Delivering news with elan

Q: I have completed BCom (honours) this year and I wish to pursue a career as a newsreader. How should I go about it?

Priyanka Chaterjee

A: Earlier, newsreaders on TV merely read out the pre-scripted news from a monitor or teleprompter. In the case of radio, they still do. Although the terms are still used interchangeably, the present-day TV newscaster is an anchor-cum-reporter.

The job includes anchoring and reading the news/bulletins, assisting news editors in planning and preparing desk stories, bulletins and news flashes, interviewing, reporting and covering news events.

You may also be expected to conduct background research on the topic to be featured or conceptualise and develop ideas on content. A good university education preferably with a postgraduate degree/ diploma in TV/ radio journalism and some basic computer skills will get you started.

Excellent communication skills (written and spoken), besides knowledge of and interest in current affairs are a must. You also need to have a keen, open and well-informed mind. A well-modulated voice, screen presence, the ability to appear calm and confident even in a crisis is what distinguishes a good newscaster.

It also helps to be alert, cautious and intelligent at all times. The ability to ad-lib and script your own announcements is another essential. Be prepared: you?ll have to go through countless auditions, dummy runs and work very hard to get a foothold.

It may be a good idea to start out as a casual anchor/ presenter on one of the channels or even as a radio jockey before landing a plum job. Also try your hand at compering live shows to gain confidence.

And if you are witty, sharp, charming and in love with the camera, you can even go for the highly prized slot of a VJ. But let me warn you: it?s a highly competitive field and there aren?t too many openings currently.

Carve a career with chemistry

Q: I am interested in pursuing a career in chemistry. Please advise.

Dipal Arora

A: Chemistry is a pure science that deals with the composition of matter and its changes, reactions and transformations. After specialising in chemistry you can work in research and development, management, marketing, production, etc. In fact, no other field in pure science offers such a wide array of options. After doing BSc (chemistry) you can either do an MSc followed by a MPhil and PhD.

TIFR’s National Centre for Biological sciences, Bangalore, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the Jawaharlal Centre for Advanced Scientific Research also offer integrated PhD programmes for BSc graduates. You can also opt for a BTech or BSc (tech) in specialised fields such as food technology, biochemical engineering, etc. As a scientist you can explore any area of interest — either pure or applied.

Flying high as flight engineers

Q: I am in Class XI (science). What is the job of a flight engineer? Are girls and those with spectacles eligible for this course?

Sudeepta Mukherjee

A: Aircraft engineers in civil aviation normally specialise in mechanical or aeronautical engineering. While mechanical engineers service and overhaul engines and airframes, aeronautical engineers specialise in the maintenance of aircraft instruments, electrical and electronics equipment, navigation, radar and radio communication systems.
Aircraft engineers work at airports during turn-around of airplanes, working in all types of weather conditions. They work as part of a very organised and highly efficient team and often, under great pressure.

Yes, girls and bespectacled candidates can take up a course in flight/aeronautical engineering but physical fitness and total dedication to one’s work remains a prerequisite.

This is technologically, one of the most advanced branches of engineering. As an aeronautical engineer you design, construct and maintain commercial and military aircraft, even satellites, spacecraft and missiles.

The course would cover the study of fluid, thermo dynamics, gas dynamics, material science, structural analysis, propulsion, acoustics and electronics.

You can further specialise in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion, structures, celestial machines, acoustics and guidance and control systems.

Q: I have heard that the management institutes teach courses through the case study method instead of the traditional chalk-and-talk method. What exactly does this mean?

Anant Srivastava

A: The case method is a major instrument of learning at the IIMs and most of the leading B-schools. Other conventional methods are also used.

Cases are descriptions of actual management situations based on the experiences of organisations in a wide range of settings. They present facts known to the executives responsible for dealing with the situations presented, and through discussions of these situations, students learn how to solve different kinds of managerial problems.

The case studies are handed out to the students in advance. You are supposed to read them up, and formulate your thoughts, so that you can discuss them in class with your colleagues and professors to arrive at possible solutions.

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