Students and parents attending The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling 2024 held at the auditorium of Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) here on Saturday, May 11, got their doubts on admissions, careers, selection of colleges and courses, and various other career prospects after PU cleared with the experts and resource persons convincingly replying to their queries during the interactive session at the programme.
The 45-minute long session was addressed by a team of panellists, including B. Sadashive Gowda, Principal, VVCE, Mysuru, Udayashankar N., Nodal Officer, KEA Helpline, Mysuru, S.N. Manjunath, Associate Professor, MMCRI, Mysuru and Asgar Pasha, Recruitment Trainer and Career Counsellor, CIGMA, Bengaluru.
After a detailed presentation on the topics of Engineering, Common Entrance Test (CET) admission to professional courses and General Education and Career Options by the panellists, the programme was opened for a Q and A session where the students and their parents sought replies on a wide range of topics on the careers after PU.
The panellists replied to questions on topics like CET admission procedure by Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), NEET admissions, engineering courses and admissions, alternate career choices, competitive examinations like UPSC.
Some of the questions asked during the session were: While opting for an engineering seat, should we give priority to the college or the course? Are paramedical courses a good option if students don’t get a medical seat? What are the courses that can be explored other than engineering and medicine? My son is interested in Computer Science Engineering but the current recession in the IT sector has put him in a state of worry and he needs expert advice.
Prof. Gowda replied to queries on the core engineering subjects, choice of college and courses, choosing seats based on college, and new engineering courses like artificial engineering and machine learning and so on. He cited the example of a mechanical engineering student in VVCE who has been offered a package of ₹41 lakh a year. “Skills make a difference irrespective of the course.”
Mr. Manjunath advised students to pursue their interests and suggested they consider courses like Ayurveda if they do not get a medical seat since such courses are also promising if you are passionate about establishing a career in the field. “The career you choose has to be satisfying and you are the best judge.”
Mr. Udayashankar replied to questions on admission procedures, income and other certificates for admissions, supernumerary quota, option entry and online verification of documents.
Replying to questions on alternate courses and careers, Mr. Pasha advised students to also give thought to careers other than engineering and medicine since there are plenty of career choices to make that are equally rewarding. He listed out less popular but rewarding courses and also spoke on integrated courses relevant to the present scenario.
Mr. Manjunath advised students to consider pursuing pure science courses and explore careers in teaching. There are umpteen opportunities in pure science but there are not many takers. A teaching job is very satisfying.
He also spoke on the importance of nursing courses and how the nursing professionals played unforgettable roles along with doctors and were unsung heroes during the war against COVID-19.
