Job and Full Time MCA?

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi,

I'm from Mumbai, India. I need some advice. Here's the situation.. I'm a BSc IT Graduate (Distinction), currently working as a Software Engineer (Java) since near about 2 years. I'm good at at what I do, I enjoy working in Java, I'm recognized by my seniors / managers for my work. So far so good. I'm trying to get a better paying job now, but the problem is I've done the above mentioned BSc IT Degree through Distance Education (due to certain reasons at that point of time) and that is totally messing up my chances in big companies. I clear the technical rounds and then they inquire about my BSc IT thing and then I never hear from them again. And some of my friends, who are not even that good at Java or simple logic, are getting good jobs because of their degrees. Last interview I went for, the HR himself told that I should pursue Full Time MCA alongside my job if I want to have better career and I know that's true, because I've been thinking about that myself for about a year now.

So my question are

1) Is Full Time MCA a good idea?
2) Am I eligible for full time MCA?
3) If yes, what preparation should I do for that?
4) Some of my colleagues suggested MBA IT instead. Which one will help me cover up for that "Distance Education" mess?
5) Also, if I go for MCA Full time, then can I continue with my job alongside or would I need to quit the job for 3 years (which doesn't sound very good!)?

Please suggest. I'm real confused as to what to do now.

Edited: Corrected a spelling mistake.

[Sagar Kale]

My situation is opposite. I did full time engineering in computer science from very reputed university. Because of bad luck I did not have good start to my career because I did not have any resources after I completed engineering and I had to work in smaller companies in a small city. Now due to recession, I lost my job after highest possible exploitation(13 to 14 hours average every day and around 2.5 hours commuting) that pushed me in to depression. I also faced some problems in my family after I lost my job. Now I feel some unknown fear even though I am technically very good and companies suspect that my degree is not full time and it is pushing me in further depression. It is puzzle to me how HR people think. I don't know how to clear their doubt that my engineering degree is full time, attending college in campus for 4 years, staying in a hostel. If they talk to me on this in interview only then I can clear doubt.

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi,

Some advice, suggestions please? I really need some right now!!

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

I don't know what an MCA is so I wouldn't be able to give advice. But can't you look up the answers to #2 and #5 on a university's webiste?

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi,

Thanks Jeanne for replying. Well, MCA is Masters in Computer Applications. Someone told me that since I've done BSc (which is considered less than a BE degree), doing MCA now will make me equivalent to a BE.

Yes, Question 2) is kind of answered, need to check once with the colleges in my area, which provide the course.

Regarding Question 5), actually I was hoping that someone who has done Full time MCA could tell me whether it's so hard that I should quit the job and fully concentrate on that course only or is it easy enough that I can study for that and also work full time (or may be part time).

[Kj Reddy]

Roshni Singhania wrote:Hi,

Some advice, suggestions please? I really need some right now!!

If you have option of doing Full time MCA. In short term your full time MCA may not look adding much value as you already experienced but, in long term it will add good value. In future when you realize that you want to do MCA, you may find it difficult.

[Roshni Singhania]

Kj Reddy wrote:

Roshni Singhania wrote:Hi,

Some advice, suggestions please? I really need some right now!!

If you have option of doing Full time MCA. In short term your full time MCA may not look adding much value as you already experienced but, in long term it will add good value. In future when you realize that you want to do MCA, you may find it difficult.

Hi Kj,

Yes, that's what I've been thinking.. if I've to do it, I should do it now. I believe the I need to give CET in Feb-2011. Can you suggest some preparation books for MCA-CET or any classes I should join?

[arun r mehta]

Yes, that's what I've been thinking.. if I've to do it, I should do it now. I believe the I need to give CET in Feb-2011. Can you suggest some preparation books for MCA-CET or any classes I should join?

I have done MCA from well known university of gujarat(DDIT, www.ddu.ac.in). I did BCA from recognized university MS university of baroda(Faculty of Science, Dept. of Computer Applications, www.msu.ac.in). MS university is well known university and specially BCA is considered one of the best course in MSU. It was big mistake that I went for MCA after doing BCA from MSU. When I passed out of BCA, I had very good technical accumen and much better compared to BE(CE/IT) grads and infact MCA grads. I was in same position as yours... I had a job after BCA where I did my final semester training but the job wasnt paying me well and so I decided to go for MCA, but believe me it didnt added any value to my knowledge infact what I learnt in BCA was same to what I did in MCA...in some cases my BCA curricullum was updated and much more computing centric then MCA.

