After the gates of liberalisation opened in India and the most recent announcement made by our visionary Prime minister Sri Narendra Modi launched his 1.13 lakh crore Digital India initiative on July 3 with a vision to digitally empower each and every citizen of the country inspiring a new revolution in the field of information technology. And to meet the demands created by this revolution by the year 2000, India had churned out some of the best professionals in this sector. As the demand keeps on rising, Indians too are prepared to give their best foot forward. The sector too has widened its horizons and many more opportunities are knocking at the door in India. Though some hindrances were brought with the recent recession but it was soon dealt with. However, the scenario transformed fast. New avenues such as the promising BPO (business process outsourcing), PPO (People to people Outsourcing) and KPO (knowledge process outsourcing) sectors along with the traditional sectors helped the IT industry to get back on track and grow tremendously. In the last few years, people have left their jobs in other engineering streams and joined the software bandwagon. Even then, India faces a huge scarcity of software professionals as per the recent NASSCOM survey. In fact, the year 2010 is to see the demand and supply gap as wide as half a million jobs.
BCA is a new age degree course in the field of computer applications. The duration of the
course is normally three years. After completion of the BCA course, students can opt for
masters or they can even try for job opportunities.
- Bachelor of Computer Applications is a course that is customized for students wishing to shine in the field of computers and information technology. If you are interested in computerrelated field, then BCA is the perfect course for you.
- BCA graduates can start up their career in either Government sector or private sector since there are a lot of employment opportunities in both these sectors. This degree helps the students to get a sound knowledge on computer applications with the help of which they can have a perfect launch pad for challenging career in the field of information technology.
- Most of the students doing their higher secondary education think that science students alone can apply for the BCA course. But, this is not true, even commerce students can apply for the BCA course. The only eligibility criteria in most of the universities offering BCA course is that the student should have studied mathematics as a subject in their 10+2 level. So, commerce students with mathematics as a subject in their +2 level can apply for the BCA course
"Computers as we all know has become the connecting system across the world and if all the computers of the world stop working for just one day, that would be the end of all. "
Since 1837 when Charles Babbage invented the first computer called as "The Analytical Engine", augmentation of computer technology has ramified on such a fast pace that world has taken a new turn of growth and development. People are ardently digging the field of computer education to positively change the contemporaneous world to achieve successful future.
Hardware describes the body of computer whereas software decides its functioning. Nowadays many computer courses are hovering in the air of education to impart outstanding knowledge about computer technology. The Bachelor of Computer Applications and the Master of Computer Applications are famous amongst such available courses. The primary emphasis in BCA and MCA curriculum is on the development of diverse types of application software rather than designing computer hardware and systems software. Therefore, students who are interested to acquire their further education after school in the software department of computer technology generally opt for BCA three years degree course. Any student can apply for this course but the only condition is that that student should be able to fulfill the eligibility criteria of that college where he wants to study.
Career for these students will give them a successful future as the information technology revolution has paved the way to the most exciting vista of careers the world has ever seen. The computer application sector offers a wide range of specialist jobs that are challenging as the machines become more and more sophisticated, demanding new skills or different combinations of existing ones. When compared to pure computer science, the number of professionals graduating with specialization in computer application has been on the rise.
Career for these students will give them a successful future as the information technology revolution has paved the way to the most exciting vista of careers the world has ever seen. The computer application sector offers a wide range of specialist jobs that are challenging as the machines become more and more sophisticated, demanding new skills or different combinations of existing ones. When compared to pure computer science, the number of professionals graduating with specialization in computer application has been on the rise.
The BCA course introduces every student to the practical aspects of software development keeping in mind the needs and requirement of the clients, thereby these graduates have ample scope in the customer support department in making the software more viable and easier for the clients to use. The course is an excellent platform for those aiming to enter in the computer profession and they are absorbed by the corporate companies in the following designations:
Job Prospects for BCA Graduate
- Software Engineer: A BCA graduate can work as a software engineer where his main responsibilities will be to Full life cycle application development, Software modelling and simulation, Support, maintain and document software functionality, Project Planning and Project Management, etc…
- Software Consultant: A software consultant is responsible for Business Development, Pre-Sales, Business Analysis, Requirement Analysis, etc.
- Network Engineer: He is responsible for installing all new hardware, systems, and software for networks, Support administration of servers and server clusters, Plan and supports network and computing infrastructure, etc.
- Database Administrator: He is required to monitor systems and platforms for availability, Restore and recover corrupted database, Evaluate and recommend new database technologies.
- Test Engineer: He is required to generate Test case and Execution Of Test case, Reviewing the Bugs fixes for the test done as per test plan, etc.
- System Analyst: A system analyst is required for systems analysis, design, and programming.
- Programmer: His responsibility is to make programs of applications.
- Quality Assurance Engineer: The quality assurance (QA) engineer makes sure that all of the programs work properly and that everything in a Web site functions according to plan.
- Technical Support Engineer: He requires providing technical solutions based on user description of the problem, if necessary talking user through a series of steps to resolve the issue or troubleshoot the problem.
- Web Designing and Content Writing: The Internet has revolutionalised the content sharing capacity of the person. Be it any subject or any topic in the world, it has a significant presence on the World Wide Web. And to cater to this wide spectrum, ample opportunities are available in the field of web designing and content writing. Apart from the regular jobs, freelancing has also emerged as a viable option for those who want to earn a little more for their pockets. The more creative a person is, better will be his/her package. And if you want to be an entrepreneur, then also the Net offers a lot many options. All you need to have is an idea. There is no dearth of opportunities in this segment for people who are willing to work.
