Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Dear Mr Abidi, I am in the 2nd year of my FSc Pre-Medical and confused about the field selection for BS. I have listed Biotechnology and Bioinformatics. I want to ask which one of these has better scope in Pakistan? (Hareem Zamani, Kasur)

Ans: Dear Hareem, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics are both very well-recognised subject areas for students with Pre-Medical background.

Both fields are vital, interdisciplinary, and offer exciting career paths, but they cater to different interests and skill sets. Both have good career prospects.

Q2: Dear sir, I am a student of ICom Part-2. I seek your advice on which bachelor’s programme would be a better fit for me. BBA or BS Accounting and Finance? Please guide me. (Mehran Mumtaz, Sialkot)

Ans: Dear Mehran, if you are interested in studying business, my suggestion to you would be BBA. However, if you are good at Maths and want to explore a more specific and a programme designed to polish your analytical skills, I suggest Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance which is a multi-disciplinary, yet a specialised academic and professional path.

Q3: Dear sir, I completed my BS in Medical Ultrasound Technology with a high GPA a year ago. Despite my high GPA, I have not yet found a job, mainly because I have no experience. Can you please advise me on what I should do that will help me to get out of this situation? (Ehsan Rashid, Lahore)

Ans: Dear Ehsan, I can understand fully well how frustrating it must be for you to be jobless even after scoring a distinction. Since you have identified the reason yourself, that solves half of the problem already. My advice to you is to consider taking an internship, even if it’s unpaid, at a reputable organisation.

This will allow you to blend your backgrounds in Ultrasound Technology, increasing your chances of securing a job. Additionally, it will help you to establish valuable professional connections and open up full-time job opportunities in the future.

Q4: Dear Mr Abidi, I have passed Intermediate (FSc) Pre Medical and I request you to advise me on which field would be suitable for me, a Bachelors in Bio Chemistry or a Bachelors in Food and Technology? (Amir Jamal, Mian Channu)

Ans: Dear Amir, if you are good in Chemistry and Biology, and you are interested in making a career in Medical and related Sciences, then you should pick Bio Chemistry or perhaps Molecular Biology. There are more Career opportunities in these areas considering the increasing spread of new viruses and developments that are taking place in this area. However, Food Technology is also an emerging subject, but comparatively the opportunities are limited in Pakistan.

(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).