But yes the MCA degree helped me to grab 5 MNC offers in in 4th Semester itself. I would suggest you not to waste 3 years on MCA, instead go for MBA (Systems management). Some colleges like symbiosis, narsee monjee are gud colleges and offer specialization in systems management. As you said you are good in technical, now you need to sharpen your soft skills and managerial skills which MBA will definetly help you to grow your career vertically. I regret my 3 years of MCA as 2 years in MBA could have helped me to be a business analyst or system analyst in MNC rather than Software Engineer in MNC.

I hope you would not take the same path as I did but its all your choice but according to me MBA is more fruitfull choice compared to MCA. All the best

[Kj Reddy]

Roshni Singhania wrote:
Hi Kj,

Yes, that's what I've been thinking.. if I've to do it, I should do it now. I believe the I need to give CET in Feb-2011. Can you suggest some preparation books for MCA-CET or any classes I should join?

Sorry I don't know much about MCA-CET. As Arun suggested you can look for MBA also. But again it depends yours interest of moving to management. If you are already techie and doing MBA will be advantage if you look career in management or technical management. Especially in India majority of people like to move to management after gaining few years of experience and in that situation MBA will be a plus point.

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi,

Thanks Arun and Kj for your inputs. Few of my colleagues also gave me suggestion of doing MBA (IT) and few of them told MCA would be better. I'm totally confused. I'm not very sure about spending 3 years doing MCA, but I also want to lighten that "Distance Education Graduate" spot from my resume. Will MBA be good for that?

[Kj Reddy]

Roshni Singhania wrote:
Will MBA be good for that?

If I am in your position I will go for MBA with the following reason:
You already have a technical degree and have experience in programming. So MCA will add you an extra qualification with little extra technical knowledge.
Where MBA will add more value to your technical knowledge. With MBA it makes you easier to management side compare to MCA.

In my opinion "Distance Education Graduate" is not bad at all, but if you want just to come out of that you can go for MBA or MCA.

[Ashu Upadhyaya]

I hope you are aware that degrees like BE/BTech/MCA/MSc/MIT/BIT/MBA.....you name it..........are for name sake only and do not add any value whatsoever to your job preparedness. This is irrespective of which institution you join or Fulltime/Parttime mode. This is the case with prestigious institutes/universities too. Some pockets here & there in some places are exceptions. I myself did my graduation from an elite institute. As one of my older colleague (a BTech topper from REC now NITs and MTech from IIT) put it - "These are just ornamental". Only advantage is they provide campus recruitment in good times.

All companies are fully aware of this and feeling the pain. Earlier companies were constrained to show up these fancy degrees (16-years of edu etc) to get work or send people to onsite projects. Now outsourcing being the order of the day and all the work coming to India this is no longer a constraint. Here at Bangalore big/good MNCs (both Product & Services) who earlier took only BE/MCA only from reputed institutes are willingly recruiting people who are just graduates! One thing I will say that if one has some support system (read Lobby based on once state/language) then that makes ones life smoother and such people do not feel such dilemmas degree or no degree even BA/BBA are PMs.

You have work exp to back you which is a big plus. I will suggest you to just purchase some degree (full time) & *****for GOD SAKE DO NOT leave job that too on technology you enjoy working for any fancy degree*****.

I have seen scores of people like you who did some MSc (Full time) while doing the full time job from many universities in South India esp from Tamilnadu and working for biggest names in product development companies leave alone services companies. Also many companies looks very favorably to CDAC 6-month course and NCST(now cdac) 1-yr FPGDST. Latter has very good centres at Mumbai for its various diplomas which attract all the big guns of IT (even companies like Thoughtworks take people after this diploma from campus itself). In addition Certifications in Java will do no harm either.

Hope better sense prevails upon you and you leave this degree non-sense and focus on other important things like learning, soft skills and building network while "purchasing" some FT-degree.

