A student who has completed class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Math is called a PCM student. It is one of the most popular combinations of subjects usually taken up by students, owing to its huge career opportunities.
As a PCM student, you must have heard this multiple times in your life and can still be confused about navigating your career after boards. Well, this confusion is normal and it is nothing to worry about. All you have to do is analyze the various available options and make a decision.
In this article, I will list the best career options you can consider and make a decision that can work in your favor.
10 Best Career Options After 12th PCM
1. Architect
If you are looking for a career where you can do something new every day, this one is for you. An Architect is someone who designs and sets the blueprint for a building. But it is not only limited to that, an Architect also takes part in overseeing the construction and also makes sure the site surrounding the building is taken care of too.
Eligibility Criteria
If you wish to become an Architect, you need to keep the below points in mind.
- You must secure a minimum of 50% in your class XII.
- A student must crack the NATA or National Aptitude Test in Architecture or the JEE Mains to proceed further.
Role & Responsibilities
The profession of an architect is filled with multiple roles and responsibilities, some of which are as follows.
- Designing eye-pleasing yet safe building plans.
- Helping the clients with a budget.
- Manage the construction, which includes site visits.
- This role entails a collaborative work approach with the engineers, construction workers, and sometimes the marketing team.
Average Salary
As an architect, your salary will mostly depend on how well you build your brand or establish your credibility. However, to give you an idea, the average salary usually ranges from ₹ 2.5 Lakhs to ₹ 24.4 Lakhs and more.
2. Aerospace Engineer
If you are someone who is always fascinated by the journey to beyond or in flights in general, this can be an ideal profession for you. An Aerospace Engineer deals with the building, structure design, and manufacturing of technologies that help in building aircraft and spacecraft. Being an Aerospace Engineer will also help you greatly in contributing to our country’s development.
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria to pursue Aerospace Engineering are quite which are as follows:
- A student must secure a minimum of 45%.
- To be considered eligible, a student must sit for the AME CET exam.
Role & Responsibilities
As an Aerospace Engineer, your job role will involve various responsibilities. You can have an idea of the same with the points below.
- Create designs of the model for testing.
- Ensure that the design meets the criteria of engineering principles.
- Test and document the results to ensure protocols of testing.
- An Aerospace engineer is also responsible for looking after fuel efficiency, and flight safety and working on research to ensure optional use.
- Project management is also a big part of this job role.
Average Salary
There is no set salary for this profession since it will completely depend on the projects you take on. However, you can always be assured that you will never run out of opportunities to secure yourself with this degree financially.
3. Mechanical Engineering
If you are someone who is intrigued by machines or the physics behind how things work, this can be the course for you. Mechanical Engineering is the study of anything that is in motion. So not only does this line have a lot of opportunities, but it also enables you to upgrade yourself.
Eligibility Criteria
- To pursue an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, you must secure a minimum of 50% in your 12th boards.
- You must crack either JEE Mains or sit for university-specific entrance exams to pursue this degree.
Role & Responsibilities
The branch of Mechanical Engineering is considered one of the most important branches and the demand for them is ever-increasing. Owing to the current boost in India’s infrastructure sector and no dearth of projects for the same being, a Mechanical Engineer now can do wonders for your career.
A mechanical engineer is responsible and does the following things.
- A mechanical engineer designs and helps with the layout of a thing. But unlike robotics, it is not limited to a particular genre. A ME is capable of designing beyond a specific genre and can take up robotics, small devices to big power plants.
- Another indispensable function of a mechanical engineer is to analyze the problem at hand and arrive at a solution. They are also in charge of validating the results of a product prototype for further action.
- A mechanical engineer helps with the input of a budget and timeline of a project, which is of critical importance.
- Helping with documentation to avoid any technical challenges.
Average Salary
Needless to say, you won’t have to worry about your financial aspect once you become a Mechanical Engineer since this line of engineering is currently booming with opportunities. However, to give you an idea, you can surely expect it to range between ₹ 1.5 Lakhs to ₹ 8.8 Lakhs minimum.
4. Chemical Engineer
If you are someone who loves chemistry and is intrigued by the compositions of matter, this can be the profession for you. A chemical Engineer is someone who works with chemical manufacturing that is used in various industries and its processes.
Eligibility Criteria
- To pursue chemical engineering, you must pass class XII with a minimum of 50% marks.
- Apart from JEE Mains, different colleges have their specific entrance test in place for you to establish yourself as an eligible candidate.
Role & Responsibilities
The basic idea of being a chemical engineer is to work with raw materials and generate favorable results along with details for research. However, some of their major roles and responsibilities are as follows.
- The primary focus of a Chemical engineer is to research and try to improve the existing product process. Furthermore, perform a chemical and physical analysis of the product.
- They use their knowledge to evolve an existing product or create new ones.
- A chemical engineer lays down the safety protocols for dealing with a wide range of unstable and dangerous chemicals.
- A chemical engineer can work in many fields like pharmaceuticals, and consumer manufacturing, including the environment.
