Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, being an expert in education counselling, I seek your advice on the best engineering institutions/colleges in Karachi. I recently completed my Matric with a 90% score. (Maryam Abbas, Karachi)

Ans: Dear Maryam, Karachi has numerous institutions and a substantial number of engineering colleges. The choice depends on your specific criteria and proximity. I recommend personally visiting institutions like DHA Degree College for Women, Govt Islamia College Jamshed Town, or Govt College for Women Gulberg. This firsthand exploration will aid you in making an informed decision. I trust this guidance will assist you in your decision-making process.

Q2: Dear sir, I attended your seminar on scholarships abroad and explored the websites you mentioned. Unfortunately, I cannot apply for scholarships during my bachelor's degree like Commonwealth, Chevening, and Fulbright. Currently, I'm in my final semester, and I hope you can suggest some good scholarships for MS or MPhil? (Uzma Jahenzeb, Lahore)

Ans: Dear Uzma, scholarships come in various types, values, and categories, ranging from full to partial or for maintenance. Once you complete your bachelor's, send your transcripts/grades. A colleague from the scholarship division will assess your documents, providing tailored guidance and suggestions based on your academic results and criteria.

Q3: Dear sir, I'm in my second year of ICS. Please guide me on what to do after completing my ICS? (Ahmed Ali, Sargodha)

Ans: Dear Ahmed, without knowing your expected percentage in the ICS final exam, I suggest considering options such as BS in Artificial Intelligence, BS in Information Technology, BS in Computational Physics, or Robotics, Embedded Systems & Control Engineering.

Q4: Sir, I passed my SSC (Matric) with 91% and FSC (Pre-Medical) with 80%. Currently in my 7th semester of BBA with a CGPA of 3.52, majoring in finance. I'm contemplating whether to pursue an MBA (Finance) or another subject for my master's. Additionally, I'm interested in freelance work/business related to finance. Kindly provide suggestions for a relevant degree. (Ali Haider, Sahiwal)

Ans: Dear Ali, your outstanding academic record and strong CGPA reflect your hard work. Finance is a critical field within business and management, offering substantial career opportunities. Considering your interest in finance-related freelance work/business, I recommend pursuing a master's in areas such as MSc Finance & Accounting, Financial Risk Management, or Finance and Economics. Choose a programme available in your hometown institution, and this decision will likely open up promising career opportunities for you.

(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).