Professional Courses after 12th,HSC,Intermediate,10+2

Career Planning quite tricky for both students and their parents. Most of us go through the same dilemma after passing class 12th exams or during graduation. Career options for students who are pursuing professional courses/degree, are quite clear but for the remaining, a lot of thought goes into choosing the right option after graduation.

A lot depends on the interest of the student but attraction of the career and job prospects also play an important role in making the decision. Besides top paying career options such as MBA, Software,Engineering,Chartered Accountancy, Journalism, Medical, Advertising, PR and architecture, there are numerous other career options in Defense, Shipping,sports, law, fashion designing, research & development and administrative services.

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Whether you opt for a career in jobs or prefer to be on your own, you must appreciate that there is huge competition. In view of new developments by the information technology (IT) and globalisation of the economy, there are now more options than ever before. You will have to look for these options. Also that these are days of specialisation.

Career Planning is to be done at the age that could be considered appropriate for making a start. It is the age of 14-15 years when you enter the Ninth Class under the 10 + 2 pattern of education. This is the formative age to shape your career. Much more important reason, however, is that it is after the 10 + 2 level that a wide variety of course options are available to choose from. This means that as the first step you will have to choose from the three streams viz., science, arts and humanities, and commerce and the appropriate combination of subjects, when you enter the 10+2 level. This choice would determine the course options available to you after the 10 + 2 level. If you want to take up engineering degree course, you should not only join the science stream but should also opt for the combination comprising Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

Before you enter the 10 + 2 stage, you may like to consider which syllabus provides wider options. As you are aware, there are three Secondary Boards viz., the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) and the State Boards, each having its own syllabus. While the CBSE and ICSE syllabuses permit combining biology and mathematics, not all the State Boards provide similar opportunity. However, as the number of CBSE and ICSE affiliated schools in States is small, you may have to opt for the State Board syllabus.

Before you embark upon career planning you may have to consider two issues:

1. Do you need an immediate job because of some adverse family circumstances?

2. Is your family financially sound enough to pay for your professional education?

If you need a job, but still want to pursue higher education, you may like to take up a suitable course through distance learning mode. There are now many options available. You can study according to your own pace and convenience. You can even study both the secondary (Class 10) and higher secondary (10 + 2) courses through the distance-learning mode. You may be aware that in professional colleges there are two categories of seats "free seats" and "payment seats".

Since the tuition fees for "free seats" are highly subsidised, you pay much less compared to those for "payment seats". Generally, "free seats" are allotted to students on the basis of the performance at the entrance tests. You will, therefore, have to strive very hard if you want to get a "free seat" in professional colleges. If your family is unable to bear the cost of professional courses, you may choose a professional course, which also promises a reasonably good career at an affordable cost. Career planning should be done by two steps:

1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses, likings, aptitudes and interests.

2. Gather as much information as possible about the various educational opportunities and choose one that conforms to your assessment.

Both are easier said than done. Therefore, it is necessary for schools establishing their own career and course information centres and provide guidance and counselling to their students. Never take the claims of flashy advertisements in newspapers and other media at their face value.

If you do not intend to pursue university education, you may opt, after the 10th class, for various Vocational Courses available in different areas. The most sought after ones of course are the polytechnic courses of three-year duration leading to diplomas in different branches of engineering and technology. The advantage of polytechnic courses is that in some branches a diploma holder can make a lateral entry into degree level engineering courses. A clear idea about the vocational courses, therefore, would be helpful in taking an appropriate decision.

There is a common belief that science is the most important subject, compared to humanities or even commerce. There is also a general feeling in our society that the best students opt for science. This is an assumption of most parents, students and teachers. In fact, brilliance and intelligence is not the exclusive preserve of science. If a student is interested in doing engineering courses, such as civil, mechanical, electronics, metallurgy, computers.The option should be for a combination of mathematics, physics and chemistry (MPC). If you wish to take up medicine, dentistry, agricultural science, dairy science or biological sciences (biochemistry, biotechnology), the combination should be biology, physics and chemistry (BiPC).

You can also opt for courses outside the university stream, such as hotel management, fashion technology, industrial design, packaging, aircraft maintenance engineering, and a host of post 12th /10 + 2 level vocational courses. However, if you are very clear that science is not your cup of tea, there is no point in wasting two precious years simply because it keeps many options open. It would rather be desirable to explore the opportunities the other fields offer.

Next to science, commerce stream opens up a variety of options after 12th/10+2 stage. Some examples are: company secretary-ship, chartered accountancy, cost accountancy, business management, computer. Although chartered accountancy, cost accountancy or company secretary-ship course can be taken up after 10 + 2 (after successfully completing the Foundation Courses) you should be aware that each year only a small percentage of those who take the examinations get through. It may, therefore, be wise to obtain the basic BCom degree first. BCom with Computer as one of the combinations is now a much sought after course

In all the three streams, students can now opt for job-oriented vocational subjects at the first degree level available in selected colleges affiliated to many universities. Another recent development has been the diversification of courses, professional in nature, at the first-degree level itself, although the number is institutions offering such course is still small. International postgraduate programmes of five-year duration after 10 + 2 in several subjects are being introduced by some universities

Whatever stream you may select, you should put in your best efforts, which would surely lead to the path of success. Obtaining high marks in the qualifying examinations will put you in a comparatively better position to get into the course of choice after the 10 + 2 level.

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