Average Salary
As a chemical engineer, your pay range will depend upon your experience and skills. But to give you an idea, it can range somewhere between ₹3.5 to ₹10 LPA depending on your years of experience.
5. Software Engineer
One of the most traditional yet in-demand lines of engineering is that of a Software Engineer. A software engineer is someone who applies engineering principles in the world of engineering to achieve favorable outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
Like any other engineering degree, you have to keep in mind two things if you wish to become a software engineer, which are as follows.
- You must score a minimum of 50% in your 10+2.
- Furthermore, you have to sit for a college-specific entrance test to pursue this degree.
Role & Responsibilities
Owing to the recent craze of machine learning and our growing dependency on technology, this line of career is not only filled with opportunities but is regarded with high importance too. Let us quickly look at the various roles and responsibilities of a software engineer.
- The foremost duty of a software engineer is to design software to tackle the task at hand.
- Writing and Testing codes to ensure the functionality of software.
- They are also responsible for identifying the bugs in software and engaging in active debugging.
- Writing and maintaining documentation for software applications.
- A software engineer is also responsible for managing the timeline and the resources of a project in hand.
Average Salary
A line like software engineering has no fixed salary. Furthermore, the growing demands of software engineers are not going to subdue anytime soon. So your salary will completely depend on the project you take up or on the area of your expertise.
6. Data Scientist
As the name suggests, If you love numbers and science, this should be your calling in life. A data scientist breathes life into numerical data and tries to arrive at practical solutions with it. A Data scientist is known for their analytical skills to mine and scrap existing data that can be used in favor of a particular situation. It is a newly coined term and is considered one of the most interesting professions of recent times.
Eligibility Criteria
- The eligibility criteria will depend on the data science course you choose. It is ideally a post-graduate degree, but you surely opt for it directly after 12 as a form of undergraduate or diploma degree.
- However, it is always advisable to ensure you score a minimum of 50% to avoid any pre-admission hassle.
Role & Responsibilities
- The most important thing a data scientist does is to analyze data and derive relevant conclusions for the matter at hand.
- A data scientist plays a critical role in solving a problem by analyzing present and historical data to tackle a business challenge.
- With machine learning being the new future, a data scientist will play an indispensable role in shaping its model.
Average Salary
A profession like data scientist and a business’s sole dependence on them makes this line not only important but also financially lucrative. As a data scientist, you can expect a salary within a range of ₹ 4 Lakhs to ₹ 15 Lakhs and more.
7. Robotics Engineer
If you are someone who is into science fiction and wants to make a profession out of it, this might be the career for you. A robotics engineer is someone who designs robots and tries to humanize them so that they can perform human tasks. It is not only a profession that has a lot of opportunities, but is also very interesting and might also enable you to make great discoveries.
Eligibility Criteria
- If you wish to pursue this degree, you must pass your class 12 with a minimum of 50%.
- You have to sit for JEE Mains to pursue this degree, however certain universities have university-specific entrance tests.
Role & Responsibilities
- The most important objective of a robotic engineer is to build a design or prototype for the goal at hand. They are also responsible for designing the software that controls it.
- Next, they ensure that the prototype is stable by testing it, troubleshooting the necessary errors, and ensuring robotic machines operate safely.
- They keep in check not only the safety concerns of a design prototype but also of the entire setup.
- A robotic engineer also ensures that there is always proper maintenance of the designs to ensure smooth functionality.
Average Salary
A profession like this is not only interesting but also helps you make great contributions to society. If you can become a successful robotics engineer you never have to worry about a job opportunity or your salary. However, you can surrey expect something between ₹ 4.5LPA to ₹ 9LPA and much more. It will solely depend on where you work and which project you take up.
8. Pharmacist
If you are interested in the life cycle of a drug along with its composition to elevate its use in society’s favor, this can be the right option for you. A Pharmacist is someone who studies medicine from its inception to consumption.
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a Pharmacist, you must pass your 10+2 with a minimum of 50%. You can check further set of eligibility here.
Role & Responsibilities
A pharmacist plays an important role in keeping in check the medicines that are being produced in our country. They not only help in ensuring the right dosage but keep a check on its compositions too. Some major functions of a Pharmacist are as follows.
- A Pharmacist is trained to store and handle medicines to be dispatched.
- They have in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical analysis.
- A Pharmacist not only offers patient counseling services but also guides with advice on healthy lifestyle choices.
- A Pharmacist is the reason drugs one consumes aid recovery since they ensure all operations comply with laws of composition along with the legalities.
Average Salary
As a Pharmacist, you can expect your salary to range somewhere between ₹3 to ₹6 LPA and more depending on your expertise.
9. Pilot
If you like traveling but are also intrigued about aircraft engines, this is the job for you. A pilot is a highly trained professional that not only navigates an aircraft but also it is handled properly along with ensuring the safety of the passengers and crew members.
