Your Counsellor Replies

Your Counsellor RepliesI‚m a final year BA student keen on becoming a flight steward. Which institutes offer training and what are their eligibility requirements? Sandip Agarwal, New Delhi Most airlines recruit graduates of any discipline, though a diploma or degree in hotel or tourism management is preferable. To qualify as a flight purser or steward, you must be below 26 years of age, own an Indian passport, stand at least 163 cm tall with proportionate weight. You should also be unmarried, physically fit with a pleasing personality, clear complexion and pleasant voice. Fluency in English, Hindi and a foreign language is an advantage.Several private institutions conduct diploma and certificate training programmes for aspirant airhostesses and flight pursers. Among them: Air Hostess Academy, Frankfinn Management Consultants, and Flying Cats. The Institute of Tourism and Future Management Trends, Chandigarh offers a programme in travel, tourism and hospitality management, which includes airhostess training.I‚m a science graduate with several years experience in the computer software industry. To further my career I want to know whether I should study part-time for an MCA/MBA. Which universities/colleges offer these courses through correspondence?Srinivas Iyer, Bangalore Undoubtedly, a postgraduate qualification is a good investment. An MBA diploma will qualify you to accept managerial responsibilities while an MCA will strengthen your software professional skills. MBA diploma programmes are offered by many universities as part-time courses and MCA programmes are offered through the distance education mode.I would like to enroll for an MBA programme after graduating in 2009. I‚m currently in second year B.Com; when should I start preparing for the MBA entrance exam? Nalini Vaz, Panjim The sooner you start your preparation, the better. The best way to judge your comfort level in relation to the Common Admission Test is by solving the previous years‚ CAT papers. A coaching institute can provide you with a proper structure for preparation. Regarding when to enroll in a coaching institute, it depends upon your assessment of your abilities and aptitudes.I‚m a final year B.Com student eyeing a career in the retail industry. Should I do an MBA or a retail management course? What are the job opportunities?Suresh Mudaliar, ChennaiYou could opt for anMBA or a specialised retail management programme. Perhaps it might be advisable to apply for admission into both programmes and then decide. The retail industry is growing at a phenomenal pace and job opportunities are aplenty.Can you suggest some reputed institutes which offer healthcare management study programmes? I‚ll complete my MBBS in 2007. Suchitra Menon, TrivandramProminent institutions offering healthcare management education include the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (www.tiss.edu); Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad (www.asci.org.in); Deccan School of Management (www.dshm.co.in); Symbiosis Depart-ment of Health Sciences, Pune (www.sdhspune.org); Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur (www.iihmr.org); Apollo Institute of Hospital Administration (www.apolloiha. ac.in/admissions.html), Madurai Kamraj University, Madurai (www.mkuniversity. org); Institute of Health Management Research, Bangalore. These study programmes are open to graduates of any discipline though preference is given to medical graduates. If you have practised as a doctor, you…