Dated 08th Jan. 2003

What are the career prospects for library sciences?

Librarians work at various levels in schools, colleges, universities, research organisations/ institutions, commercial, industrial, scientific organisations, public and private sector undertakings, government departments, national museums and public libraries.

Librarians with computer and information systems skills can work as automated systems librarians, planning and operating computer systems, and information science librarians, designing information storage and retrieval systems and developing procedures for collecting, organising, interpreting, and classifying information.

What are the career prospects in marine biotechnology?

S. Prasad

Alapuzha

Graduates in the subject can find openings with medical and biotechnology research and development centres, companies, institutions and universities. With the progress in biotechnology, growing concern about marine pollution, and implementation of marine resources in various areas in medicine and food technology, career opportunities for marine biologist are growing.

Though the opportunities at present are mainly in academia and research, with universities and research organisations, private sector participation in marine biotechnology is expected to increase with many multinationals setting up world-class biological research organisations, like Chembiotek in Kolkata.

Please give me some tips on how to conduct oneself in an interview.

Ashok

BITS-Pilani

For any interview, you need to be prepared to create a good first impression. Pay attention to personal grooming; avoid excessive jewellery and subtle perfume/after shave. Opt for sober coloured clothes rather than bright coloured ones.

Be courteous to everyone you meet during the process of your interview, right from the receptionist to the interviewer. Appear calm and collected and avoid brashness.

Adopt the right posture at all times. Pay attention to how you sound, the tonality and your attitude. Rehearse responses to predictable questions and prepare your own set of questions to ask the interviewer, have an updated version of your CV, and a smart scribble pad, pen and diary.

What are the career prospects for company secretaries?

Karthikeyan

Perambur

Initially, you may be taken in as a Junior Secretarial Officer. Gradually, depending on experience and hard work, you can rise to become a company secretary or even the financial advisor.

Openings are also available in government sectors, in bodies like the Bureau of Public Enterprises, government financial institutions and stock exchanges. Other government openings are with the accounts branch of the Central Government Law Services; and the finance, law, accounts and merchant banking divisions of nationalised banks.

Teaching is an option for the academically inclined. A combination of experience and expertise can lead to appointment at top-level positions like chairman, directors and managing director in reputed organisations.

What are the career prospects in visual communication?

Murali Krishna

Nellore

Graduates of the programme will find job opportunities in design and multimedia production sectors. They can take up independent creative or technical positions either as senior designers or technical staff. The options include becoming a DTP designer, Web designer, CD-Rom author, 3D modeler, animator, and any other creative job that requires digital or visual communication skills.

Graduates are also employed by design consultants, book and magazine publishers, printers, advertising and publicity agents and as in-house designers for large corporations. Opportunities for graduates also exist in the fields of television and film design, and multimedia.

I am interested in a career in ecology. What are the prospects in it?

Sarah

Nilgiris

Job opportunities for an ecologist include becoming a research scientist in universities, industry and several government laboratories dealing with environmental issues.

You can even become a fisheries biologist, forestry or nature reserve manager, ecological consultant, agricultural adviser and pollution control scientist as well as an environmental educationist.

The FAQ column deals with career concerns addressed to the C&K Management, PO BOX NO-2178, Secunderabad-500003 or emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com.

Karthick

Madurai