Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I read your column regularly. My elder sister is a Commerce final-year student. She’s planning to do CA after passing her Masters in Commerce (MCom). I would appreciate your suggestion if she is going to make the right choice. Or what do you think she should do? (Mughees-ur-Rahman Syed, Karachi)

Ans: Dear Mr Syed, once your sister successfully completes her degree, I would advise her to find a job relevant to her degree. Please note that it can be in commerce or finance. However, if she fails to get a relevant job then she should go for an internship/ article ship that leads to completing her CA but my advice to her is that she must put her MCom to work before making any new decision.

Q2: Respected sir, I have done BSc Electronics Engineering, MS Telecom Engineering Management with 10 years of telecom experience and a Master’s in Business Administration (Executive). I’m now 42 years of age and want to do a PhD. Sir, I request your guidance and advice regarding my PhD plan. Do you suggest that an Engineering management PhD will be suitable for me? Is there any possibility of getting a scholarship? Last but not least, according to your expert opinion, should I study it here in Pakistan or in any other foreign institution? I request your help on this. (Shan-e-Ahmad Rajput, Islamabad)

Ans: I have checked your academic profile, and it’s good to know that you are a very multi-qualified engineer and management technologist. I suggest you should choose one of the areas within your specialism/ expertise to do a PhD. For accurate and comprehensive guidance as to which PhD you should do, I need your updated CV along with details of marks obtained/grades, etc. Only then I can give you better advice about which one is the right area you should pursue your PhD. Furthermore, it will also help in answering your question about scholarship chances/opportunities.

Q3: Dear sir, I have done a Masters in Diplomacy & Strategic Studies (International Relations) from Lahore. I request you to please guide me in deciding on my future career. (Jaffar Hussain Baloch, Multan)

Ans: Dear Mr Baloch, your chosen subjects and academic qualification is an ideal mix for attempting a CSS exam. I understand you would have studied both compulsory and optional subject combinations. Therefore, with a small effort, I think you should easily pass the CSS examination and proceed further to a public sector job most likely in foreign affairs.

Q4: Dear Mr Abidi, I’m studying MBBS. I’m facing a terrible situation. I took the 2nd year MBBS final exam and failed. Now, I have to appear in the supplementary exam and I passed my first-year exam also in the supplementary exam. Your expert guidance can save me from making a wrong decision. Therefore, I humbly request your urgent guidance. Should I try and pass my supplementary exam and if I do so, would it affect me in the future? Secondly, what should I do after passing my MBBS? (Mujaddid Janjua, Gujar Khan)

Ans: Dear Mr Janjua, it relies on the interest you develop by the time when you pass your MBBS. Right now I think your priority should be to keep focused and pass your final exam which you are already working on. Moreover, after passing MBBS, please consider doing the following: 1. Dermatology, 2. Radiology and 3. Anesthetics. Another way to better your employment opportunities is by doing research in those related fields.

(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).