I am an engineer (41-year-old) with almost 19 years of work experience. Right now I am working in a senior management position at a bank. I want to do an MBA course from a good business school before making my next career move to a top management position. I am looking to do an online or part-time MBA course or a short duration, full-time MBA course. Please suggest some alternatives.
—Yashpal
You can take a distance-education MBA such as offered by Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi (www.ignou.ac.in) and All India Management Association (www.aima-ind.org). Online or satellite-based management courses usually lead to a post-graduate certificate, not MBA. You could consider the executive MBA at a prominent business school or take up the programme offered by the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad (www.isb.edu). Part-time MBA programmes can only be pursued in the city where you are located. Hence, keep track of the admission notifications in the prominent dailies to identify suitable choices. A well-structured resume and the services of placement consultants could help in exploring the job market even now.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
I am a chartered accountant and a BCom (Hons) from Delhi University. I have recently appeared for CPA examinations. I am working with a public sector unit NBFC in treasury functions (fund raising). Please suggest how should I plan my career if I want to start my own enterprise.
—CA Jitender Gupta
Work experience will give you the opportunity to observe, and learn through interaction with peers. It can be used to clarify the type of work that would be suitable for you. As a chartered accountant you can set up your own practice. If you were to join a CA firm or a consultancy, you can get first-hand exposure to a lot of possibilities. If you want to set up some business that does not refer directly to your training as a CA, then you have to familiarise yourself with the same either by researching, or by working in such an enterprise or by taking up an entrepreneurship training such as offered by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institutes (www.sisimumbai.com/ msmedi/othermsmes.html).
PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATICS
After my BCA, I am pursuing MBA in public health informatics from Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi. What are the job opportunities and salary I could expect?
—Naqiah Bashir Wani
Public Health Informatics is concerned with the systematic application of information and computer sciences to public health practice, research and learning. You would find placement in health service facilities and consultancies, in teaching and research. The most direct feedback about your placement prospects would be from the placement cell in your college/institution. The profile of recruiters would indicate the remuneration package. It could range from Rs 3.5 lakh upwards depending upon the location and employer.
CHEF
I am did my class 12 from commerce stream with computers. I aspire to become a chef. What is the admission criteria, subjects to be studied and other requirements? Please write about the top institutes in this field.
—Shantanu Singh
Most courses are targeted at students who have completed class 12 in any discipline. The training programme includes both theory and practice of food production, bakery & patisserie, nutrition science, hygiene and sanitation, food and beverage service, food production and planning, food presentation and styling, operations planning and development, human resource management, gastronomy, catering law, communication skills, front office management, sales and marketing, financial management, French and computer application. The selection comprises a written test and a personality assessment. The written test evaluates numerical and reasoning, ability, proficiency in English and general knowledge. Communication skill, alertness and general awareness are assessed during the process of personality assessment. Prominent institutions include the Culinary Academy Of India, Hyderabad (www.iactchefacademy.com), International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi (www.chefiica. com), Academy of Culinary Education, Goa (www. acegoa.com) Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Mumbai (www.ihmctan.edu) (International Chef Diploma), AK Hafizka College of Hotel & Tourism Management Studies and Research, Mumbai (www.anjumanihmct. org), Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, (www.ihma.ac.in), as also under the Systematic Training and Education Programme (STEP) with focus on Kitchen operation by Oberoi hotels (www.oberoihotels.com/careers/html/career/index.htm).
