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CAREER COUNSELLING

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First of all, this planning is done ahead of graduation.

At this percentage, you dont have many options. And I can assess it will be hard for you to complete ACCA on time. And it will be hard to do other lucrative courses ICMAP, CIMA, CMA, CPA etc.

You can study BBA, but nowadays, BBAs from reputed institutions are recognised and other degree programs are just considered pieces of paper.

regarding planning before fsc and stuff i initially planned for becoming mechanical engineer from nust but after passing my first year i realized i am extremely weak and skill-wise deficient in maths and chemistry tried tutions din't work really good because i do not live in a proper town rather a suburb where people go abroad on study visas and do odd jobs for the rest of their life since they only live abroad to earn not to study so no real career counsellingexcept the usual ACCA BBA or BSCS............

so fast forward now MY family has decided that i pursue BS ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE from FAST NU Lahore (i have got admission there) they value it because it is accredited to ACCA exempting 7 out of 14 papers of ACCA what do you think of this i guess this way i can easily build my base in accounting and finance and polish my skills in those 4 years get a graduate degree aswell and maybe after that i can clearly decide whether to pursue ACCA or someother certification or MASTERS degree from a well reputed uni abroad

and kindly define the career path i can have with this degree abroad since i plan to settle abroad after i graduate possibly EUROPE specifically germany
 
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regarding planning before fsc and stuff i initially planned for becoming mechanical engineer from nust but after passing my first year i realized i am extremely weak and skill-wise deficient in maths and chemistry tried tutions din't work really good because i do not live in a proper town rather a suburb where people go abroad on study visas and do odd jobs for the rest of their life since they only live abroad to earn not to study so no real career counsellingexcept the usual ACCA BBA or BSCS............

so fast forward now MY family has decided that i pursue BS ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE from FAST NU Lahore (i have got admission there) they value it because it is accredited to ACCA exempting 7 out of 14 papers of ACCA what do you think of this i guess this way i can easily build my base in accounting and finance and polish my skills in those 4 years get a graduate degree aswell and maybe after that i can clearly decide whether to pursue ACCA or someother certification or MASTERS degree from a well reputed uni abroad

and kindly define the career path i can have with this degree abroad since i plan to settle abroad after i graduate possibly EUROPE specifically germany

settling abroad is a visa issue as well, just keep that in mind problems can arise sometimes you get a job but the visa doesn't extended etc .... there is also the Uol International Program it is very challenging, you can also do a B.com and then move onto the CFA (again pretty challenging) that is another viable path meanwhile you can start work as well,the CFA is globally recognized where as accounting certifications/charters will always have some reservation when changing from one country's recognized accounting charter to another because firms want chartered accountants most of the time even if they are Management Accountants though there could be some exceptions

and during a bba you never really learn anything so the idea of 'polishing your skills for accounting' is not really going to work out until and unless you revise every finance/accounting related course till the end of your bba, additionally i would suggest buying the BIWS (Breaking Into Wall Street) program it actually teaches you the work of an analyst, what you would do in the field, it will put you way ahead of the typical BBA Student .. the BIWS program will be very useful if you intend to move abroad

so my recommendation is
B.Com with BIWS (start working once you complete the BIWS program)
CFA
and mean while keep talking to people working in the field Corporate Bankers, Retail Bankers, Equity Analysts, Management Accountants, Auditors, etc listen to the facts they tell you NOT their opinions every moron can have an opinion .. whenever they give "advice" as them "is it your opinion or is that a fact?" ... and remember most jobs after 5 years or so become repetitive/boring for most people (this is my opinion and for all you know, I am a moron of epic proportions)

there are also other programs such as WSP, TTS, etc but BIWS has become better now in terms of prep material

http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/ .... this is a sister site of BIWS for career guidance
 

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here is the old BIWS interview guide (the new interview guide is much better), i can mail you the WSO guide (the file is just not getting uploaded over here.. and the link where i found it does not work anymore) then you can compare the two, the difference between the two interview guides is a good representation of the style these two programs have, see which one you like .. also since you want to work abroad look for career/industry guides for different fields like the one I have attached in the previous message
 

