Class XII Science students need not purse engineering or medicine. There are other lucrative options that they can look at after their Boards, says Ankit Kapoor

Science has been one of the most popular streams among most of the students. It is the stream which opens gates to popular courses including Engineering, Medicine and other ailed disciplines. The majority of students with science background (medical and non-medical) in Class XII are inclined towards engineering and medical career options. These courses attract most of the aspirants as they offer high salary packages and high esteem of respect in the society. If not engineering and medicine then what are other career opportunities for Science stream students? Students don’t explore other career options. They are generally pressurised by their parents/friends/society to believe that engineering and medicine are only two options available after studying PCM and PCB in Class XII.

There was a time when the craze for engineering and medicine was at its peak as option in other streams was limited. But now the scenario is changing exponentially. The number of applicants is increasing as the number of seats available is limited. As per a report the selection in the last five years is around only a per cent. This is because engineering students lack advanced digital skills including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and wireless technologies among others that the companies require.

But still most of the science stream students tend to go for medical and engineering option. The two disciplines of the stream have reached the saturation point. This has made students to opt for other academic avenues to satisfy their creative aspects while offering great career prospects in the future. Many generations have been and are a part of this vicious circle. But now, more and more students are opting for unconventional courses like management, law and hotel management. Not only opportunities in private sector and MNC’s, these courses provide a gateway for the Government jobs as well.

Management

Management as a career choice offers a solid foundation for a rewarding career. The statistics suggest that the postgraduate management colleges have witnessed an upswing in the number of students from the science background opting for it.

After completing MBA and graduation degree in management many students aspire for the jobs in Public Sector Units (PSU).

Along with higher pay, transparency in promotion and medical facilities, Job security is the prime reason that makes a government job a lucrative option. Some of the job opportunities that a student can opt after completing management degree include.

Banking sector: Banking sector offers number of job opportunities for management graduates in the public sector which includes personnel officer, marketing officer, and additional programme officer. These are recruited via competitive exams like Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IPBS) while some banks like State Bank of India and other PSU’s conduct their own exam for the recruitment.

Management and operational manager: Various PSU’s offers vacancies in different departments such as managerial role, operations, HR and Finance etc.  The criteria for this position are either on entrance on merit basis which are conducted by few PSU’s.

Law

Law, as a career, is more than black and white but is now one of the most promising career options with immense opportunities.

The exam for it is called Common LAW Admission Test (CLAT). Along with private sector and entrepreneurship, there are some career opportunities in Public sector. Some of them include:

Legal Advisors and Consultants in legal departments: A student possessing qualification required by department of legal affairs and legislative department can practice as a legal advisor and consultant. These officers can reach the level of secretary to the Government with the passage of time and their performance.

Legislative counsels are also appointed in the official wing of legislatives department for Hindi and regional languages.

All these posts are filed through UPSC exam and State Public Service Commission on regular basis. These officers are also recruited in the legal branches of Indian Army, navy and Air force.

Judiciary:  A person holding a law degree can also work at a junior cadre posts of Magistrate or sub- Judge. These are generally recruited through UPSC exam or through Public service Commissions.

Hotel Management

A global Industry, Hospitality offers exciting opportunities to graduates who wish to travel, and take up careers both nationally and internationally. Over the last decade and a half, as the Indian economy has grown, the hospitality industry in our country has also grown by leaps and bounds.

The hospitality industry in India will need 3.5 million skilled employees over the next five years, with an international investment of `3,300 crores, a wide range of jobs will be created. Job opportunities for hotel management graduates in public include

Marketing and sales executive: A person holding a degree in hotel management can apply in various hotels operated by government. The role of marketing and sales executive involves maximising hotel’s revenues by developing programmes to increase occupancy making profitable use of accommodation.  

Client Executives and other allied opportunities: Various Government authorities like sports authority of India, Indian navy hospitality services and State Tourism department invites applications for various posts including client executives and other job opportunities for hotel management graduates. The recruitment is done through interviews only.

The writer is Managing Director, Pratham Test Prep, New Delhi