THE LACK OF JOBS AND PAUCITY OF FUNDS IN THESE TIMES OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, IS FORCING MANY INDIAN STUDENTS PURSUING THEIR EDUCATION ABROAD, TO RETURN HOME. MEGHA GUPTA TAKES STOCK OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

THE CURRENT SCENARIO

The recession has impacted the global economy in an unprecedented manner and Indian students, among others, are suffering its fallout in terms of lack of placements and financial woes. Left with fewer options, a number of these students are heading back home. Says, Divya Venugopal who completed her Master’s in Research Psychology from the University of Essex in the UK, last year and who decided to come back to India due to the lack of worthwhile job openings, “I did not want to settle for a measly job after working hard for my master’s. Though, I did not want to come back either, the circumstances were such that I had to make this decision. I could have hung on, but there was too much uncertainty in the job market.”
   Venugopal’s is not an isolated case. Sagar Bahadur, a final year, Master’s in International Business student at the Management Development Institute of Singapore, who recently returned home to hunt for jobs in India, too justifies his decision, “Most of my friends who’ve stayed back with low paying jobs in Singapore are struggling to save after paying off their living expenses and EMIs. I did not want to live a hand-to-mouth existence there and decided to return home and search for jobs here. Although, it may take some time to land a job here, I will not need to spend much on my day-to-day expenses. This will make paying off the EMIs much easier.”
   Like Sagar and Divya believe, it’s not a story of defeat and gloom for those who are returning. Unlike overseas economies, India is not reeling under recession but is experiencing a slow down. Besides, as Venugopal says, “Here you have your family to take care of you and that’s a blessing.”

APPLYING IN ADVANCE

Education counsellor Viral Doshi, advises, “Students planning to return should start applying for jobs in India via job sites, in advance. This extra effort of applying early even before heading back may help them land jobs sooner. Also, students with an overseas qualification have the advantage of being given a higher priority by most employers in India." Venugopal substantiates, “I had posted my CV on a job website before coming back. I received an interview call from a reputed organisation within two days of returning and I joined them within a month!”

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS

For students returning home, getting in touch with family and friends who can help is always an important first step. Besides personal contacts, another useful means of networking are alumni associations. Poorvi Chothani, President of the American Alumni Association in Mumbai says, “Returning students can always contact us at www.americanalumni.net or aaa@iaccindia.com for help and we will try our best to assist them. A majority of people contact us to get in touch with their alumni who may help them land a job.” Chothani foresees the increased need for networking owing to the large number of students returning.
   Nitin Raje, who came back in October, last year after completing his MBA from the Warwick Business School, highlights the importance of networking, “Most companies are going through a slowdown and are cautious in hiring people, especially for senior positions. On returning, I had lost contact with the placement agents. It was only through networking that I got my current job with an IT services provider. It is very important for students to network and make their presence felt. I would advise returning students to meet their alumni and get in touch with placement agents and head hunters, it will make things easier.” Bahadur agrees, “Besides posting my CV on various job sites and hunting for placements advertised in newspapers and magazines, I’ve been alerting as many people as possible about my job hunt. Who knows, someone may be aware of an opening and I might just that get that elusive interview call.”

PURSUING EDUCATION

Education counsellor Jayanti Ghose says that further education can be an option for students who have returned after completing their undergraduate studies. She says, “If the student has completed a bachelor’s programme and is interested and capable of studying further, then this would be a good time to explore that option so that once the economy revives, he/ she is in a position to enter the job market at a higher level with better advancement prospects.”
   However, there are also cases of students who had to come back midway through their education abroad, owing to dwindled funds. Says Abhishek Kumar, a second year BMM student at Ruia College, “I completed three semesters of my Bachelor’s in Advertising with Public Relations at the Thames Valley University in London. Owing to the drop in the real estate market, the relative sponsoring my education began facing financial difficulties and was unable to fund my education further. Besides, the college was also thinking of increasing its fee. Thus, I had to return without completing my course.”
   In fact, a check with some prominent colleges in Mumbai revealed that some of them had indeed received enquiries from students wishing to continue their education in India. Reveals Adarsh Suri, Vice Principal Commerce, Jai Hind College, “Previously, we would receive admission enquiries from students in the Gulf. However, this year there have also been enquiries from those in the US and UK.” Sneha Subhedar, a BMM course coordinator at Ruia College too confirms that she has received several enquiries regarding admission procedures from students in Australia, Dubai and even the UK.
   Such students returning home midway through their courses and seeking a direct admission into the second and third year of a degree course must acquire an eligibility certificate from the University of Mumbai. Dr Arun D Sawant, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai informs that the university has a system under its eligibility section, which allows transfer of credits for students returning from abroad. He says that there are around 100 to 200 such cases every year and he estimates an increase of 15 to 20 per cent owing to several factors including recession. Dr Sawant further mentions, “If we find that the student has already completed certain subjects, we do not ask him/ her to repeat them and can give relief by allowing direction admission into the second year. In fact, we even recognise the IB diploma and students who have completed it either from India or overseas are not required to take every subject at the higher level. They can get conditional admission based on their predicted scores.” Students applying for eligibility can visit the university’s website, http://www.mu.ac.in/enrolment.html, for further information. Dr S M Suryawanshi, who heads the eligibility section of the university says that it takes a minimum of a month to issue eligibility certificates to students from overseas universities.

STAYING POSITIVE

All said and done the most important factor while dealing with any problem is maintaining a positive attitude. Doshi says, “Returning students, especially those seeking jobs here, should remain positive and persistent. They should not lose hope if things don’t go their way initially, during the job hunt. Getting a job requires struggle. Students may take between three to five months before securing a good job.”
   Bahadur mentions that apart from the job hunting anxiety, one may also have to answer family members who may question ones decision to return home. He says, “People constantly keep bothering you about why you retuned and whether you plan to go back, etc. You have to take it in your stride. I’ve explained my situation to my parents and am currently helping my dad with his work. It’s much better than sitting idle and constantly thinking about your problems.”
   Avanti Maluste, who completed her BA in Neuroscience and Behaviour from the Columbia University in the US last year and headed back owing to the lack of worthwhile placements, adds her coping strategies, “I kept myself busy with various activities including scuba diving lessons. If you’re feeling dejected, talk about your issues and get involved in projects that you believe in.” All that optimism was of great help to Maluste who soon landed a rewarding job as a management consultant with a top global firm.

IN CONCLUSION

Though coming back to India may be a difficult decision, it definitely may not be the wrong one. There are plenty of options for those who return home.