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Hello,
I got my IGCSE result this month - 6A*s (Math, Physics, Chemistry, Bio, English, ICT) and 1A (Sociology). I have previously given 3 O Level subjects with 2As in Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies, and 1B in Urdu. So that makes it a total of 6A*s, 3As and 1B.
I have to decide which subjects to take up for AS and A level. I'm planning on taking 3 subjects - Physics and Chemistry for sure along with EITHER Math or Biology.
I haven't been able to decide which career to choose - engineering or medicine? The thing is I really like Math and Chemistry but I've heard from people that engineering scope is decreasing day by day and they do not get paid very well especially in the UAE and other gulf countries (e.g. chemical, aeronautical, electrical engineering). I live in the UAE, but I am from Pakistan. On the other hand, I like Biology too. I find it very interesting. I'd like to become a Radiologist if I do medicine but the drawbacks are that it takes a lot of time, probably 8-10 years or even more to become a successful Radiologist to get good jobs and I won't be able to get many chances to study abroad like in the US/UK/Canada/Australia since they don't accept many students for medicine. People ask me what I am passionate about, but to be very honest, I have absolutely no idea. I am just not able to decide and my AS level starts next month. :( Please help.
 
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Hello,
I got my IGCSE result this month - 6A*s (Math, Physics, Chemistry, Bio, English, ICT) and 1A (Sociology). I have previously given 3 O Level subjects with 2As in Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies, and 1B in Urdu. So that makes it a total of 6A*s, 3As and 1B.
I have to decide which subjects to take up for AS and A level. I'm planning on taking 3 subjects - Physics and Chemistry for sure along with EITHER Math or Biology.
I haven't been able to decide which career to choose - engineering or medicine? The thing is I really like Math and Chemistry but I've heard from people that engineering scope is decreasing day by day and they do not get paid very well especially in the UAE and other gulf countries (e.g. chemical, aeronautical, electrical engineering). I live in the UAE, but I am from Pakistan. On the other hand, I like Biology too. I find it very interesting. I'd like to become a Radiologist if I do medicine but the drawbacks are that it takes a lot of time, probably 8-10 years or even more to become a successful Radiologist to get good jobs and I won't be able to get many chances to study abroad like in the US/UK/Canada/Australia since they don't accept many students for medicine. People ask me what I am passionate about, but to be very honest, I have absolutely no idea. I am just not able to decide and my AS level starts next month. :( Please help.

Take 4 subjects and drop the subject which you are unable to cope with by the end if first year.
So take up Physics,Chemistry,Biology,Mathematics.
 
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Take 4 subjects and drop the subject which you are unable to cope with by the end if first year.
So take up Physics,Chemistry,Biology,Mathematics.

Also, take up a career that you like and can not regret about it the rest of your life.
My parents try to convince me go for engineering but I am not willing because I can't see myself become something that I will regret.
So I am going for a double major towards Applied Mathematics,Statistics and Sociology. :)
 
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I can't take 4 subjects, it will be too hard for me to cope. I have to decide 3 only. My parents want me to do medicine but they said I should choose myself. I feel like doing engineering but I am scared I might not get good jobs. :(
 
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I can't take 4 subjects, it will be too hard for me to cope. I have to decide 3 only. My parents want me to do medicine but they said I should choose myself. I feel like doing engineering but I am scared I might not get good jobs. :(
You can't say that unless you have tried :p
 
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Also I believe you do not need Chemistry for Engineering. . You only need Physics and Mathematics. Do not know the condition for Medicine though.So go for Physics,Mathematics and Biology.
 
