Ace UPSC with geography

• Q:I am interested in taking the Civil Services exam. What are my chances of success if I take up geography as an optional paper for the Mains?

Vivek Bandopadhay

• A:Geography is definitely a good choice, particularly after changes were introduced to the course curriculum. The new syllabus has a lot more theoretical content with many more objective-type questions. This makes geography a very scoring subject. Familiarise yourself with the atlas and if you are good at maps it is theoretically possible to score 50 out of 60 in at least one question in each paper.

Another advantage of map-based questions is that it saves time and gives you that much needed breather to tackle the more complicated sections. The syllabus incorporates a confluence of topics ranging from science, economics and sociology to philosophy. You now have a greater choice of selecting topics that are more scoring.

Focus on the economic, social and physical aspects of Indian geography, including highlights of agricultural and natural resources. Also shore up on geomorphology, climatology, biogeography in Section A and population and settlement, economic models and theory in section B and you should easily be able to tackle all the answers and get good scores. You are going to be graded on the basis of your knowledge and clarity of concepts. There is a close correspondence between the contemporary issues in the second paper and the new current affairs section of GS. These changes in the syllabus have made life a lot easier.

The advertisement for the UPSC exam has appeared in the Employment News and other dailies. The exam will be held at various centres across the country on May 20, 2007. The application deadline is January 15, 2007. For more details, contact: Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, New Delhi 110011 or log on to www.upsc.gov.in.

Making magic on the web

• Q:I want to work as a web content developer. What are the skills required for this field and what are the prospects?

Devika Jha

• A:A web content developer prepares information, articles and features to be displayed on a website as per the requirements of the client. The ability to write well and edit, rewrite and an ability to think of innovative features is good. Plenty of such opportunities exist in media, web development and online publishing firms. There is no course for becoming a content developer. A college degree with fluency in writing, and preferably some experience at the copydesk or reporting in any media would suffice. Thus, a course in linguistics, journalism, mass communication, English, etc, is a good bet. Familiarity with computer basics is mandatory. You can start out as a content writer and move on to finally become a specialist.

In-flight hospitality is no longer a woman’s domain

• Q:I come from a small town and am keen on joining the aviation industry as a steward. However, my parents think that being
a steward is not a man’s profession. How do I convince them
otherwise?

Chinmoy Mukherjee

• A:It is true that a flight steward or a purser’s job is quite similar to that of an
airhostess but perhaps you would like to quote the following statistics to convince your
parents that ‘airhostessing’ is no longer the stronghold of women. In fact, lots of men are opting to be stewards.

With 10 Indian carriers together accounting for 292 aircraft and another 480 aircraft to be added to this ever burgeoning fleet, the sky is the limit for young men like you who want to join the aviation industry. The 25 per cent growth in the Indian aviation industry has in turn fuelled a great demand for in-flight hospitality professionals.

Little wonder that the salaries have also seen a tremendous rise from the erstwhile Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh being paid now.

Also, it’s easy to qualify as a cabin crew member since the minimum qualification required is a Plus Two or a bachelors degree. In the post 9/11 scenario, looks are no longer the primary concern, as most airlines prefer to hire physically fit men.

Also, you need loads of stamina to walk up and down the aisle pushing trolleys and serving the passengers on board. Trend spotters say that the ratio of men to women enrolled in aviation hospitality courses is around 2:3 and this is not restricted to metros but also to the tierII cities.

Often, parents from small towns who have grown up on the notion that medicine or engineering are the only ‘safe’ career options for boys, are unable to see the multitude of gender neutral opportunities that are now available to young people.

So my advice to you would be to not lose your cool. Be sure to sit down with your parents and rationally explain your point of view and your interest in the field. I am sure they will come around since at the end of the day, they too want the best for you.

Believe it or not, these airlines carried nearly 51 million domestic passengers and 23 million international passengers this year.