Ayush Nargotra
C`hoice of a stream after a 12th result is no doubt an evaluative task. But for sure it’s not limited to Engineering, B. Com or MBBS. Believe it or not but the Indian education system can be very intimidating. There is an endless wave of competition and everyone is in the rat race to become the next C.V. Raman, Amartya Sen or Sunder Pichai.
More often than not, such a critical decision is often taken based on what others perceive about a particular profession. While one should, undoubtedly, incorporate the wisdom of our elders, one must also look forward to pursuing our own aspirations. Many students end up making choices out of peer pressure or by forceful decisions of elders, on the contrary one should begin his / her career by choosing a road which starts from the junction of your interest, personality, skills, future opportunities and your capabilities.
Today when most students aspire to join the corporate world, it is important to realize that opting for a career in fields that have stood the test of time (Such as, engineering or medicine), might not be the best option. In fact, other avenues, like Law, Designing, Hotel Management, and Mass Communication can not only facilitate the process of bagging a prestigious corporate job, but also allow scope of great creativity.
Also, one more criterion which will guide you to your destination is your 12th standard percentage. It’s not always that only toppers get good chances. Percentage is to determine the college you will be getting but there are many courses which you can opt even if you miss the list by some marks. What you will be doing in life ahead is governed by the choices you make, hence don’t be a blind sheep, choose the best that suits you. If you don’t have correct information regarding it, you might end up in a misfit career and may feel unsatisfied with your biggest achievements.
Career Choices after class 12th are as follows:
Continue with your existing stream and go for higher studies:
If you have interest in a particular stream or a subject and have been performing well in the same, it might be the right career option after 12th. In order to make the best of the opportunities your way, we suggest you avail help from a career guide to understand the latest career trends related to it.
Take Entrance Examinations
You can also sit for entrance exams related to your chosen stream. Every year students prepare diligently to crack these exams. Most reputed colleges offering a plethora of courses after 12th have also adopted the trend of taking entrance tests. It helps them to regulate their admission procedure given a large number of applicants every year and only admit deserving candidates. As many of these entrance examinations are scheduled at different times of the year, a career guide after 12th can really help you in stay prepared and updated with the exam schedule.
Switch to a New Stream
Many times, our personal choices may not turn out to be a good professional choice. Depending on your aptitude and personal interest, you can pick a different course after 12th and have a bright career. Just be careful while applying for a course as many colleges prefer students with strong background in individual subjects.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular college courses after class 12th that you can have a successful future in:
For students with Commerce /Arts in 10+2
For commerce background students it’s not always CA, depending on your inclination and potential you can choose from myriad options. There are many diploma programs, degree programs and the professional course which you can opt based on your 12th standard percentage and your interest.
Diploma Programs (6 months- 2 years) in Travel and Tourism, Hotel Management, Air Hostess and Flight Steward, diploma in Education, foreign language, Film/television Courses, Interior Designing, a course in Event Management can be your options which will fetch you a decent job in less time.
Degree programs (3-5 years) like Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Business Management (BBM), Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.Lib), Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), Bachelor of Journalism, Bachelor of Law (LLB), BBA-LLB, Bachelor of Design (B.Des), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
For admission in Diploma and degree programs listed above, various colleges open their respective application portal for BBA, BBM, B.Com, BA, BFA after the declaration of 12th standard result. Some colleges take admissions on the basis of 12th percentage and some have their separate entrance tests depending on the college and the course you choose.
Admission to courses in Fashion Designing can be taken by clearing national level entrance exams like NIFT, NID, AIEED etc. There are also various courses in textile, footwear design etc. at various institutes across the country.
For admission in Law courses – BA, LLB (Hons), LLM, BBA-LLB (Hons) a student must clear exams like CLAT, LSAT, AILET, LET etc. After completing the course in Law one can be Criminal Lawyer, Legal Journalist, Government Lawyer, Civil Litigation Lawyer, Judge, Legal Analyst or Document Drafting Lawyer.
After completing graduation, commerce or arts graduate can even head for Civil Services, State Services or Management Degree in Finance, Sales-Marketing, Personnel Management, International Business; for this you will have to clear PG entrance exams like CAT/XAT/MAT/ IIFT/SNAP etc. This opens doors of great and wonderful opportunities as HR, Investment Banker, Business Analyst, Market Analyst, Consultancy etc.
Professional Programs (3 years or more) – Chartered Accountancy (CA), Cost and Works Accountant from Institute of Cost and Works Accountancy (ICWA), Company Secretary (CS), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
For admission in CA program one has to pass CPT – Common Proficiency Test. For ICWA one must clear ICWAI entrance examination (Intermediate and final) organized by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI).
For students with PCM in 11th and
12th standard
The most sought-after career option is B.E. /B.Tech or B.Arch.
The most prestigious exam JEE (Main and Advanced) is the exam to get admission in reputed IITs/NITs of the country and other regional colleges for engineering in any branch. JEE Main paper – 1 is for Engineering and Paper -2 for Architecture courses.
Some reputed private colleges also take their entrance exams like VIT, BITSAT for admission in BITS Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campus. Apart from these, there are certain state level engineering exams for admission in-state private colleges.
One can also pursue Integrated M.Sc, BCA/B.Com, LLB, Pilot Training or Defence (Navy, Army and Air Force).
If a student has an inclination towards mathematics then, teaching, scientific and research work, design and development, management services and computing, tax inspectorate, Chartered Accountant, statistical work, actuarial work can also be good career options.
An engineering graduate can get the job in Public Sector Undertakings, Research and Development can go for Civil Services, State Engineering Services, Banking Sector, Defence Services, Scientists, Higher study options through GRE/GMAT/GATE etc.
For students with Biology in 10+2
The most chosen option is MBBS and BDS, but one should not get disappointed if you don’t get into these; avoid falling into the line choose a stream according to your capability, there are several options after taking PCB.
To name a few – Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS),Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry (BVSc.AH) , Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Science , Bachelor of Physiotherapy, B.Sc nursing ,B.Sc in Bio-Chemistry, Bio-Medical, Botany, Nutrition, Microbiology, Polymer Science, Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharma), Biotechnology, General Nursing, Bachelor in Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT), Bachelor of Occupational Therapy(BOT), Paramedical Courses.
The common exams for a medical stream are NEET, All India Pre-Veterinary Test (AIPVT), also various national level colleges like AIIMS, CMC-Vellore, CMC-Ludhiana, Manipal, JIPMER, MGIMS-Wardha, AMU, BHU organize their respective medical entrance exam in various courses.
Some common courses for both Maths and Biology students which are not in limelight but make a good career option:
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc): Any one of the several branches can opt like Dairy Technology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Food Technology.
Diploma Programs (6 months- 2 years) in Travel and Tourism, Environmental Science, Hotel Management, Air Hostess and Flight Steward, diploma in Education, Foreign Language, Interior Designing, a course in Event Management can be your options which will fetch you a decent job in less time.
Integrated M.Sc can
also be a good option.
For admission in Integrated M.Sc course in biological, mathematical, chemical and physical sciences one can opt for NISER or UM-DAE CBS.
Vocational Careers
As many employers are looking for employees equipped for certain jobs right after study, it may be a smart choice to take training in a particular skill to pursue it as a career. Thus, vocational learning can become a great option after class 12th. Through this, one could gain an associate degree or certification in various fields such as hospitality and tourism, retail management, software development, electronics and hardware, leather and apparel, sales and marketing or interior design.
Spend little time on your research and choose the career stream wisely as whatever choice you make makes you.
(The author is Director Career Launcher Jammu)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