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But if I take Bio, then I'll be closing the options for chemical engineering. I only have to decide between Math and Bio. But I don't know if I should do engg or med. Taking 4 is out of the question man. If engineering made me get as much salary as doctors do after a few years of experience and with Masters degree, I would be really happy but there's no guarantee. :(
 
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But if I take Bio, then I'll be closing the options for chemical engineering. I only have to decide between Math and Bio. But I don't know if I should do engg or med. Taking 4 is out of the question man. If engineering made me get as much salary as doctors do after a few years of experience and with Masters degree, I would be really happy but there's no guarantee. :(
See what's feasible. Decide an engineering that you like. Not the one that you think that will earn you a high pay :p
 
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But if I take Bio, then I'll be closing the options for chemical engineering. I only have to decide between Math and Bio. But I don't know if I should do engg or med. Taking 4 is out of the question man. If engineering made me get as much salary as doctors do after a few years of experience and with Masters degree, I would be really happy but there's no guarantee. :(

if you cannot handle the workload of 4 subjects then it will be difficult to continue studying in a field like engineering .. it requires a lot more hard work than other fields specially if you are going to join a top notch engineering undergrad program.. in any case at this stage you simply cannot know which career you will like .. doing internships is the only way you can get a tiny glimpse .. expect very little from your careers in any case because there is a lot more to it than liking what you do .. not to mention what ever you will like right now is based upon books and the reality is very different ... the biggest problem is office politics and handling people who will hinder your career .. career related personality assessments like the MBTI and Big 5 are a good way to know about your compatibility with careers .. also remember many influences through out your childhood will create biases that will let you think that would like this or that as a career only for you to regret it later on.. so meet people in the field, talk to them constantly ask them about their jobs, their opinions and facts about their jobs, do internships .. it is the only way to get a slight idea of what reality is like .. for example the bi-major idea of Zain Salman Dar is good but i am not sure I understand math and sociology ... math and economics OR math and operations research OR math and actuarial sciences OR math and financial engineering OR math and software engineering make more sense since there is some overlap and will make an MSc easier not to mention creating more career options

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_22.htm
http://collegecareerlife.net/big-five-personality-traits-career-choice/
http://www.personalitypage.com/careers.html
http://www.myersbriggs.org/type-use-for-everyday-life/personality-and-careers/
http://paulsohn.org/the-best-jobs-for-all-16-myers-briggs-personality-types-in-one-infographic/
 
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teachyourself Sociology was an option. Now I am going for Mathematics(Applied Mathematics and Statistics) and Economics :p

I'll be going towards a career as an actuary with this combination though I have several other choices :D
 
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alright I am in a big problem . I got 2 A* 5As and 3Bs in olevels and unfortunately got Ds and Es in alevels although i was expecting an A .. anyways I am retaking maths only . I wanted to know that will i get into pakistani universities easily . I have 70 plus HSSC .... would those pathetic grades will break my chance of getting into universities ? specially nust and fast ? ... is it necessary to retake E ?
 
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teachyourself Sociology was an option. Now I am going for Mathematics(Applied Mathematics and Statistics) and Economics :p

I'll be going towards a career as an actuary with this combination though I have several other choices :D
if you are going to come back to Pakistan to work as an actuary most of your skills will be wasted try working abroad if you want to use your skills .. and remember actuarial sciences is a very focused field: Risk for Insurance .. so do not decide too early, there are many other areas in finance you could go for but as a safe assumption anything too advanced in the field of finance in Pakistan will most likely be wasted though you will get a higher pay if you graduate from a good b-school in a niche field like actuarial sciences
 
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What about a career in video game design? ^_^
again not in pakistan and it is not as cool and fun as you might think it is just like any other job, tight deadlines, bucket load of work not necessarily the highest paying career ... and getting paid is as important as liking what you do .. welcome to adult hood ... at this stage you should focus on exploring your career options 1. by reading, 2. by doing internships, 3. talking to people in the fields you want to target, 4. personality assessment tests .. and do this starting now ... so that two years into your degree you will know what to do .. then you will be able to choose your field (and even then be ready to be flexible and change your career), remember books do not reflect the reality of the workplace and the doing the same thing for the next 30 years or so can get a little bit boring, so if you end up wishing you had more excitement in life after 5 years into your career do not be surprised this happens to many; and in your 40s you analyze your life as to what you have achieved, this is primarily due to your brain changing and the hormones as well .. for example in your mid or late 20s the white matter in your brain is sufficiently developed and the limbic system is under sufficient control so excitement might reduce, by the time you are 40 testosterone reduces .. but these are generalizations not universal truths
 
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