Career counselling: choosing the right stream after Plus Two

In keeping with the past, the two-day The Hindu Edge career counselling fair 2018 began at Suguna Kalyana Mandapam on Wednesday to enthusiastic response from students, who are looking to step into the world of higher education.

S. Malarvizhi, chairperson of Sri Krishna Institutions, inaugurated the fair, which has Sri Krishna Institutions as the presenting partner, KMCH and Dr. N.G.P. Institutions and Presidency University as gold sponsors, IFIM College, Bengaluru, as silver sponsor, Astra University, Thanjavur, as test preparation partner, Speed Medical Centre as NEET partner, 'siksha.com' as official college search partner and Careers360 as media partner.

Addressing students and parents, Ms. Malarvizhi said students who had just completed the Plus Two examinations were at an important stage of their life where the course they would choose could determine the course of their future.

They had so many disciplines to choose from – arts, science, humanities, engineering, technology, law, etc.

But the students should realise that how they would study was as important what they would study. She had come across arts and science graduates who earned around ₹40,000 a month and engineering graduates who earned only around ₹10,000 a month.

She also said that given the variety of courses and the opportunities they provided, it was important for students to study well what they chose, she said.

P. Krishnakumar, CEO and secretary, Nehru Group of Institutions, said it was important for students entering higher education to first understand the career opportunities available.

Once they chose a course, they should stick to it and look at ways to enhance the skills required in the field to secure jobs.

Karunya University Vice Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said the number of engineering colleges and courses had grown manifold from what they were a few decades ago.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu had only three engineering branches, termed soil (civil), coil (electrical) and oil (mechanical).

There were fewer than 20 colleges and around 1,200 seats. But today, there was over 1,50,000 seats in nearly 50 disciplines from over 500 institutions.

V. Rajendran, Principal, Dr. NGP Arts and Science College said it was better that students and parents discussed the various courses and their career options before deciding on what the former wanted to pursue.

Career consultant Ramesh Prabbha said parents should not suggest to their children the courses their colleagues or neighbours said was good and the students should not insist on joining the course their best friend had sought admission to.

It was important that students wrote down their interests and aptitude and narrowed down on courses.

Harini M. Of AVP Trust Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Tirupur, said though she attended the fair after having made up her mind on a particular course, the information provided by the speakers and people who manned various education institutions' stalls had given her more choices.

On Thursday, visitors to the fair could learn about various courses and career opportunities available in agriculture and horticulture.