Build your profile – The Hindu

I am in Class 10. I am interested in MUN and AIPPM and am good at debates and public speaking. I wish to work for the UN, but don’t know what courses or what degrees to pursue. I am not keen to write the UPSC. How can I work towards my goal? Isabel

Dear Isabel,

The UN and its agencies hire for a variety of roles across domains. Roles involving diplomacy, international relations, public policy and Law require strong writing, negotiation, and analytical skills. Those in development, social work, and public administration focus on projects with NGOs, community engagement, advocacy, and specific campaigns. They also need technical specialists across health, finance, statistics and IT. However, subject expertise and project experience are a must for all roles.

Since your interests are in MUN, debates, and public speaking, the Humanities or Social Sciences seem like a natural fit. Choose a course that excites you academically. Undergraduate degrees to consider are B.A. Political Science, International Relations, Economics and International Relations, Development Studies, Social Work, and so on. The five-year Integrated Law is another option.

Build your profile alongside your academics. Strengthen your skills, take on leadership roles, and get involved in social initiatives. Gain experience through internships or volunteering with NGOs in areas like human rights, environment, and development, and explore UN youth programmes. Learning a foreign language can also boost your prospects.

I did B.Sc. Cardiac Technology, and am interested in pursuing an MBA with any specialisation. Will my background affect selection or placements? Prateeksha

Dear Prateeksha,

If you want to leverage your B.Sc., choose an MBA in Healthcare or Hospital Management, as it will be the easiest for placements and career growth. Most MBA programmes in India accept graduates from any discipline, including paramedics and science. Admission primarily depends on entrance exams (CAT, XAT, GMAT, MAT, CMAT, and so on), academic performance (marks, consistency), work experience (optional but adds weight) and statement of purpose and interview.

Other industries will need specialised knowledge, analytical skills in operations, analytics, and consulting. So, attend workshops or short courses in general management or business analytics and explore internships and projects to understand the application of the MBA in a real setting. Network with alumni of MBA programmes from healthcare or science backgrounds and build LinkedIn connections in healthcare management and hospital operations.

I am in the fourth year of B.A. LLB. My college does not organise any events or competitions. I am ambitious and want knowledge. How do I do this without support from my institution? Aarchi

Dear Aarchi,

Leverage online resources and use the Internet as your campus. Look for courses on Constitutional Law, International Law, Intellectual Property, Human Rights and Corporate Law on Coursera, edX, or NPTEL. Podcasts on channels such as LawSimplified or LegalEdge offer lectures, debates and analysis of judgments. Go through legal blogs to understand current trends. Read up on research papers in Law on SSRN, JSTOR, or HeinOnline. Try remote participation in online moot courts and debating competitions (for example, Manupatra Online Moot or VMUU Moot). Participate in online competitions hosted by the Bar Council or law firms. Join online groups for law students or young lawyers to build your peer and mentor network. Reach out to alumni from your college or law school for mentorship. Volunteer in legal aid cells, NGOs, or public policy forums to get practical exposure and build connections. Look for internships at law firms, corporate legal departments, NGOs, and legal research organisations. Write a paper on a legal topic and submit it to journals and freelance on platforms like Upwork or Lawctopus for legal writing and research projects

I finished B.Tech. Mechanical Engineering in 2022. I wasted two years not knowing what to do, and have just joined an auto manufacturing company as a trainee. My interests are more in cognitive work, innovation and AI. I am not interested in management, IT, or a regular 9-5 job. I am prepared to study further. What should I do next? Sumen

Dear Sumen,

You are clear about your interests in cognitive, innovative, AI-focused roles. This suggests that you are probably better suited for R&D, AI applications, interdisciplinary engineering, or design-thinking roles. Some potential domains to pivot into where mechanical, AI and cognitive work intersect would be robotics or automation, computational mechanics or simulation, AI & machine learning in Engineering, mechatronics or smart systems, product innovation and design, energy or sustainable tech or interdisciplinary research fields.

Consider a M.Tech or M.S. Mechanical Engineering or AI or Robotics either in India or abroad. Another option could be a Postgraduate Diploma or Certification in Robotics or Mechatronics. Simulation and optimisation courses could land you in industry roles in R&D or innovation labs. An interdisciplinary programme in Cognitive Computing and Robotics or AI and Mechanical Design will help you move from traditional mechanical to future-oriented cognitive roles.

Practical experience is crucial. Build a portfolio with projects in predictive maintenance for mechanical systems using AI, simulation-based design optimisation, robotics prototypes and so on. Participate in competitions of hackathons. Seek a research internship at IITs, DRDO, ISRO, automotive R&D labs in AI, smart systems, or optimisation in mechanical engineering.