Dated 02nd Jul 2003

What are the career prospectsin market research?

VASANTHA KUMAR

Tamil Nadu

As a market researcher, you will work in tandem with other researchers. You will be involved in drafting proposals describing how the market research will be carried out and dealing with volumes of data. Some companies and organisations, particularly well established ones, have their own market research departments, and employ researchers. Others use specialist market research companies and agencies to undertake the research for them. You can find employment with the government, consultancies, advertising, NGO's, marketing etc.

I would like to know the future prospects for M.Sc Laser Physics & Application in India and abroad.

SRIKANTH

Kerala

Openings for such professionals typically exist with companies that extensively use applications of laser and related optical or spectroscopic technologies in the research and industrial arena, e.g. in control and monitoring functions in manufacturing technologies, environmental analysis, atmospheric sciences, optical communications and information processing, as well as the exploration of fundamental physical and chemical phenomena. Biochemical and medical applications of lasers is another rapidly growing area, which offers excellent employment prospects worldwide.

I'm doing my B.Tech IT II year and would like to do a MS in Nanotechnology (in USA). What are the career opportunities in this field?

VIKRAM

Delhi

Nanotechnology is the science of understanding the structure and behaviour of materials at the atomic or molecular level. It's a fast growing industry internationally. This means that start-up companies and other organisations seeking to develop nanostructured devices will need to employ scientists who understand the behaviour of materials in nanostructured form and can also apply their knowledge to the successful commercialisation of products. Careers available for graduates include entrepreneurial, management and investment advisors in biotechnology and research and the development industry; research and development in government, universities and private research institutes; health industry, research and consulting - pharmaceutical, medical, agriculture, food and beverage, environmental industries; product development and advising; communication and media, marketing of new technologies etc.

What are the prospects of MBA - Operations Management?

KIRAN

Nagpur

'Operations' in the world of management encompasses almost all the sectors that reflect the efficiency of organisations in the area of background work and execution including inventory management, vendor development, purchase management, and also a few others which demand multi-disciplinary skills like SCM (supply chain management), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and also all cost optimisation initiatives.Depending on the type of organisation, one might be responsible for a few activities / regions in the initial stages and subsequently begin to handle broader areas. A typical career would see one handling a few plants/ vendors initially, followed by the responsibility for an entire factory and eventually undertake a more strategic view like global sourcing / alternate materials / imports etc. Experts in operations management can be employed incomputer integrated firms, such as manufacturing companies, multi-branch banking, retail chains, international assembly plants, production and distribution centers.

What are the prospects for computer science engineering graduates?

RAMESH

Chennai

Computer science engineershave excellent career prospects in a wide variety of organisations, and are particularly well equipped to work as the interface between the production of software systems and tools and their utilisation in applications. Typical job openings include that of a systems analyst, systems programmer, computer analyst, software engineer, customer service adviser, IT technician, systems integration developer, and IT system administrator. Opportunities also exist with larger user organisations such as insurance and telecommunication firms to small setups like software houses and consultancies. Careers include engineering aspects of designing computer systems to preparinginstructions (Programmes) to running the computer and operating on it. You also work with data processing departments of modern industries and in areas where computers and computer- aided systems are used. I.T. is applied in almost every field ranging from banking to telecommunications, public services to medicine, and research to retailing. You can even go in for call center jobs or as data entry operators.

I hold an M.A. in English and am also well versed in other foreign languages. What are my opportunities?

WILLIAMS

Delhi

International organisations and embassies employ language specialists for secretarial, executive and public relation assignments as well as for translations and interpretations jobs. Translators are also employed with industries, publishing houses, government and research organisations. Other job opportunities for language specialist are with the travel and tourism sector, hotel industry, exhibitions and fairs, airline offices, export agencies, radio stations and trade organisations.

Teaching can also be given a thought. For pursuing a career in teaching, a teacher should be a graduate in that foreign language and must have a teaching degree.

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