[Sagar Kale]

Ashu Upadhyaya wrote:I hope you are aware that degrees like BE/BTech/MCA/MSc/MIT/BIT/MBA.....you name it..........are for name sake only and do not add any value whatsoever to your job preparedness. This is irrespective of which institution you join or Fulltime/Parttime mode. This is the case with prestigious institutes/universities too. Some pockets here & there in some places are exceptions. I myself did my graduation from an elite institute. As one of my older colleague (a BTech topper from REC now NITs and MTech from IIT) put it - "These are just ornamental". Only advantage is they provide campus recruitment in good times.

All companies are fully aware of this and feeling the pain. Earlier companies were constrained to show up these fancy degrees (16-years of edu etc) to get work or send people to onsite projects. Now outsourcing being the order of the day and all the work coming to India this is no longer a constraint. Here at Bangalore big/good MNCs (both Product & Services) who earlier took only BE/MCA only from reputed institutes are willingly recruiting people who are just graduates! One thing I will say that if one has some support system (read Lobby based on once state/language) then that makes ones life smoother and such people do not feel such dilemmas degree or no degree even BA/BBA are PMs.

You have work exp to back you which is a big plus. I will suggest you to just purchase some degree (full time) & *****for GOD SAKE DO NOT leave job that too on technology you enjoy working for any fancy degree*****.

I have seen scores of people like you who did some MSc (Full time) while doing the full time job from many universities in South India esp from Tamilnadu and working for biggest names in product development companies leave alone services companies. Also many companies looks very favorably to CDAC 6-month course and NCST(now cdac) 1-yr FPGDST. Latter has very good centres at Mumbai for its various diplomas which attract all the big guns of IT (even companies like Thoughtworks take people after this diploma from campus itself). In addition Certifications in Java will do no harm either.

Hope better sense prevails upon you and you leave this degree non-sense and focus on other important things like learning, soft skills and building network while "purchasing" some FT-degree.

I hope someone does not post that even graduation is useless and we are recruiting SSC and HSC.
Well I consider everything said above does not have any base and it is speculation.

[Ashu Upadhyaya]

And what makes you think this is speculative when IT industry is flooded with jokers/incompetent people from top to bottom and in between whose only qualification is some degree from some xyz college (mostly private) and lobby based on language/state?

Also do you really think in IT industry HSC/SSC is not good enough? I have seen people in managerial positions from TOP institutes running around such persons to get work done. It all just depends on how early in one's career he/she become part of a good team ("....to be at right place at right time, then dream and take action - Bill Gates - a grad dropout him self and so equivalent to HSC in India education system).

[Sagar Kale]

May be you have some frustration.
Mr. Bill Gates is one in billion and is exception. And even OP said she not getting opportunity in big companies because of her distance learning degree.

[Ashu Upadhyaya]

I admit distance learning degree" is an issue. That's why I insist on having some MSc degree (Full time) while keeping her job. Such degree are available easily now a days esp from South India based universities with some good name in market. As said earlier I know such persons doing this and working in top companies though most of them have good lobby support too.

I suspect you belong to the tribe mentioned above by me or do not have much exposure to the IT industry or design/development! Look around you. Indian IT industry is full of such people.

[Sagar Kale]

Ashu Upadhyaya wrote:I suspect you belong to the tribe mentioned above by me or do not have much exposure to the IT industry or design/development! Look around you. Indian IT industry is full of such people.

Let's not make personal remarks.

Every industry is full of jokers and indian IT industry is not exception. I can agree you find more % of jokers in indian IT industry. But that does not conclude B.Tech / MTech /MBA degrees are waste. I do not agree with it.

[Ashu Upadhyaya]

What I meant is education system, mode of teaching & rote learning (vomiting the same in exams) that happen almost always during these courses is totally AIMLESS and do not prepare the students to face challenges of real world in any way. ONLY saving grace is the campus environment, opportunity to come in touch of fellow bright minds if one is outgoing, at some places and to some extent reputation built by the alumni in industry does help. I have seen people from premier colleges like IISc/IIM who admitted before larger gatherings that they will hate to go back to their respective institutes given a chance to do so again.

