Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I have completed three years of Electrical Engineering with a CGPA of 3.47. I seek your guidance on selecting a specialisation for my final year—Power, Telecommunication, Electronics, or Computer? (Yousaf Asghar, Multan)

Ans: Dear Mr Asghar, congratulations on your commendable CGPA. With a CGPA of 3.5 or higher, you'll have excellent opportunities for scholarships abroad. Regarding your specialisation, the Power Sector offers diverse and emerging areas such as Transmission & Distribution Engineering, Electrical Power Systems & High Voltage Engineering, Future Power Networks, and Sustainable Energy. All these fields promise a successful professional career and ample growth opportunities.

Q2: Dear sir, I scored 755 marks in my BCom in 2019. I am contemplating pursuing a master's degree—either MCS or MBA. Please advise me on whether I should choose MCS or MBA? (Ibrahim Siddiqui, Islamabad)

Ans: Dear Ibrahim, without prior experience, I recommend opting for an MSc in Financial Management, Banking, or Commerce. If you consider pursuing an MBA later, I suggest gaining two or three years of relevant experience beforehand.

Q3: Respected Mr Abidi, I completed my bachelor's in 2017 with Islamiyat, Political Science, and Persian. Now, I plan to study in a foreign country like England, Switzerland, or Germany. Could you please guide me on covering my study gap and which of the mentioned countries would be a good choice? (Sarfraz Hassan, Gujranwala)

Ans: Dear Sarfraz, addressing the gap in education is crucial for studying abroad. I recommend pursuing a master's in either Political Science or International Relations. Considering your choices, Germany stands out as an excellent option due to its accessibility, no tuition fees, though an IELTS score of 6.5 is generally required.

Q4: Dear sir, I seek your expert advice in selecting a course. I completed Intermediate with Computer and Economics, excelling in the Computer subject. I am inclined towards studying Computer and Business. Which subject—BBA, BSc, or BS-Information Technology—would be better for me? (Ahmed Jamal, Karachi)

Ans: Dear Ahmed, I advise pursuing a bachelor's in Business and Information Technology, commonly known as BA Business and IT, aligning with your background in Computer and Economics. After completing this degree, consider further studies in Business Information Systems (MSc), offering promising career prospects in Pakistan and abroad. This information should assist you in making an informed decision for your future studies.

(Syed Azhar Husnain Abidi is a renowned educationist in Pakistan, with more than 20 years of experience as provider of education counselling services. He has represented Pakistan in over 100 national and international seminars, conferences and fora. He is a recipient of the most coveted civil award Tamgha-e-Imtiaz).