Career counselling: questions and answers

Q1: Sir, I am doing job in UAE in accounts for past seven years; now I have a chance to take admission abroad but I have (CGPA) 6.3% in bachelor’s degree with economics. I want to continue my studies but which course or degree I should choose which will be more reliable for my career abroad or Pakistan. I will be very grateful to you if you reply. (Faisal Butt, UAE)

Ans: Keeping in view your background academic and professional profile; following subjects can be more helpful for progress in years to come: MSc Quantitative Finance; MSc Finance and Investment; MSc International Financial Analysis and MSc International Business Economics.

A degree from above list can help boost your professional career in future. Best of luck.

Q2: I got admission in IBA Sukkur on scholarship basis; IBA is popular for its BBA which produced great entrepreneurs and successful businessmen. I want your opinion on choosing subjects whether I should do BBA or Software Engineering because I have heard that Software Engineering from IBA is not popular. My relatives and parents are insisting me to do only BBA from IBA which would help in getting job easily? Please enlighten me with your precious advice. (Shaukat Ali, Sukkur)

Ans: I will say that institution is not an issue. Just do Computer Science if you wish to do so without any delay. According to my experience, employers do not care much about institutions. They are least bothered whether you graduated from IBA or somewhere else. Employers look for your better / clear vision, what type/set of skills do you have and minimum qualification to offer you a job. Don’t get confused in the choice of institutions and move ahead for the course you are interested in more.

Q3: I have completed BS Hons Economics with a CGPA of 3.65 which I did from BZU Multan. Let me tell you that I am a position holder student from Dera Ghazi Khan Board. Please suggest me whether I should do an MPhil or start a job? (Fariha Naeem, DG Khan)

Ans: I would like to congratulate you first on achieving such a milestone surprisingly in Economics is hard to get. I suggest you get a master degree in economics if possible with finance. Later on, you can look for a career as a teacher in any public or private sector institution. This combination will help you in getting a job in a financial institution or a multinational company.

Q4: I have studied Bachelors (Hons degree) along with an MBA (3 Plus 1) from Karachi University. My major subject was Human Resource and the CGPA of 3.6. I have 16 years of education. I’m expecting result of my BBA Hons and MBA in a couple of months’ time. I’m planning to work in a government sector education department which can be a teacher or as non-teaching employee/ staff. Can you please give me information how to join government education department? For example qualification and years of education required and what are the recruitment channels and when government education vacancies are open. I would appreciate if you could please guide me for a better future career? I have a domicile of Karachi and PRC. Please note that I also did an internship in Meezan Bank. (Kashmala Farooq, Karachi)

Ans: I can say you have an excellent academic record and yet you are well-organised in your studies and have been working hard to structure. I suggest you do an internship paid/ unpaid once you get your degree completed. This will give you a bit of experience which will later on help you in finding a suitable job. If you wish we can help you in finding scholarship to study abroad. Masters in Education or MPhil can help you in finding a suitable teaching job. Check provincial government channels to get into public sector education department. You need to get an education management degree if you wish to select management job in education department. (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).