Too many choices? – The Hindu

I have a UG and PG degree in English Language and Literature and experience in digital marketing, graphic design, YouTube content writing and editing. I have low confidence and constantly doubt my abilities. I cleared NET and qualified for the JRF. But I am told the stipend is often delayed. I am not interested in teaching. I am now preparing for the state PSC exams. I don’t know what else to do. Arya

Dear Arya

You have achieved things and are probably dealing with a creative burnout. Talk to a career counsellor to get some direction on what you want to do and what you are passionate about.

Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) use the UGC-NET score to hire for roles like corporate communications or public relations. Keep an eye on the Careers page of Maharatna and Navratna PSU websites, as they release notifications specifically for NET-qualified candidates. You could also explore UX Writing or Technical Writing that will focus on the ‘micro-copy’ inside apps (the buttons, error messages, and menus) or high-level documentation.

While the JRF stipend is sometimes delayed, it is a guaranteed financial cushion. Enroll for a Ph.D. at a reputable university and use the stipend (it arrives in chunks) to fund your PSC coaching. It will remove the gap year from your resume while you crack the exam and showcase you as a researcher.

I have done a B.Sc. Physics, MCA and a foundation AI/ML course. I am interested in AI and data-related work, but not confident in coding-intensive roles. What skills or areas should I focus on for an entry-level IT job? Nidhi

Dear Nidhi,

Your best entry points will be roles such as a data Analyst or BI analyst. Focus on SQL (to pull data), Excel (Advanced), and a visualisation tool like Power BI or Tableau. To be an AI data specialist or data annotator, you need an understanding of data privacy (GDPR), statistics, and tools like Informatica or Alation. An AI quality assurance engineer runs test cases against AI outputs to ensure they are accurate, safe, and ethical. Skills required are Prompt Engineering, manual testing methodologies, and basic knowledge of Model Evaluation metrics (Precision, Recall, F1-score).

The 2026 Survival Skill Toolkit is Databases. SQL is non-negotiable. Learn Joins, Subqueries, and Window Functions; tools such as Google Vertex AI or AWS SageMaker Canvas. Focus on becoming a Pro in SQL and Power BI. These two alone can land you a job.

I completed Class 12 in 2021 and began a Company Secretary course. I completed the first stage but failed twice in the second level. So I did a course in ADVFX Plus but the salary was not great. I began working in customer service (WFH) for an e-commerce company. But the nine-hour night shift left me exhausted. I am preparing for the CDS IMA but my Maths and English are not good. I thought of SSC CPO but I’m not sure if I can handle the different situations of the job. I don’t know what I can do. Dev

Dear Dev,

You seem to have been through a whirlwind of transitions. You need to find a path that is sustainable and plays to your strengths. Meet a career counsellor and get a personality and career profiling done to help you understand and shortlist your interests and career traits.

Consider Motion Graphics for brands. Many companies need someone to make ‘explainer videos’, Instagram ads, and moving logos. This pays better and usually has standard 9-to-5 hours.

Re-evaluate the CDS IMA path. What about OTA? Can you work on your English? For OTA, you only need to appear for English and General Knowledge. You finished the first stage of CS, which means you have some knowledge of Corporate Law and Governance. What about a Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) or Compliance Associate role? It is higher than an entry-level customer service role and has clear career growth into Risk Management.

I am a 2025 Engineering graduate working in an IT company, but want to switch to finance. Should I study for the CFA or take the CAT/GMAT and do an MBA? How can I build a strong profile as an engineer in finance? Sai

Dear Sai,

The choice between CFA and MBA depends on the Financial role you want. A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is great for equity research, asset management, or portfolio management. While an MBA in Finance is best for investment banking, private equity and so on. CFA will need self-studying now and may take upto four years across the three levels compared to a full-time two-year MBA. But the CFA costs are relatively low compared to a top B-School. While the CFA network is a global community, networking may be limited compared to an MBA with campus placements and an accessible alumni base.

Consider starting your CFA Level 1 now and aim for the CAT/GMAT in 2027-2028 after gaining some IT work experience. First, bridge the gaps. Learn Financial Modelling, build three-statement models, Discounted Cash Flow, and Leveraged Buyout models. Master Python for Finance (libraries such as Panda or NumPy) and SQL. High-frequency trading and Quant funds hire engineers who can code. Apart from CFA, consider shorter certifications like FLIP or Coursera’s Financial Markets (Yale) to get the basics down quickly.

Open a brokerage account and write investment reports for stocks that you own. If you can show an interviewer a report on why you bought a specific stock, you beat 90% of other applicants. Many B-schools and platforms like Unstop host finance case study competitions. Winning one is a huge resume builder. Try to switch to a fintech project in your current role. Work on a trading platform or a banking backend. Explore moving from a general IT service firm to a company where you interact with finance professionals.