Graduate students, add value to your resume with add-on courses

The most common dilemma in the minds of students passing XII examinations every year is to choose an appropriate stream for graduation. Both students and parents are in a state of confusion about higher studies.

Commerce is the predominant choice of students, followed by Arts, BMS, BAF, BBI and other courses. The decision about choice of stream is largely influenced by internal and external factors. Internal factors include parents and family, while the peer group is the external factor. Students should think independently about what they want to do. There are ample number of certificate or diploma courses available with which to shape one's dreams.
Is graduation enough? Graduation in any conventional discipline is like plucking low hanging fruits. Mere graduation is not enough. There are various value-added short term courses one should pursue parallel to graduation. Many of these courses are offered by the University of Mumbai and some are given by other recognized institutions or bodies. The University of Mumbai offers an array of value-added short-term courses for Commerce and Arts students. These are- Tax Procedure and Practice, Stock Market Operation Management, Management of Retail Business, Foreign Trade Management, Environmental Auditing, e-Commerce etc.

The Garware Institute of the University also offers various short-term courses such as Diploma in Foreign Trade Management, Diploma in Tour Management, Diploma in Tourism and Travel industry Management, and Diploma in Retailing.

Apart from these students who wish to make a career in capital or securities markets can pursue NSE-Certified Capital Market Professional (NCCMP), which comprises Foundation, Intermediate and finally Advanced modules. Students can complete these modules as per their convenience. The examinations are conducted online.

It is also advisable to learn one foreign language, preferably German, Mandarin Chinese or Japanese.

In particular, students of Arts can also take a Certificate Course in Music Appreciation and Music Journalism, Functional English, Heritage Management etc.

There are advanced courses related to finance, securities, risk management etc. after graduation. It is worthwhile to get equipped with non-conventional courses rather than conventional ones. As of today many commerce students aspire to do CA/ICWA/CS. The time is nigh to break the monotony and do something different. The demand in the market for trained professionals with non-conventional skills will be high in the near future.

Debajit Sarkar Principal of JM Patel College of Commerce, Goregaon