Usha Albuquerque at a workshop in Guwahati recently. Picture by UB Photos

Now that Usha Albuquerque, career counsellor and award-winning documentary filmmaker, has come here, young job-seekers and aspirants of the city have had the good fortune of receiving professional advice regarding career choices and opportunities.

?I am not new to the city. I had stayed for several months in Guwahati, albeit some 20 years ago,? she smiles. To that she adds, ?I must admit that a vast change has occurred in the place. And I am terribly distressed by the transformation the city has undergone in the recent past. It took me some time to reconcile myself to the loss of greenery in and around the city,? she rues.

?I am very shocked at the way the people have started treating their environment and it seems that they are only busy constructing skyscrapers, just to call themselves developed,? she observes.

But, as she herself points out, ?The city is a treasure-trove of young and talented people who can make a mark for themselves in different career options.?

?After interacting with the young people of the state, one can easily see what a vast pool of talent they possess. Most of them are very intelligent and responsive. But one thing that is sad but true is that they have fewer job opportunities here and very few good institutes that can nurture and groom their talent.?

She was in the city recently to offer guidance to young and aspiring city students to fulfil their desired goals at Edufest ?05, the second career fair. The two-day fair was organised by Lynchpin at one of the city?s posh hotels.

Albuquerque conducted several aptitude and personality tests to identify the kind of talent possessed by different students. She also provided valuable suggestions on the kinds of courses one can go in for, without paying much heed to the clich?d career choices in the branches of medicine and engineering.

After making her mark as a television newsreader, Albuquerque has now become a full-time career counsellor. One of the directors of Career Smart ? a career counselling organisation ? she is actively involved in the field of career guidance for the past 15 years.

Along with several counsellors, Career Smart appoints psychologists and psychiatrists and provides a lot of career options for young people.

?We at Career Smart stress one fact ? that each and all of us have a unique talent and can make a mark for ourselves in our respective fields,? she says. ?Thus our organisation helps identify this unique talent and ability and thereby link it with the best career option suitable for everyone. At the same time, we see how much success one can achieve in the field.?

Her television programme Hum Honge Kamyaab, which became hugely popular among students and guardians, made her a household name. Penguin India later published a book written by Albuquerque, based on this programme. The book, titled Career Guide, is currently into its third edition. It is in two volumes.

Another of her books, Handbook on Careers, is published by Puffin Publishing House. It deals with career options and guidance for young minds who are yet to get their school-leaving certificate.

She is also a regular columnist for several national newspapers and provides invaluable suggestions on different career choices.

Albuquerque?s portfolio also includes documentary filmmaking. Till now, she has made 200 documentaries on several educational, social and economic issues.

Her film Seeds of Life was adjudged the best agricultural film at the 51st National Film Awards. The film documented the agricultural sector of the country and simultaneously depicted the impact of globalisation on the sector. Another film, titled Born to Die, bagged the Unicef Child Rights Award in 2003.

The film is a heart-rending celluloid depiction of female foeticide in the country. At present, she is busy with her yet-to-be-titled film on education of girl children.

?Social and economic issues has always been close to my heart,? she explains. ?If a particular topic catches my attention and touches my heart, then nothing can stop me from taking the plunge and depict it in a documentary film.?

Ask her about her hobbies and the soft-spoken counsellor and former newscaster replies in her usual serene manner, ?Where do I get the time to engage in hobbies? Whatever time I do have I like to spend with my family.?

She sums up the two roles she juggles with elan with: ?I must confess that I?m a lucky person to get the opportunity to work in two different fields of my choice.?

Maitreyee Boruah