Career counselling; questions and answers

Q: Dear sir, I have recently completed FSc (Pre-Medical) exam and looking for several study options at Bachelor level and we are confused among different options. My father told me to send you an email. Although I’ll appear MDCAT exam for medical university admission, but we are not sure as it depends on merit and the entry test. So as back up options, we applied admission for these subjects and have already given entry tests.

1) Simple Biology, Bioinformatics, Biosciences and Bio-Technology in different universities, 2) LLB 5 year program and 3) BS Psychology. My parents are asking me to consider BS English option. However, we are not sure about the difficulty level, and future scope in terms of career/job opportunities after BS programme for each of these options. Therefore, we need your guidance to select an option. We will be thankful for you kind consideration. (Mehwish Hussain, Lahore)

A: If you have recently done your FSc and expecting results which I hope you understand requires high merit for entry to medical schools as well as a good score in MDCAT. If you fail to get to a public sector university, you then have a chance to apply to a private medical school depending on your financial layout. If you fail to get to a medical school for any reason and you are still interested to pursue Biological Sciences which of course depends on your interest in this subject, you prioritize this as follows: BS Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics.

All other subjects require a chat with you and to understand whether or not you have an aptitude for the subjects that you mentioned i.e. Law, Psychology or English. Remember job opportunities come across in every field and may depend on circumstances, qualifications etc; and I cannot comment on the career options on the other programmes that you mentioned as you have studied none of them as you did in Biology.

Q: Sir, I want to discuss which field should I choose. I have been selected at FAST-NU Islamabad in BS Artificial Intelligence (AI).

But I am in doubt whether I will get a job in this field in Pakistan or not. Please help me to select my right career. Can I study it? My problem is that will I get a job in this field in Pakistan after completing my undergraduate or not? Or should I join PUCIT Lahore for BS CS? Your remarks are highly appreciated and valuable to me. (Aadil Saleem, Islamabad)

A: BS AI is a relatively new degree being offered at FAST-NU and while you may be able to find career opportunities in this growing area; I would be more inclined to recommend to you doing a degree in Computer Science and then topping this up with a masters in a specialized area which may be AI, Networking, Information Systems etc. It is important to build a base if computer science is your favourite subject. I wish best of luck in your future plans.

Q: Dear sir, I have passed my MA English Literature & Linguistics from a well reputed university here in Pakistan with a CGPA of 3.0. I was thinking it would be a good idea to have your input / views on what should I do further I mean should I study or get some job experience? (Tehmina Shuja, Faisalabad)

Ans: The subject which you have chosen is a very emerging area, in other words you have bright chances whether you want to become a teacher etc. On the other hand, there are many types of specialist subject areas and research in linguistics. Many of these will offer you funding/scholarships and grants in foreign countries. It is up to you whether you would like to go for job immediately or if your financial status allows you; you would like to study further. I wish you success in your career.

Q: Respected Mr Abidi, I request you to please guide me what should I do after my BS Geology. This is a 4 years honors degree. Do you think I should get admission in MS? Also please advise on the future prospects of my subject Geology here in our country. I will be grateful. (Danish Zaheer Chathaa – Gujranwala)

Ans: Please note that the subject you have chosen is very popular not only in Pakistan but also in foreign countries. You have asked for guidance at right time. Yes, you should now look for job and have a 2 or 3 years’ experience of your relevant field. You can also do some internship in some firms related to Geological Surveys, Geographic Statistics and or oil explorations etc. By doing this; you will have hands-on experience/ practical experience which will no doubt give you an edge in the market and you will have the better chances for a good job.

(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).