- Game Developer: It is said that one should do what one likes and video games are something that has fans all over the world. And if you too are a game enthusiast and have a flair for technical know how, then this segment is the best for you to work in. Apart from the flexible working hours and relaxed working environment, it pays you to do what you like to do. But being in this sector is not only fun, a developer has to be constantly on his toes to produce new games. New challenges wait at every part of designing the game. As it happens in other art forms, while designing the game too, the developer needs to keep his creative mind active by planningthe story line, graphics, characters, its user friendliness, etc.
- Hardware and Networking: Though computers have become an integral part of our lives but knowing all about them and managing them is not a child’s play. This is when hardware developers make their way into the scene. Professionals who are experts with the physical parts of the computer are known as hardware engineers. On the other hand, networking professionals link a group of two or more computer systems for sharing data and information. While various diplomas and degrees are available to suffice the educational qualifications for being a hardware engineer; for networking, a diploma or degree in computer science, electrical, electronics or telecommunications holds good. Job opportunities are available in various MNCs, call centers, software companies, call centers, telecom companies, BPO companies and hardware repair shops. Companies employ on the basis of the skill set and qualification of the candidates. One can also start their own business ventures in the field of maintenance and assembling of computers.
- Blogging: For those who want to voice their opinions, blogging has become the right sword. Created in minutes, this gives ample of opportunity to say what you feel about anything and everything. All one needs to do is to be cognizant of your audiences need and create the right impression. The more clicks your blog receives better will be the chances to earn revenue from it. Though it is easy to form a blog, it is very important to keep it updated with latest writings. What makes blogging popular is that even a layman can earn from his blog and there is no need of getting into the intricacies of web designers or technical gurus.
- Hacking: Hacking is a crime? Think again! With crimes on net increasing by the day, more and more corporate companies are employing ethical hackers to safe guard their websites. Also the demand is increasing for freelance consultants in this stream. Again passion to crack difficult cases is what drives youngsters to this career. Thinking on the toes and strong grasp of the basics are some of the essential skills for a successful hacker.
If the BCA graduate is interested in teaching industry, he/she can look for faculty position in computer application and computer science. BCA graduates can get an attractive salary since the jobs are related to ITES/IT based industries. Moreover, the salaries of BCA graduates are subject to the conditions and needs of the IT market. The work ethics and culture are very similar. The salary is based on the skills of the candidates. While some companies select fresh BCA graduates and train them to meet their requirements, some other select only experienced BCA candidates with programming abilities and knowledge. A fresh BCA graduate can get a minimum starting pay of Rs.10000 and a maximum pay of Rs.18000. The salary depends on the company in which they have got the opportunity to work. Once they gain experience, they will be able to earn more. In addition to this, the BCA graduates will be able to earn more if they complete their master’s degree. They can also do some additional course on computers along with their degree course, which will increase their employment opportunities and the pay scale as well. So, BCA graduates need not worry about their pay.
The scope after BCA is less than that after bachelor degree but one can have much brighter future if they go for master degree. MCA degree is considered very high in terms of the qualification. It is very easy for an MCA graduate to take over an engineering guy with IT. The average salary of an MCA graduate is Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 45,000 provided the student has completed it from recognized university and with good marks. The salary can further be increased by having some work experience in some good company with good profile.
Students can also go for MBA after completing their BCA degree but there is a small suggestion regarding this career option. In today’s corporate or even IT sector world, people do not ask the candidates about what they have studied, but what they do know about the other streams. Therefore, it is better to develop the knowledge in their own stream rather than going for MBA after BCA. Both the MCA and BCA enable the candidates to generate more and more knowledge regarding computer application and languages and if the student further do MBA, it will be an added advantage for him to get good job prospects. So, it is better to do MCA after BCA and then the candidate can do MBA once he completes the MCA course. A BCA graduate can also do MS and they can take up MS in Information technology and they can even do MS in networking as well.
BCA graduates can start up their career in either Government sector or private sector since there are a lot of employment opportunities in both these sectors. As far as government sector is concerned the BCA graduates can enter Sarba Siksha Ahijan, which is a flagship program of Government of India as a teacher on contract basis. They can also try for computer faculty job in Kendriya Vidhyala schools. Apart from these, many government information technology companies and government companies like BHEL, NSDL, MTNL and BSNL are hiring BCA graduates. For applying to the jobs in these government organizations, the BCA graduates can visit the website of these companies. The BCA graduates can have a variety of jobs in private sector also. Several reputed companies like Microsoft, Hindalco, Larson and Turbo, TCS, Wipro, Infosys, etc… are recruiting BCA graduates. Apart from these companies, there are several other companies, which also appoint BCA graduates.
Every company looks to run their communication systems and information technology in an improvised and highly effective manner. In this endeavor they are in the need of experts, who will be in a position to implement computer science principles for solving the problems caused by the interface of technology and business. This requirement of the companies will be perfectly satisfied by the BCA graduates and because of this they are usually in the lookout for BCA graduates.
There are enormous job opportunities in Information Technology after BCA but pursuing master degree after BCA can shower diamonds in your lap. The scope also depends on the student’s caliber to perform. The better the student performs the better will be the chances of his bright future.
One right decision can give you countless happiness. Good Luck!
