Q: I am a 36-year-old single woman. I have completed my BA from Burdwan University and I have also learnt computer applications. I am familiar with EPABX, fax, xerox, scan, etc. I am fluent in written and spoken English, Bengali and Hindi. My problem is that I am shy and hence, am not too keen on taking up marketing jobs. I have worked as a counsellor, office assistant and I also have three-and-a-half years? experience in proof reading.

Due to personal and professional problems I have had to switch jobs too many times. I have recently found out that I am a carrier of Hepatitis B virus and hence I have decided to remain single. But in order to support myself I need to work. I will be content with a salary of Rs 5,000 a month and I have thought up of three options ? doing a call centre course, pursuing GNIIT or pursuing an accountancy course from ICA. Out of these three courses which one will be suitable for me and will also help me in getting a decent job? Apart from these three courses if you have some other course in mind then please advise. Do note that since June 2004 I am unemployed.

Name Withheld

A:I would suggest a career in the emerging ITES sector for you as this is a sector where clients are looking for stability of employment. However, do make it point to disclose your medical condition to prospective employers beforehand to prevent any untoward incident later which may harm your career prospects. I do not think it is necessary to do any particular course at this stage, but focus on finding the right kind of job and work environment.

Q: I am working in a reputed oil PSU as deputy manager. My basic qualification includes a diploma in chemical engineering, AMIE (chemical engineering) and an MBA degree in operations management. I am now pursuing a postgraduate diploma in materials management.

Recently, I have got a chartered engineer certificate from the Institution of Engineers. What is the use of this certificate and how can I utilise it effectively and what is the scope of a chartered engineer? Please advise.

S.K. Srivastava, Assam

A: Per se the certificate does not offer any benefit to its holder in terms of better employment opportunities. It is at best a peer recognition amongst the engineering community. There may be other benefits offered to holders of the certificate by the institution in terms of access to education programmes, peer review meets, peer journals etc. for which you will have to get in touch with the institute.

Q: I have taken voluntary retirement from State Bank of India (I retired as head clerk after 20 years of service) under SBIVRS on March 31, 2001 to explore opportunities in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector. I applied to a number of places including placement agencies. However, it appears that most of the firms/placement consultants prefer younger professionals, and I, being past forty, am at a disadvantage vis-a-vis younger applicants.

Now, I am pursuing the CFA programme (offered by ICFAI Hyderabad) and the CFP programme (offered by the International College of Financial Planning Ltd., New Delhi). I am also a insurance agent (IRDA agent) and cleared the AMFI test. In the given scenario, is it worthwhile for me to pursue the above courses? Will other programmes like MS (banking) and MS (insurance) offered by ICFAI Hyderabad or any other short-term courses or international certification programmes help me to land a job? What compensation should I expect prior to and after completion of the courses?

Niranjan Barpanda

A: In the current scenario, the AMFI and the IRDA certification will help you better. With both the insurance and the asset management business on a growth curve in India, there will be ample opportunities for independent advisors and since you have both the certifications, it may be worthwhile approaching companies such as ICICI Prudential, HDFC Standard Life who should be able to utilise your skills effectively. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

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