Just have a look at what great souls like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi said about the prevalent education system. I quote Swami Vivekananda -
"Well, you consider a man as educated if only he can pass some examination and deliver good lectures. The education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle for life, which doe not bring out strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy, and the courage of a lion - is it worth the name? Real education is that which enables one to stand on his legs. The education that you are receiving now in schools and colleges is only making you a race of dyspeptics. You are working like machines merely, and living a jelly-fish like existence."

[Roshni Singhania]

Ok, I'm back to my confusion of MCA or MBA or MSc! Although, MSc full time, along with full time job (if lack of attendance is not a problem for MSc course) sounds good enough, because I just want to show degree / PG full time, so that they at least give me a chance to prove that I'm technically competent.

[Sumit Bisht]

I think the question that matters isn't the degree, but how you feel about it. Although i'll agree in general with the earlier posters, a degree if done with determination and purpose would definitively serve its purpose. Give your 100% and get yourself education, not a piece of paper.

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi Sumit,

Totally agree with you. But unfortunately, not many employers agree with it. Many big companies explicitly specify that they want people with full-time courses only and stuff like that. If a person has done part-time course, they wouldn't even bother checking that person's technical knowledge. That's where the "piece of paper" is required.. nonetheless, I'm still trying.. meanwhile thinking of MSc.

[Sandeep Awasthi]

Roshni Singhania wrote:
... "piece of paper" is required.. .

Sorry for being blunt. Calling any degree, a piece of paper just because you do not have it, is insult to those many who earned with hard work and their talent. Almost every award is piece of paper. Even 1000 Rs is piece of paper. No it is not piece of paper. It is money right? Then this is also not piece of paper, it is degree which is a proof that you have been evaluated at certain standard and you have qualified for it.

[Roshni Singhania]

Sandeep Awasthi wrote:

Roshni Singhania wrote:
... "piece of paper" is required.. .

Sorry for being blunt. Calling any degree, a piece of paper just because you do not have it, is insult to those many who earned with hard work and their talent. Almost every award is piece of paper. Even 1000 Rs is piece of paper. No it is not piece of paper. It is money right? Then this is also not piece of paper, it is degree which is a proof that you have been evaluated at certain standard and you have qualified for it.

It's ok, why say sorry if you had already decided to be blunt! Anyways, I'd like to sincerely apologize from my side to anyone who might've got offended.. absolutely no offense was intended for anyone.. I was trying to convey something else altogether.. all I was trying to convey in my response was that may be the employers should at least give candidates a fair chance to technically prove that they're as good as another person with a reputed degree from a reputed college. I hope you guys would understand that I never realized/imagined what I was writing would offend anyone, else I would never have written it.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

Roshni Singhania wrote:all I was trying to convey in my response was that may be the employers should at least give candidates a fair chance to technically prove that they're as good as another person with a reputed degree from a reputed college.

The thing is an employer only has so much time. It is faster to interview people will those "reputed" degrees.

[Ashu Upadhyaya]

Yesterday I came to know one of my team member is going to finish MTech from distance edu in 2-years! (Full time MTech also takes 2-years) from one Nagarjuna university. you can try your luck in such universities for that elusive "piece of paper" as I said earlier MSc etc. Just check South Indian universities websites esp from Tamilnadu and Andhra.

Disclaimer: This is just for your info only. Do your due diligence before taking up such courses like these degree may not be recognized by AICTE etc.

[Roshni Singhania]

Hi,

The thing is that I'm currently facing problem because I've done my graduation through Distance Education, as I've mentioned in the first post. So I'm not sure that adding another Distance Education degree will help or not.

[Vishal Hegde]

Even I was planning for MCA , So came around this thread.I know its really late to post..but I have seen people having masters degree and not yet able to tell how Clients and Server Communicate, some dont even know loops and conditional statements or methods and I am talking about Mumbai University. And most of all I have seen people getting marks for their Good Handwriting , whether the answer is right or wrong , it wont matter and all the experts are Coaching Private Computer Institues for High prices.If only the quality of education changes then only India will have more renounced colleges

We are just created Graduates but not quality engineers. Ashu after seeing this I would recommend , just study by experience get certified in java(Oracle Certified)