Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I’m studying Business Administration (MBA) from Virtual University. Recently I passed 1st semester with 82% numbers. My second semester is in process. In the 3rd semester, I need to decide my specialisation. Earlier, I have done Bachelors in Commerce and also have five to six years’ experience in accounts. I seek your guidance to decide which specialisation I choose. Please help. (Hikmat Shah, Sargodha)

Ans: Dear Mr Shah, seeing your first semester marks gives me an idea that you really worked hard. Keeping in view of your commerce background and experience, I can easily suggest that you should choose Financial Management or Finance Accounting as your specialist subject. I understand you would be doing a project at the end of your current programme; therefore, I would advise you to consider Risk Analysis and Live Trading of Stocks etc. to complete your Masters in Business Administration.

Q2: Dear Sir, I recently did my Bachelors (4yrs) in Home Economics with majors in Food and Nutrition. My current CGPA is 3.1 and I'm still waiting for my final/8th semester. For an MPhil in a relevant field, please advise me on any good subject area/field as well as a good university. I have some interest in doing Clinical Nutrition. What is your advice? (Shehneela Taqi, Lahore).

Ans: Dear Shehneela, clearly you are a hard working good student and if you keep on the same pace and get more than 3.5 CGPA; you will have a lot of opportunities especially a chance of winning a 100% tuition scholarship from the United Kingdom or USA. Relevant emerging areas of research for an MPhil can be Food Safety and Microbiology, Lifestyle and Nutrition Health, Metabolism and off course Clinical Nutrition or all those areas that you can find greater career opportunities and PhD funding around the globe. I tell you that all the above areas are emerging and popular in demand. I hope this information would be useful to you.

Q3: Respect Mr Abidi, I want to have your expert opinion regarding one of my questions. I’m very confident that I will get admission in Business Studies at NUST. Please advise if I should choose BBA or BS in Accounting and Finance? Secondly, what should be the criteria and qualifications if I wish to do MBA afterwards? Is this a prerequisite that I must have a BBA or it can also be done after BS Accounting and Finance? (Ansa Shahraiz, Islamabad)

Ans: Dear Ansa, no doubt NUST is a high-ranking institution of Pakistan. Let me tell you that if you do well and are good at numbers I would ask you to consider doing BS in Accounting & Finance. Otherwise, BBA is also a career-oriented subject domain. MBA can be done either with an accounting degree or with a management degree provided you have relevant experience as it is connected to work experience.

Q4: Respected Sir, I have read your recent column which motivated me to get some expert advice and guidance for my future career plans. I did my BS Hons Telecommunication with a CGPA of 3.5 from Iqra in 2022 and got a job in a private company that deals in IT solutions. Now I want to do MS Project Management from MA Jinnah University. Please guide me about what are other options/ fields for MS being a girl ahead. (Farhat Taimoor Siddiqui, Karachi)

Ans: Dear Farhat, Telecom is definitely a vast and emergent/growing subject area. Recent innovation and technology enhancement in telecommunication is due to the fusion of IT and Computer Engineering. As you have relevant experience of doing projects in this telecom area and understand the management, analysis and execution of projects in the practical sense, it would be a wise decision doing MSc Project Management. It will no doubt help you improve your career prospects and or looking at higher level management jobs within the telecommunication industry.

(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).