Career counselling: questions and answers
Q1: Dear sir, I wanted to request you for guidance about my future career. Sir, I passed my Bachelors in Computer Science in 2019. I was very hopeful that this degree would get me a good job but after two years I am still waiting for an opportunity / job. I am very much disappointed as I was not expecting this and still looking for a job. It is my humble request to please guide me how I can get a job. (Salahuddin Khan, Peshawar)
Ans: Dear Salahuddin, I can understand sometimes a person does not get a job early but I think you have been waiting for very long to get a good opportunity to start up your professional career. However, you need to keep looking for a job using social media websites and newspapers etc. If you do not succeed, then the best way is to take internship paid or unpaid that will help you enter orgranisation to gain experience. It may be possible that since you do not have any previous job experience or training people are reluctant to hire you and an internship or training programme will help you to understand the workplace and you may be able to develop a CV with some relevant experience which will help you towards career opportunities.
Q2: I finished college in 2019. After that I tried various institutes for admission but in the end I got admission in Computer Science in Fast University. I have not been able to blend in so much and I also attended classes of Industrial Engineering in UET but that did not satisfy me as well. I am somewhat puzzled and therefore seek your guidance. Sir, I would like your assistance and suggestion. So please give me advice to the best of your knowledge. (Kumail Bukhari, Lahore)
Ans: Dear Kumail, I strongly recommend that you should be mentally prepared and try to be serious about anyone of the areas that you have been given admission to pursue the degree programme. It is very common that one finds difficulties in initially adjusting himself in the new environment. However, both the areas Computing Science or Industrial Engineering are interesting and exciting in addition to being emerging areas. I’m sure once you have done a semester or two you would be in a better position to understand what is going around you and you will be able to blend within your class, with your peers, and the opportunities associated with the subject that you take on.
Q3: Dear sir, I am studying FSc pre-medical. My dream is to be a successful geneticist. But unfortunately there is no scope of genetics in Pakistan. I am also thinking of considering Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pathology or Biochemistry as my subjects. Please advise if these subjects / areas have any scope in Pakistan? What kind of jobs can I get in Pakistan if I do bachelors or masters in any of these subjects? (Biya Baloch, Multan)
Ans: Dear Biya, I’m very much surprised to read your email identifying that Genetics in your view will have little scope in Pakistan. This is not true, in fact Genetics and all allied Biomedical Sciences, including the specialisms that you have mentioned all have great scope in Pakistan and in the world generally. There is huge research going on in all the above areas that attract great funding for further opportunities.
Q4: Sir, I want to know what will be the better field and good university? I have got admission in Psychology at Federal University Karachi and I also got admission in Zoology at Karachi University. Now please guide me which field will be better for me? Thank you. (Javeria Siddiqui, Karachi).
Ans: Dear Miss Javeria, firstly, I do not know your education / academic background or FSc results. Secondly, I can't advise you a field when you have not been counselled. Why Psychology and why Zoology? I would suggest BSc Microbiology or Biochemistry related fields will have, however, better career opportunities and prospects in future. Best of luck.
(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).
