Education advice - Counselling for Career-24

Q.
I study at Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University). I studied in a government school because of which I don’t have a good grip on the English language. I hesitate while speaking. I want to crack the MBA Common Admission Test (CAT). How should I improve my English skills? — Ganga

A.
You can certainly do well in CAT if you prepare carefully. Being an engineer, I believe, you obviously can handle the quantitative ability and data interpretation and logic sections well. You need to concentrate on verbal ability and reading comprehension which examines your understanding of the English language and your ability to reason and present facts in English. The basic requirements for both these sections are a good vocabulary and a strong grasp of grammar. You can work on this by spending adequate time on improving your vocabulary and reading speed. The ability to read fast is an advantage. As the questions in this section can be from any general topic — economics, psychology, philosophy, sociology, politics, medicine, science, culture, arts, etc, it is important to inculcate good reading habits and widen your knowledge base. You also need to be aware of current affairs, and keep abreast of the news, particularly about business. Read two or three newspapers daily, and news and general interest magazines. Watch news and business programmes on television. To score well in this, you don’t need to be a grammar expert. But work at developing your abilities in the functional usage of words, idioms and phrases. You can study from the many guide books and websites that give sample and past papers, or enrol for professional training at a coaching institute. Moreover, as the CAT is very competitive, I suggest you also try for other MBA entrance tests, as they can lead to admission to many other good management institutes.
Q.
I am in the last semester of my GNIIT (software engineering) programme. I would like to pursue a career in cyber security. Is it better to get into networking or software programming? Which institutes offer courses in cyber security? — Ankit

A.
If you are good at information technology, then a career in IT security can open up many career opportunities. Competencies for this profession include good programming and analytical skills, knowledge of databases, networking and operating systems and understanding of operating systems, IP, routers and switches, other networking equipment, firewalls and content security. Security is all about problem solving, so you need to find out how the system can be breached, and how to protect and buffer it. You should keep abreast of technological changes. A lot of security is about trust, and that your integrity is most important. Computer graduates who have done courses in network administration and database administration activities like Cisco-certified Network Administrator, Microsoft Certified Network Administrator, Solaris administrator and Oracle DBA are best suited to jobs in information security. There are also some certification programmes offered by companies such as the Certified Information System Security Provision. One to two years’ experience in networking and systems administration and/or database administration with some coding exposure will help.
Q.
I am a BSc in statistics, working with a multinational company as a business analyst with four years of professional experience. I have this great desire to work with people in animal conservation, marine biology, just go to places and be with animals. I am just getting more and more passionate about animals and wish to go pro. I really dont know where to start from. It would be great if you could help. — Ravi Chopra

A.
It is good to hear that you are keenly interested in working in a field which is of critical importance today. There is a huge need for dedicated, young wildlife and conservation professionals. But before selecting to study specialised subjects like environmental science or wildlife studies, it is important to find out more about the options in this field, and your particular interest in the subject. The jobs can range from environment education and awareness and research to working directly with organisations involved in environment protection and preservation, wildlife research and natural resource management. There are job opportunities in government and with forest and wildlife research and natural resource management organisations, as also in sanctuaries and zoological parks. Your background in statistics could be useful in gathering, analysing, and interpreting data on wildlife and animal habitats, including behaviour, disease, ecology, genetics, etc to conserve wildlife species and improve habitat conditions. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international environment conservation organisations, too, are recruiting wildlife specialists for promoting awareness, educating people living near forests, and as consultants for taking up projects such as Project Tiger, Save the Lion and other such programmes. If you are interested in the environment, with a science background you can do an MSc in this field, offered by several universities, including: * School of Environmental Sciences, New Delhi (www.jnu.ac.in) * TERI University, New Delhi (www.teriuniversity.ac.in) Admission to all these courses is through a test. If you are interested in working with animals, you could do courses in wildlife protection or zoological studies for a job with a zoological park or in wildlife protection organisations. While the job opportunities are limited in India, the awareness of the need to protect our wildlife has lead to the initiation of many programmes in the government and private sectors, where trained professionals are required. You can specialise in ecological management or wildlife studies from the Salim Ali Institute of Ecology, Pondicherry, and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Madras offer MSc programmes in wildlife studies. The School of Environment Management at GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi, offers a two-year masters programme in environment management. The course is open to students from science/engineering background, and selection is through a national-level common entrance test.

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