service-oriented industry. Can I do a SAP course to get into a different career with customer relationship management (CRM) as my domain area? -Payal A. I am glad to know that you are trying to fill the gaps in your education, although it is not necessary for the programmes you wish to take up. Open institutions such as Dr BR Ambedkar University offer flexible, distance-mode courses that can be taken up by any adult, even without a formal qualification. So, your BA degree is valid. The work you do does not necessary require you to have completed Class 12, but it may be worthwhile to do so for the long term, particularly if you intend to migrate abroad, even if this means completing the programme after the BA degree. You can take up a SAP course for better career prospects. There are many SAP courses that can provide an understanding of SAP CRM basics and navigation. There are also global certification programmes for the SAP CRM application that will enable you to work within a team to apply your knowledge to your company’s SAP CRM implementation.

Q. I am a Class 9 student from a middle-class family. I wish to join a US airline because I believe I can fly planes. My parents, however, insist that I choose another career. I don’t want to disappoint them. Also I have heard most airlines are not expanding and are not hiring new pilots. What should I to? -Ashish A. Flying training is expensive. Moreover, recessionary factors and rising fuel prices have made most airlines cut back on expansion plans. As a result, few carriers are inducting fresh pilots. About 3000 trainee pilots are awaiting job opportunities in India. Given this scenario, you may like to reconsider your intent to become a pilot, or look at joining the Indian Air Force. You can join the Indian Air Force as a pilot either by joining the National Defence Academy after Class 12 with science, or after graduation in science or engineering. The National Defence Academy’s Common Entrance Examination will also include a pilot’s aptitude test to check candidates’ suitability for this career, followed by the Services Selection Board tests. For more information, check www.careerairforce.nic.in. Another option is aircraft maintenance engineering (AME). These engineers work in the engineering and maintenance department of an airline and ensure the availability of safe and airworthy aircraft for it. Before a plane takes off, aircraft maintenance engineers, along with a team of engineers from different disciplines, certify that it is airworthy, has been maintained well and is capable of proper functioning. Maintenance work includes overhauling grounded aircraft at airports, hangars and workshops, replacing plane parts, treating corrosion and checking tyres, instruments and wheel flaps. Today, with more airlines and aircraft, there is a good demand for aircraft maintenance engineers. AME is offered by many institutes in India. The list of Directorate General of Civil Aviation-approved AME training institutes is available on www.dgca.nic.in.

Q. I have completed my BBA programme from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and am planning to pursue my master’s in public policy right after graduation. Is that the right choice? -Divya A. There are not many institutes or universities teaching public policy as a specialisation, although it is included in courses related to social sciences. This subject has mostly been included in programmes for government officials as it covers implementation and formulation of policies and management of public enterprises, infrastructure development, public systems and so on. However, institutions like IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad and Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, provide postgraduate programmes in public policy and management. IIM Kolkata offers a course in public systems management while in New Delhi, TERI University runs a two-year MA programme in public policy and sustainable development. Indira Gandhi National Open University has started a distance-mode programme in this subject. You could also take the opportunity to think about taking an MA degree in public administration which covers this discipline. There are many universities offering master’s in public administration, including the University of Delhi and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi, holds a number of training programmes. Open to science, social science, commerce, engineering and law graduates, the courses are designed to promote an understanding of key elements like policy process, as well as its socioeconomic, political and environmental dimensions. Among the best known institutes for public policy is the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Other such courses are available at institutes including: . Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley . Maxwell School of Public Policy, University of Syracuse . George Mason University . University of Minnesota . National University of Singapore Openings for graduates from this programme are in the government as well as non-government organisations, research and planning institutes, international bodies and infrastructure development organisations.