Know yourself before you choose a career

Q I am a student of electrical engineering. After graduation, should I opt for a master's in technology (MTech) or a master's in business management (MBA)? My only criterion is that it must lead me to a job with a very good salary.

Sneha Sarkar

If there was a golden rule that said a master's in technology degree would help students grab a high-salaried job, then all the institutions offering master's in business management courses would have by now shut down or shifted to offering MTech degrees. That has not been the case anywhere in the world - the courses still co-exist, along with a range of other postgraduate degrees - because each of them gives students a chance to grow in a different direction. You have to figure out what your strengths are and then take a call on which degree you want to eventually pursue.

If you receive a beautifully-wrapped gift - say on your birthday - do you wait days or months to open it? I think not. My guess is that you unpack it immediately, consumed by the curiosity to know what is inside the box. Yet, when it comes to the gifts or skills we have been blessed with, we take no interest in unwrapping them and are happy to be told by others what we are good at. I suggest that you examine your interests and passions closely and honestly assess what propels you to do your best. Once you are aware of what makes you tick, it will be easier to know which profession will bring you more satisfaction.

To know yourself, start a journal. Divide it into two sections: in one write down the technical skills you have, courses you have excelled in, projects that excited you and assignments you completed smoothly. In the second section, write about your personal strengths, habits, communication skills, writing skills, team projects that you completed and so on. Discovering one's strengths and capabilities is a very important process of life. If studying for your degree has not brought out your best, then do summer jobs and internships. These expose you to the work culture of different professions and give you a chance to explore different worlds. The more exposure you get, the greater chance there is of your being able to identify things you could potentially be great at. Internships are immensely useful not only to garner knowledge about the field in general but also give you an idea what it is like to work in a particular setting. Additionally, you get the opportunity to meet professionals in different fields through internships and that helps you build a solid network. Doing internships in various settings will bring out the different dimensions of your personality and help you get to know yourself. And that, in turn, will help you to make an informed decision about your career.

Start a blog

Q I am a student of Class XI and want to pursue a career in writing. My family, however, wants me to become either a doctor or an engineer. I have to listen to my parents so I will take up engineering but I also want to follow my dreams. Is there any way that I can learn to be a professional writer? Can I do it while studying engineering?

Anju Begum

When we are young, we think that it has to be either this or that, but that is not usually the case. There is no reason to think life gives us only one or two opportunities to make a mark; in my experience each of us gets multiple opportunities. We have to choose which ones we will take and which ones ignore.

If you are interested in becoming a writer, there is no reason to wait. You can immediately start writing a blog. As the quality of your writing improves with practice, you could explore the possibility of getting it published. To the best of my knowledge, you don't need a formal qualification to publish your work. What you can do to refine your writing skills further is - when the time is ripe - join a short-term workshop that many established writers occasionally offer.

Consider a degree in engineering only if you excel in maths and physics. If science is not your forte, look out for other degrees.

Shivani Manchanda has master's degrees in career counselling and child development. She has been counselling about opportunities in India and abroad since 1991. Mail questions to telegraphyou@gmail.com