Guiding them to reach for the stars Anasuya Menon
| Students were introduced to various aspects of aviation industry at the career-guidance programme |
AIMING TO FLY HIGH: A career-guidance session on ‘Aviation’ in progress at the G.Ramaswamy Naidu Matriculation Higher Secondary School, in Coimbatore. COIMBATORE: One could dream of being a high-ranking security officer at an airport or traverse across continents as cabin crew. The job opportunities are plenty, only that one has to be aware of the variety of career choices in the aviation industry.
“In countries such as India, engineers are in demand for aircraft manufacturing, especially in designing,” said Kalyana Raman from Amadeus, a company selling computerised reservation software.
Conducting a career-guidance programme on ‘aviation’ for the students of G.Ramaswamy Naidu Matriculation Higher Secondary School, he said unlike other fields, aviation was the less opted one in terms of finding employment more because of the lack of students’ exposure to the career possibilities it had.
Despite the ‘glamour’ and ‘adventure’ elements in it, very few considered it as a regular career choice, he added.
Mr.Raman introduced the students to various aspects of the industry. Starting from the regulating authorities, the agencies, airports and security, each area needed manpower.
It was not just the airhostess or cabin crew jobs that were available in the industry. Authorising agencies such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation, The International Air Transport Association and the computer reservation systems were all potential employers, Mr. Raman said.
Other areas included travel agencies, airlines, civil aviation, airport, and call centres. One could set up a travel agency or start in-house travel consultancy service.
One could also take up training of students. Legal and customs regulations, various departments in the airport such as in check-in, customer service, departure lounge, security officers, tarmac personnel and in-flight personnel also held some of the best possibilities for a dream job.
The keywords to enter the industry were good leadership and communication skills.
While good communication skill was a definite advantage for a fruitful career in aviation, leadership and good interpersonal relationship were also equally important. Those who were introverts and wanted to get into aviation should focus on developing their personality and communication skills.
Mr. Raman advised students on how to go about planning their career in aviation. “Identify your area of interest. Choose a branch of study that suits the interest. Be unique while preparing a resume and applying for a job and be confident,” he said. They should gather materials related to the job and learn about the requirements of the job and then go about preparing for it in a systematic manner.
The students were given a peek into the interiors of an aircraft on LCD screen. They were also given small personality exercises and games. “All the higher secondary students who were interested in aviation could attend the seminar and learn a thing or two about the industry,” said Seetha Pooviah, Pincipal, of the school.
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/30/stories/2007103050860200.htm
