dated May 03, 2006
(Questions answered on career concerns)
I am an engineering student with Electronics and Instrumentation as my subjects. We are going to have campus interviews in our college soon. What can a student expect in such an interview and prepare for it?
T. Sunil
Chennai
One positive way of approaching the interview is to see it as less of a contest and more as a focus on performance. You need to do a thorough preparation. It is important to find out about the job and what the employer is looking for and most of all, how your skills, ability and personal qualities meet the job requirements.
When preparing answers to likely questions, it is important to keep in mind what the employers are really looking for in an employee. Try to think of a range of examples you could use to illustrate your answers. Campus interview questions are designed to gather your knowledge of the subject matter.
In the interview stress on your strong points, downplay your weak points. If you have not got a response even after the time specified, call up and ask. Ask for a feedback even if you have not got through.
Plan on looking neat and presentable as this could set you apart from other applicants.
I am doing my engineering in electronics and instrumentation branch. I would like to know the job opportunities in this field after the completion of the course.
Kasireneni Komali
Guntur
Job prospects in the field of electronics and instrumentation are quite bright. Electronics engineering entails design, manufacture, installation and operation of electrical equipment, systems and machinery, telecommunication systems, radio, television and computers. You can find employment opportunities with government as well as private companies involved in consumer electronics, electronic components, computer hardware, radar, medical equipment, automation and control systems etc.
Instrumentation engineers find employment opportunities in companies manufacturing specialised instruments and also in the user industries, in the public as well as private sectors. Instrumentation engineers are in demand in industries like steel plants, thermal power stations, cement and fertiliser plants.
I am an Economics graduate. Can you please tell me about the job prospects after a Masters in the subject?
Deepika
Gurgoan
To begin with, you can take the Indian Economic Service or the Indian Statistical Service Exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) almost every year.
If selected, you will be absorbed in the various economic and statistical departments of the Central Government such as the Planning Commission, the National Sample Survey, the Central Statistical Organisation, Indian Statistical Institute and the State Bureau of Statistics and Economics, the National Employment Service, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture and other government departments.
The Planning Commission also recruits Economic Investigators for its Programme Evaluation Organisation through the UPSC. You could also take the Civil Services Examinations (conducted by the UPSC) or the competitive examinations held by the state service commissions, Life and General Insurance Corporations, nationalised banks, etc., where economics is one of the subjects and eligibility is graduation. The Probationary Officers Examinations conducted by various recruitment boards of various banks are also an option.
Large private companies also employ business economists to plan strategies and operations, assess and analyse market factors, costs and sales, labour and productivity, raw materials, equipment and customer demand. As a business economist, you may also specialise in market research, international trade or exports and imports.
There are well paying jobs in other banking and financial institutions and insurance companies. Besides working on projects for research bodies such as the Institute for Applied Manpower Research, or the Institute for Economic Growth or the National Council for Applied Economic Research, economists also work for leading international organisations such as World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Down the line, you could also work as consultant or financial analyst for business and industry.
What are the details that have to be mentioned in a job application form and to whom should it be addressed?
Roshini Punjabi
Bangalore
If you are responding to a job advertisement you may be asked to write a letter of application. This is the letter, which lists all your work experience and qualifications and should also explain why you want the job. The application should be addressed to the HR department or the concerned department mentioned in the advertisement. Begin your letter by telling the reader where you saw the advertisement. You can then go on to list your experience and relevant qualifications.
Next you might go on to mention why you are particularly interested in this job and can list the abilities and skills that you possess.
You can then close the letter with the following line.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will call me for an interview.
How important is a covering letter and does it hold any significance?
Sahiba Singh
via email
Many employers will ask you to write to them or call them for an application form and further details when they advertise for jobs. Sometimes you will be asked to send your CV or résumé.
Your CV or curriculum vitae lists your educational and career history and is a useful summary for an employer of all your educational and employment achievements up to the present time. A covering letter may then be very useful because you can enclose it with your CV or a completed application form. In your covering letter you can draw attention to any particular information that you wish to highlight.
[The FAQ column deals with career concerns addressed to the C&K Management Ltd. P.O. Box 2178, Secunderabad 500003 or emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com]
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