How Chennai students gain a career edge with early preparation

Clarity in thought will transform into action and lead to planning a career of one’s choice.

How early should students start planning for their future careers? When students choose a stream of study — arts, commerce, or science — after class 10, they make decisions that are somewhat irrevocable. High scores in a subject make them eligible to pursue that subject further, with the scores indicating their proficiency.

But that is just the first hurdle cleared. The scores in the qualifying exam in class 12 pave the way for students to decide with greater conviction and confidence. A large number of students enter college with some idea of their future career path.

Neha Soni’s father is a goldsmith. She cleared class 12 with good scores and chose to pursue a B.Com degree at a self-financing city college. She is clear about her career goals. Now in her final year, Neha is simultaneously preparing to ace the Company Secretaryship course. She has cleared the first exam at the intermediate level. After an unsuccessful attempt at the second level, Neha decided to take a break and focus on her degree coursework.

“I chose B.Com as my major in college because it would help me do well in the CS course. When I failed, my father suggested I take a break, which is why I joined college,” Neha said. During her summer vacation, she took up a month-long internship. “The experience of stepping into the real world was an exciting opportunity,” she added.

Rupika Devi has similar aspirations. She is in her second year of B.Com and aims to become a Company Secretary. Rupika studies at the Government Arts and Science College in Perumbakkam. “Most students here come from humble families with a strong desire to make something of themselves,” said a faculty member.

It is this desire that has propelled M. Jagajeevan and his classmate K. Saranya. Both students are in the second year of the B.A. Tamil programme. Their parents come from modest backgrounds. Jagajeevan’s father is a construction labourer, and his mother works as a housekeeper. He aspires to become a schoolteacher.

The first-generation learner commutes four hours each day to and from college. The journey by public transport is strenuous, as he has to change three buses. “If I miss a bus, I have to wait a long time and end up being late to college. I hope the government runs more buses,” he said.

Saranya travels from Velachery, about 10 km from Perumbakkam. She is working towards getting a job in a government department and plans to take the Public Service Commission exams to enter State government service.

Her mother works as a housekeeper, while her father takes up engineering contract work. Both students are also learning English communication skills, which they say are essential in the workplace.