COURSE SELECTION

Right choice is the key: The choice of a career is fundamental in determining the course of our lives. And getting that choice wrong could spell trouble in one's working life. A new series that will help students and parents finalise the right course and career options.

Head for the right path: Gather as much information as possible and weigh the options well before you take the final plunge.

Get your optionals right: The contents of a few disciplines under the umbrella of engineering have been indicated here, with a view to driving home the essential need of students and parents to seek and gather comprehensive information on the discipline of their choice, before diving headlong into the course.

Take heart, career options do not end with entrance tests: The tremendous popularity of entrance tests has created a general impression that they form the sole medium for entry into respectable professions. The truth is far from it.

Getting beyond the professional stream: The world of higher education does not end with professional courses. Developments in various fields have opened up a wide array of courses and career options to choose from. Good planning holds the key, though.

INTERVIEWS Act with confidence: Putting one's best foot forward may make the difference between scoring a hit or a missin the extremely competitive job market. Here is how to approach interviews the right way. Get your act right: An important element in long-term planning is the development of language skills. Tackle tricky questions: Advice and tips on how to anticipate and prepare for the questions that might be asked during an interview. Mind your manners: Advice and tips on how to conduct yourself before an interview board. Try to be yourself: Here are a few tips on how to judge situtations correctly in the course of an interview and come out with just the right response. A question of answers: This part of the ongoing series on interviews focusses on handling tricky questions on your strengths and weaknesses The power of right answers: Here are a few more of those tricky questions that you better be prepared for in the course of an interview. More of those tricky questions: A sample of such questions Homework helps: Although there is no harm in indicating your approach or actions that helped in resolving the issue, take care not to blame your colleague for creating the problem. Of priorities, skill and teamwork: How not to trip when an interview panel asks you tricky questions. Learning to anticipate questions: Here are some final pointers on how to tackle interview questions.	CV Charting the progress of Life:The 'cv' plays a key role in giving the employer the first impression about an applicant.
	GROUP DISCUSSION Talk your way to success: Group discussion has emerged as a commonly used tool to assess candidates during the recruitment process. Here are some tips to deal with it. The vital phase: If you want to perform well in a group discussion, you should prepare well for the event. Candidates who are proficient in their academic subjects may not necessarily be able to do well in an exercise of this nature, unless they have prepared well for this specific test. Group mentality: Your preparation should help you perform optimally during group discussions. Here is how to gain that edge.
	TELEPHONE INTERIVEW Over the telephone: There is a lot in common between the preparation for a regular face-to-face interview and that for a telephone interview. Clarity of tone and tenor: When the expected call comes, never start with a "hello". Give your name, enabling the caller to confirm your identity easily. He will tell you who he is....
	MAKING A PRESENTATION The art of presentation: Making a presentation has become an integral part of academic and professional life. Here is how you give that cutting edge to your presentation.