Career counselling: Questions and answers

Q1: Dear Abidi Sahib, I am studying Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Virtual University. Recently, I passed 1st semester with 83% marks. My second semester is in process. In 3rd semester, I need to decide my specialisation. Earlier, I have done BCom and have five to six years experience in accounts. I seek your guidance to decide which specialisation I should choose. (Hammad Ramzan, Sahiwal)

A: Dear Hammad, your first semester marks show that you worked hard. Keeping in view your commerce background and experience, I can easily suggest that you should choose finance management or finance accounting as your special subject. I understand that you would be doing a project at the end of your current programme; therefore, I would advise you to consider risk analysis and live trading of stocks etc to complete your masters in business administration.

Q2: Sir, recently I did my Bachelors (4yrs) in Home Economics with majors in Food and Nutrition. My current CGPA is 3.1 and I'm still waiting for my final / 8th semester. For an MPhil in relevant field please advise me any good subject area/field as well as a good university. I have some interest in doing clinical nutrition. What is your advice, please reply soon. (Shiza Tanveer, Lahore).

A: Dear Shiza, you are hard working student and if you keep on the same pace and get more than 3.5 CGPA you will have lot of opportunities especially chance of winning a 100% tuition scholarship from United Kingdom or America. Relevant emerging areas of research for an MPhil can be Food Safety and Microbiology, Gens of lifestyle and nutrition health issues, Metabolism and off course clinical nutrition or all those areas that you can find greater career opportunities and PhD funding round the globe. I tell you that all the above areas are emerging and popular in demand. I hope this information will be useful to you.

Q3: Dear sir, I’m very confident that I will get admission in Business Studies at

NUST Insha Allah. Please advise if I should choose BBA or BS Accounting and Finance? Secondly, what should be the criteria and qualification if I wish to do MBA afterwards? Is this a prerequisite that I must have BBA or it can also be done after BS Accounting and Finance? (Alvina Shah, Islamabad)

A: No doubt, NUST is a high ranking institution of Pakistan. Let me tell you that if you do well and are good at numbers and figures I would ask you to consider doing BS in Accounting & Finance. Else, BBA is also a career-oriented subject domain. MBA can be done either within Accounting Degree or with a Management Degree provided you have relevant experience as it is connected to work experience.

Q4: Respected sir, I read your recent column which motivated me to get some expert advice and guidance for my future career plans. I did my BS Hons Telecommunication with a CGPA of 3.6 from Iqra in 2018 and got job in a private company which deals in IT solutions. Now I want to do MS Project Mgt from MA Jinnah University. Please guide me about what are other options/ field for MS being a girl ahead. (Farheen Tassadaq, Karachi)

A: Telecomm is definitely a vast and emergent/growing subject area. Recent innovation and technology enhancement in telecommunication is due to the fusion of IT and Computer Engineering. As you have relevant experience of doing projects in this telecomm area and understand the management, analysis and execution of projects in the practical sense, it would be a wise decision doing MSc project management. It will no doubt help you to improve your career prospects and or looking at higher level management jobs within the Telecommunication industry.

(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).