Career counselling: questions and answers

Q: My son has completed his FSc non-medical exam. I want to send him abroad, particularly Australia, should he first completes his Engineering degree if so which branch of Engineering can he select that can also be beneficial for him in Australia. (Javed Razzaq, Islamabad)

A: If your son is completing FSc Pre Engineering, he may be able to study abroad in any country, including Australia provided he achieves a minimum of 60 percent marks of above, in addition to this he would also require to do an English language proficiency through two competitive examinations called as IELTS or IBT where he needs to score a minimum of 6 or 85 in IELTS or IBT, respectively.

There are various areas in engineering such as Electrical, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering etc that he can choose from. This will depend on his interest and the country he chooses for his degree.

Q: I am a student of 2nd year (Pre-Medical). I want to study Architecture later so does it require taking additional math for me? (Tahreem Ishtiaq, Karachi)

A: Architecture falls under Engineering and does require Mathematics, therefore my answer is yes. You would require taking Maths when applying for an Architecture degree. I am sure the relevant university and the Registrar office should be able to advise you in detail. However, it is advisable to include Mathematics if you can in your second year FSc.

Q: My sister is doing Electrical Engineering from FAST University. She has to choose between 3 options as major i.e., Power, Electronic or Telecom. We are considering power but as she is a girl, doing field work would be a bit problem for her. We are also looking at telecom. Please, if you could help us what would be the best option for her. And what would be the best option considering the future as well. (Waliullah Khan, Lahore)

A: You are rightly looking at Telecom which has less field work involved, though for any person to become engineer will entail a bit of field work, travelling and project work no matter which area of engineering it is. I would also suggest that you look at Software Engineering which perhaps is more indoor and desk job particularly if she becomes a developer and within that there are certain specialties that are now becoming important and are emerging areas these include Network Security, Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Mobile Marketing etc in her postgraduate studies.

Q: I am studying the BSc (Hons) Agriculture. I want to successfully attempt CSS exam. Please share your advice. (Arslan Shamshad, Lahore)

A: I would advise you to complete your BSc Hons first and that too with good marks. CSS is a competitive exam and requires you to be good in a specialist subject and then have sound knowledge of English literature, Pakistan History, International Relations and current affairs.

I am sure if you work hard, there is no reason why you cannot pass the CSS exam.

(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).