Dated 12th June, 2002

What is the basic methodology for processing a job application?

Lakshmi

Madurai

Applications are accepted only for vacancies notified. Any application requesting confidentiality are returned to the applicant or ignored. A separate application form for each position has to be submitted. All applications are screened for qualifications. Candidates whose qualifications match the job requirements best will be contacted for interviews. The applicant chosen from the interview process will be contacted to continue with other pre-selection processes.

It can take several weeks after an application has been received before an applicant can expect to be contacted (if selected for an interview). Once the applicant has been selected, conditional job offers and benefit information is initiated by the human resources department. The selected applicant receives an official job offer, and an employment date is fixed. The position is kept on hold for further negotiations to be carried once that is done the final appointment is made.

Is opting for an M.B.A in international management a good choice? If so, what are the job opportunities and which area of specialisation has the most opportunities?

Francisco Lawrance

Mumbai

A management degree will definitely be an added advantage for you. International management is a new area of study that focuses on building a corporate firm's capabilities and positioning it in a competitive external environment. International management draws on business strategy, and other functional areas of management and related subjects of particular regions and countries. Students opting for this specialisation are taken in by national and international organisations to work overseas or alternatively, to work with foreign organisations. These organisations include foreign business firms, government departments, and multilateral organisations (WTO and the World Bank). In addition, students are eligible for functional positions in international human resource management, international marketing, etc.

I would like know the future prospects for a speech therapist and an audiologist.

Ravi Shankar

Vishakapatnam

Jobs for speech therapists and audiologist exist in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres and in special schools. Speech therapists and audiologists are part of a team consisting of specialists like neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and the like. Speech therapists also have the option of setting-up private practice after they have had a few years of experience.

I am a B.Com graduate and would like to pursue Certified Public Accountants (CPA) programme. I would like to know what the eligibility criterion is to enrol for the programme?

Pooja

Jaipur

The requirements for CPA are similar to that of CA in India. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) awards CPA. There are two ways of acquiring the American CPA: passing all the papers of the CPA exam qualifies you to become a CPA, after which you can work with corporate houses. Training is not mandatory if you don't intend to practise as a public accountant.

The other option is to pass the exam and gain three years of work experience under a practising CPA to acquire a practising licence. You need to be a CA or have any other recognised professional qualification such as CS, ICWA, MBA or a 3-year university degree, preferably in commerce.

For further information you can contact the India representative for the Becker's CPA Review Course: New Horizon Educational Institute, C-47 GK Part I, New Delhi 110048. (Ph: 6413634/6466213. Website: www.beckercpa.com)

How is a typical HR and technical interview conducted?

Priyanshu

Delhi

The questions for such interviews are more or less designed around the specific position you are interested in. However, there are a few common questions that you can expect irrespective of the job description. Some of them could be: Why did you decide to seek a position with this company?

Tell us something about your present company? What according to you is your ideal job? In what ways do you think you can contribute to our company?

In a technical interview, the questions would be related to your area of specialisation. For instance, in a technical interview regarding IT, a typical question could be:

What's wrong in the following declaration?

Solution: int a, *b, &c; The problem is with uninitialised reference to c. To correct it add initialisation, like this: int a, *b, &c=a;

What are the career prospects for MBA (Operations)?

Murali

Chennai

The career prospects for such a specialisation essentially exist with manufacturing industries. Particularly, process oriented ones such as automotive, oil and gas and FMCG. Those with an engineering background can also find employment with the engineering sector (in companies like BHEL and TELCO). In the services sector, retail banking is the best alternative. In production shop floor activities, maintenance operations, assembly operations are other options.

The FAQ column deals only with career concerns addressed to CxK Networks Ltd, PO Box NO. 2178, Secunderabad-500003, or emailed to faqs@cxknetworks.com