Eligibility for NET

Q: I have completed BA and BEd. Now I have an option, either to go for an MA in education or MEd. If I choose the latter, will I be eligible for the NET exam? Will I get a job easily after clearing the NET/SLET? Please advise

Avee S

A:Yes, you will be eligible to take the exam since the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recognised postgraduates with an MA (education) or MEd as eligible for taking the National Eligibility Test. However, you must understand that getting a lecturer?s job is not that easy. Saddled with shrunken budgets, colleges and universities are loath to hire new teachers.

Teachers are recruited on an ad hoc basis whenever necessary and often not confirmed to save on provident fund and salary during vacations. Neither are they readily re-appointed for the same reason.

Colleges also prefer to get by with part-time lecturers and guest-faculty that are paid less than half the prescribed salary. However, to reverse the declining interest in science education and research, UGC has introduced an innovative ?National Lectureship? system.

First divisioners who have topped masters courses in their universities can now apply for National Lecturership. The recruits can take up their posts from the next academic year itself (after clearing the UGC NET in the interregnum) at any central university in the country with salaries and promotional avenues that are on a par with other lecturers. The scheme may be extended to other streams as well in the near future.

For details of the NET syllabus, log on to the website: www.ugc.ac.in. On the other hand, the proliferation of private colleges offering a varied assortment of courses in affiliation with other Indian and foreign universities has opened up a goldmine of opportunities.

Learning computers with engineering

Q: I am a first-year student of civil engineering. Please suggest some suitable computer courses.

Amitabh Sen

A:Basic familiarity with computers is all you need at this stage and your engineering curriculum will incorporate the fundamentals of computing (including a language). There?s no point in undertaking any specific course right away because requirements will be very different three to four years from now when you will join the job market. I think it?s always better to get into the field and build the necessary IT skills relevant to your field.

Incidentally, Anna University offers a dual degree programme to allow students of all non-IT branches of engineering of the engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu to obtain an additional BTech degree in IT. Even students pursuing their undergraduate studies (both regular and part-time) in other universities are eligible to enrol for the dual degree programme.

Medical transcription is an exciting job

Q:I have completed my graduation. What does it take to become a medical transcriptionist?

Hari Shankar Parit

A:Medical transcription is a career option for people who have excellent command over English, particularly written (you have to hear and transcribe speech loaded with medical terminology in accents as varied as American, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Indian and mid-Western), and preferably, familiarity with biology.

In a nutshell, the work involves meticulously transcribing computerised audio data dictated by the doctor into formatted computerised text. MT calls for excellent listening skills, familiarity with medical terminology, a high degree of concentration and accuracy. A veritable industry has sprung up to cash in on the demand by offering courses for a handsome fee. Do some comparative shopping before you sign up for such training schools. Make sure they promise you placement at the end of the course. Preferably, choose one that runs an MT operation of its own.

The income is directly proportionate to the effort you put in. MTs are paid on a production basis ? by the line, word or page. Starting packages are modest ? in the range of Rs 7,000 ? 10,000/- plus incentives. Starting as an MT you can move on to becoming a senior MT, executive MT, quality analyst, proof reader, content editor, project leader, etc.

MTs can also arrange for convenient and flexible work schedules, including working from home. Moreover, there is no age limit as a great value is placed on experience and knowledge.

Q:I am a graduate and I have recently got the opportunity to join a BPO. But I am also preparing for MBA entrance exams and I am afraid that I will not be able to sustain the night shifts. Are there any BPO jobs available during the day?

Ajay Sen

A: You are in luck. Working with BPOs no longer means keeping erratic hours. There are several BPOs that offer day shift jobs. For example, ATS Services, a domestic BPO operates during the day and has openings for postgraduates and graduates like you. All you need to do is scan the job openings section of newspapers and the ?Career Section? on websites of the major BPOs and you are sure to find something that will match your requirements.