Eligibility Criteria
- You must pass your 10+2 to pursue this profession. There is no set cut-off, but it is always safe to keep it within a bracket of a minimum 50%.
- You can either become a commercial pilot by adhering to the medical and eligibility criteria set by DCGA. Furthermore, you can also sit for the AFCAT exam and proceed accordingly.
- You must obtain your flying license before you can join anywhere as a commercial pilot.
Role & Responsibilities
Being a pilot might sound like fun and games, but she/ he is responsible for the safety of the passengers on the flight and is required to stay in constant vigil and a state of ungodly awareness. Here are some of the major roles and responsibilities of a pilot.
- Apart from ensuring the safety of the flight, they must always be in touch with the air traffic control.
- It is their duty to figure out optimal air routes and plan as per the weather conditions.
- They need to make sure the emergency protocols are in place and their functionality has been ensured.
- A pilot should always be in touch with his team and should brief the cabin crew as per the conditions.
Average Salary
Being a pilot is always a lucrative and interesting career. Not only that, it is also a high-paying and versatile profession. If you become a pilot, you can expect a salary of ₹70,000 minimum, and it will only increase with your experience.
Additional Info
It is not mandatory for you to only consider the above courses in this article to make a decision. The article only aims to help you in easing your confusion, rather than making a decision for you.
You can surely opt for any course that you feel like, furthermore, you can also opt for the MBBS degree and can become a Doctor if you wish to. As per the latest update, a student without Biology in their 10+2 can also sit for NEET to pursue an MBBS degree.
If you are someone who is intrigued by computers, you can always opt for a BCA or Bachelor of Computer Applications to add innovations to your career through computers.
Moreover, it is fine if you want to do something completely different that doesn’t align at all with your choice of subject in class XII. The idea of passing your class XII is to make you ready for a higher level of education, sometimes regardless of the subject. The idea is to find a suitable career, but how do you know which career is suitable, let us quickly find out through the below points.
How To Choose The Right Career Option After 12th PCM?
Knowing what each profession is about, doesn’t solve the confusion of which is the ideal one for you. Honestly, there is no ideal career since it is completely a personal choice and less of a data-driven one.
Furthermore, different people have different aspirations and goals for their careers.
So firstly, you need to decide what do you want out of your career. Do you want to pursue knowledge, or are you looking for something else? It can also be the case that you are completely looking for a professional shift, where you wish to earn money and build your life.
So once you are clear on this perspective, you can surely decide what you want your career to look like. However, if in case you are not in a situation or a position to let go of the financial aspect of a career, you can look for courses as discussed above, which will most definitely help you elevate your financial situation.
So deciding on an ideal career depends on the person, but you can surely look after a few things that will ensure you get the optimal result out of your choice.
Firstly, you need to make sure that you are interested in doing what the career you have decided to demands you to do. Secondly, you have to make sure it is aligned with the goal that you have for your future.
If you have these two things figured out, you won’t have much of an issue deciding the right career for you, and most importantly, pursuing it relentlessly.
Conclusion
As I have told you before, the idea of this article was to not decide for you, but to help you with your decision.
I hope reading about the various choices has helped you a bit cleared your head and made your journey easier toward finding the right career for you.
Lastly, all I have to say is whenever you make your decision, make sure you are completely in a clear state of mind under no pressure and no preconceived notion of success or failure.
Just choose the path that you think works the best for you and which you will enjoy pursuing, and be assured everything else will fall into place.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which engineering branch is best for PCM students?
Pursuing engineering in the following courses like civil, electrical, mechanical, and marine can be an optimal choice for PCM students.
2. What are the career prospects for B.Sc graduates?
A B.sc graduate has a lot of career opportunities which include Teaching, being a Scientist, Software developer, Electrician, Food Inspector, and many more.
3. Can PCM students pursue careers in commerce and management?
Yes, a student with PCM background can pursue commerce or even pursue professional courses like BBA and others.
4. What is the scope of a career in architecture after 12th PCM?
Architecture is a profession that will rarely see a dearth in job opportunities. You can be a designer, or architecture engineer, or pursue interior designing and work in the private or public sector.
5. Are there good career opportunities in IT for PCM students?
There are a lot of great career opportunities in IT for PCM students, which include being a Data Engineer, working in software development, data analysis, cybersecurity, and others.
6. How can a PCM student join the defence services?
There are no such subject-specific criteria for one to join the defense services. You can sit for the desired entrance exam (NDA, TES, and others) and pursue it accordingly. However, having PCM is an added advantage in the Air Force since math and physics are mandatory subjects.
7. Is pursuing law a good option after 12th PCM?
If one wishes to be a Lawyer having PCM can be an added advantage since cracking CLAT requires a high level of analytical skills and understanding. Plus, it will also help in a better understanding of the legal studies.
8. What are the advantages of vocational courses for PCM students?
Having a vocational degree will ensure you are ready for the professional world faster than a traditional degree. Furthermore, it will help you with a quick insight about your degree course and line of career and help you make sustainable decisions.
People are also reading: