Career Options After Class 12th - Ms Kadhambari S. Viswanathan (Asst. VP, VIT, Vellore)

Choosing a right career after Class 12th is quite a deal for many students. Some of them are sure of their aim while others find it difficult to choose amongst the abundance of options. Therefore, getting sincere guidance from an expert can be a blessing in disguise. Students often have queries related to the scope of various career options. In the present era, career options are broadening with infinite possibilities. Therefore, students should give it a thought and choose a right career after thorough research and available options. Careers360 had a live session with Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan (Asst. VP, VIT, Vellore) on April 16, 2020. In this interactive session, she answered a wide range of questions asked by the students across the country. Read further to have more clarity while choosing courses after 12th and know the numerous options available.

Check the session below:

Q: What is your thought process regarding studying abroad and the way the twinning programme works?

A: Twinning programmes are a very good choice if you are very certain by financial means. At these times, it is really difficult to go to a foreign university to pursue an undergraduate programme. You need to understand the vast difference between our school education and theirs. It is easier when your introductory courses are taught by the Indian faculty. Therefore, these twinning programmes act as a bridge between our school system and a global teaching atmosphere.

Q: Should I prefer to study abroad at the undergrad level or at the post-grad level?

A: My personal opinion is that you do your undergrad degree here and at least spend a couple of years in India to prepare themselves to go out. For any student, CBSE, ISC or state board school students, I advise pursuing the undergrad degree here as there may be budgetary constraints and you won’t be able to work and recover the salary. You will also not be able to cover the cost in the foreseeable future. It is a lifelong experience and think through all these factors before making a decision.

Q: What is the path for students who’ve taken PCM in 12th but don't want to do Engineering?

A: If you are looking for a after 12 PCM career options for your future, Engineering is a very safe option and a safe bet. People who traditionally want to avoid B.Tech, there are very good options these days. Going for a law degree with B.Tech is a good option. However, if you completely want to eliminate B.tech, you can go for Architecture which is one of the top choices for a student with a PCM background, if you have an artistic talent and design thinking. It involves a lot of creativity. Besides, Basic Sciences can also be a good choice such as Chemistry, Physics, etc. Data Analytics is also a very interesting option for PCM students.

Q: How can I make a choice in Engineering, Architecture and Design?

A: If you have the artistic talent, I would strongly suggest you take up Design or Architectural programmes.

Q: I want to pursue Science and do fundamental research. Should I do B.tech or pursue B.Sc?

A: If you’re interested in Basic Science, stick to it. If you are a top scorer, go to the research-driven institutions for BSc. Nowadays we have integrated MSc programmes in VIT. You can go for the same. I suggest if you have an inclination towards fundamental research, choose the Science degree and not Engineering.

Q: After BSc Agriculture, what are the placement chances?

A: Students often do not prefer to work for agriculture-based companies, though there are plenty. Food processing is changing the dynamics these days, so there are a lot of opportunities in agro-based companies but practising Organic-farming is also a good choice. Besides, research forms a concrete part. Anybody who wants to be in the academic profession, there are a lot of research opportunities in the field of agriculture.

Q: I have taken PCB but I don’t want to do MBBS, what should I do?

A: Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering can be a great choice as a after 12 PCB career options This can help you to take one of the highest-paying jobs. After the corona times, this is one of the fields which will take the enormous boost.

Q: How important is the nano degree or a certification from outside the formal education setup for aiding in terms of skills?

A: Certification is just like any other certificate. It definitely adds value to your resume but at the end of the day, you must be able to demonstrate what you put in. So there’s no point in getting a certificate if you cannot talk about it. You have to show ability in it. The most important thing is to demonstrate your ability rather than any certification. It becomes tricky with the online certifications as we are not sure about its authenticity as they don’t have stringent assessment strategies.

Q: How can the internet of thinhttps://www.careers360.com/question-what-are-the-propects-of-environmental-scinece-and-earth-sciencegs (IoT) be a career option?

A: With the smart city proposals and projects, IoT gained a lot of attention in India because all smart cities are based on IoT technology. In the coming time, it will only see a broader usage of applications. Therefore, it can be a good career choice.

Q: Can I become a Psychiatrist after taking PCM?

A: That is an interesting question. I think the eligibility criteria for Psychology is definitely a PCB background as Psychiatry has more to do with the medical field. However, if you want to try Organisational Psychology, you’ll have a chance.

Q: Can I take Environmental Science or Earth Science as a career?

A: There are a lot of new government regulations so there are many environmental consulting companies. Therefore, Environmental Science is a good option. On the other hand, Earth Sciences is slowly moving to the Computer Science field. So, the scope in this area is comparatively limited.

Q: Will you suggest a student begin with undergrad level, broaden his/her base and then do the serious specialization at a Master’s level?

A: In IT or Computer Science, where you have a lot of job opportunities, you can specialise. But anything which already has a limited job opportunity such as Mechanical or Civil Engineering, I would not suggest going into specialising at a very early stage. You need to keep your options open.

Q: How can I prepare for the VITEEE?

A: VIT is one of the first private engineering institutions. Around 2.5 lakh students apply for the VITEEE every year. So, there is no denying the fact that it is one of the toughest exams in Asia. For every seat, there are at least 50-60 students competing. That’s why we keep increasing our campuses. There is going to be a lot of pressure. My practical advice to you is to assess your strengths first and based on that set your aims and goals. Be realistic and don’t be in undue pressure. A lot of students get disheartened when they do not get specific programmes. Keep your thinking flexible.

Q: I am good at Mathematics, what branch should I take?

A: If you’re not considering the BSc, MSc Maths option and you want to come in Engineering. The first option can be Data Science followed by Cybersecurity because in it the base is strongly set in Maths. It is analysing data and predicting models. These are the two mathematically embedded courses.

Q: For a PCM student, can a course like B. Vocational be possible?

A: Yes, it is not an option that you should just throw away. B. Vocational is definitely something they should try. Industries are more willing to recruit such students and more importantly, there are many government schemes that provide a lot of financial support to the students who do B.vocational courses. It has a very good job opportunity.

Q: What are the prospects of Chemical Engineering in the current context?

A: In Chemical Engineering the scope is largely related to the petrochemical industries and the government jobs. A lot of petrochemical industries also recruit BSc students. Most of them don’t require any post-graduation. Students can usually get recruited in their B.Tech level itself.

Q: Why should I join VIT?

A: We have one of the most cosmopolitan campuses. It’ll be an eye-opener to see different cultures, languages, eating style, dressing, etc. It’s a melting point of cultures. We have a lot of extracurricular activities, academic sessions, clubs, dance, drama, music. We also have technical fests. In addition to this, we have long term associations with our students. This university offers one of the safest environments and very good hostel facilities.

Q: What is the career path for a BBA student?

A: BBA students should not restrict themselves to just an MBA. They should explore much more. BBA is a very good base for setting a foundation in law. Corporate law is completely entrenched in BBA. They can also consider a lot of banking exams and also the chartered accountant. These options can also be explored.

Q: Should I take Robotics and Laser Technology individually or jointly?

A: I don’t think there are any individual courses in India. To my knowledge, it has nothing to do with Laser Technology. This is hardly a combination that comes but Robotics is usually in the masters level but in VIT, it has been introduced this year in the undergrad level.

Q: What is happening currently in Aeronautical Engineering and what are the future prospects in this field?

A: Aeronautical Engineering will not be a good option as there are fewer job opportunities in this field. It restricts you heavily to flight maintenance, flight development, etc. But Aerospace can be a better choice. Try to keep your options broad so that you can have several options to choose from.

Q: What are the specialisations in the B.Tech programmes that VIT offers?

A: VIT is one of the foremost institutions when it comes to B.Tech specialisations. Specialisation students have a lot of opportunities after they graduate as the job market in India is huge. The main specialisations that we offer are Data Science and Data Analytics. These are offered in all the campuses of VIT now. Most of our specialisations are in CSE. The non-CSE specialisation that we offer is Cybernetics and IoT and variable devices. Rest all specialisations we offer are in CSE. Artificial intelligence is also offered in all the campuses of VIT. In Bhopal, we have an integrated M.tech programme. Cybersecurity and gaming are on the boon now. These two are available in Bhopal and we offer B.Tech Robotics in Chennai and Amaravathi.

Q: What programmes does VIT offer in the Health Sciences?

A: We offer four programmes in this field -Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics and Bioengineering. In addition to this, we have BSc and MSc programmes in Genetics, Microbiology, etc. We are planning to launch a programme in the Health informatics field shortly for after 12 PCB career options. For all these programmes PCB is enough.

Q: For a cybersecurity programme, do you think law qualification is needed?

A: Yes, it is of utmost importance. Law has become a very important component of the Cybersecurity programme. Students can also go on to specialise in law. So yes, a law background is required and we do provide legal education also.

Q: Is there any Engineering course in Fashion Technology?

A: Yes, we do have an engineering course, it is B.Tech Fashion Technology. Traditionally, fashion technology is related to a BSc programme. We offer a B.Tech fashion technology inVIT, Chennai campus. It is basically a Textile Engineering. In addition to this, we also have a BSc programme.

Q: How to choose the right course after Class 12 when I am not clear about any career path?

A: If you don’t know what you have to do, set a very large base. At least you should have an idea about what kind of job you want to land in later.

Q: What are the colleges that offer admission as per 12th Class marks without any admission test?

A: In VIT there are many integrated programmes offered as per Class 12 marks without any entrance test such as M.tech software engineering programme. In VIT, Bhopal we offer M.tech Artificial intelligence, Cybersecurity, computation computer science as per 12th Class marks.

Q: What is the scope of integrated BBA LLB?

A: These days BBA LLB is catching a lot of attention. It is more fastmoving than BA LLB. Most of the aspirants from this field want to be corporate lawyers. A lot of IT giants recruit the students of BBA LLB over the BA LLB. If they want to go in practising cases, they can go in the side of civil cases. If you want to go into the more criminal side of things, you can pursue BA LLB.

Q: What is your advice to a student who wants to do core engineering as there are very few core engineering companies which come for recruiting?

A: I think Mechanical Engineering has not lost its value. But there are a lot of preferences in the companies for diploma and ITI holders. It is a phase, in past years there might be a decline in this area but it will offer a lot of opportunity in the coming years for after 12 PCM career options

Q: What if I don’t want to do MBBS but I am a PCMB student?

A: MBBS is not the only option. Biomedical and Bioengineering is also a very good option for you. There is a lot of interface between the Health Sciences and Engineering, so you can consider these options. On the other hand, Biotechnology has a lot of interface with the Biological Sciences.

Q: Many students want to be in the reputed universities but the cost of education lands them in the dilemma. What do you think about it?

A: There is no subsidisation for the education industry. Only if we have more investment in it, we can cut the cost. We still don’t have a mechanism for academic resources. Therefore, the government should take some initiatives to cut the cost and make all this information free. For students, there are a lot of funding options, students must research about it before joining any university.