Your Counsellor Replies

Your Counsellor RepliesI‚ve completed my B.Com and am currently studying for the CA (chartered accountancy) exam. I also want to pursue some other study programmes (CS, M.Com, etc). Which qualification when combined with CA certification will give me an edge in the job market?Shekhar Rao, BangaloreIf you want to qualify as a chartered accountant, your energies and focus should be solely on excelling in the CA exam because the demands of the mandatory articleship and CA studies are sufficiently daunting. But if you feel you can manage to add to your academic qualifications, you could consider CS, CWA or M.Com. Chartered accountants who are rank holders and have completed their articleship from reputed organi-sations usually get the best entry level placements. Many CAs also pursue an MBA from reputed B-schools to avail the facility of campus recruitment.I‚ll be completing my B.Sc (physics and chemistry) next year. Which course should I pursue after graduation ‚ an M.Sc in biotechnology or MBA in biotechnology?Nalini Gupta, New Delhi MBA after B.Sc or M.Sc will qualify you for a career in all industries. On the other hand an MBA (biotechnology) will qualify you specifically for the biotech and related industries. This qualification is focused on a particular sector of specialised research and applications and hence job opportunities are limited. Finally, if security and placements happen to be your priorities, focus on institutions which attract established recruiters.I need information on IATA courses. Please advise.Shalini Singh, ChandigarhThe IATA/UFTAA (international travel and tourism training) programme is a four-level career path through foundation, consultancy, management and senior management courses. IATA/ UFTAA training courses are based on an independent, home-study method with a complete training kit including training manuals and study publications. This programme is offered in more than 240 IATA/ UFTAA authorised training centres (ATCs) around the world. These centres set their own tuition fees and course structure but the examination papers are based on IATA/ UTFAA course content. Career opportunities are better for those who have higher levels of training. If you do not find it practical to study for the IATA courses on your own, you should consider any of the ATCs (log on to www.iata.org/ps/training/uftaa_ foundation.htm).I‚m in class XII (arts) and would like to pursue a career in publicity design. Please advise.Deepak Sule, PuneThe best study programme in this field is the bachelor of fine arts degree course offered by several universities in the country or the National Institute of Design‚s (NID) graduate diploma course. Both are of four years duration and open to applicants after Plus Two. You still have time to apply for admission. To learn about NID‚s postgrad courses visit (www.nid.edu). Alternatively you can enroll in commercial art diploma programmes offered by private training institutes. Entry into these programmes requires artistic aptitude. If the formal training route isn‚t appealing and you have a reasonably well compiled portfolio of sketches, try to approach prospective employers directly. If your work is good you could land some freelance assignments. After working on several projects you…