Taking a diversion from the mainstream career options considered ‘safe’ by most Indian families, youngsters from all walks of life are taking a step forward to explore more than just the medical, law or Government jobs. Delhi and Mumbai universities are two such examples where the student intake for commerce and arts subject overtakes the admissions for sciences stream. A career in journalism, creative arts, theatre, hotel management or other like-minded fields is no longer looked at with suspicion. There is a growing demand and youngsters are looking at creating a niche even in these areas of work.
A case in point being that this year the first year junior colleges affiliated to Mumbai University saw a rise of 2-3% in arts stream intake while that of the science stream fell by couple by few points. The change is coming up with a change in perception towards arts stream which was seen as a weaker stream in education sector, an alternative for students not scoring enough to make it to the coveted science streams. “things are changing now, brilliant students with high scores are taking arts right at school level itself, it is not a stream for weak scoring students anymore. There is a growing respect for careers related to the stream as well therefore there are more options for students to explore these days than ever before”, stated Manoj Sharma a career counselor working with aspiring students across India.
The trend is spreading at the higher education level as well. “I was an engineering student straight out of school but later I decided that the stress of strenuous curriculum was taking a toll on my mental space and I wanted to do more than just a regular job so instead of pursuing a post graduation degree in engineering I decided to take up media studies and passed out as a PR person at the end of my graduation. I now work with a noted politician as a PR personnel counseling on building PR strategies. It is way more informative and I find my self in the midst of all political action in the city thereby learning more about my society than a desk job could have taught me”, Karan Singh told the reporter when asked about his decision to switch from engineering to Public relations.
Youngsters feel the need to explore more in present times where the internet and social media has opened their minds to possibilities of experimenting with niche skill building and doing more than just earning a livelihood. “ I wanted to understand my society better in terms of its history and politics so that I can help contribute to the process of nation building better. It is better to be informed about our country and society we live in if we want to work for its upliftment. Humanity as a stream gives us that power to think comprehend and then resolve social issues with better insight than any other stream. I want to start an NGO later but before that I want to understand the fabric of our country better therefore I chose to pursue history at the under graduation level and now that I have completed my masters in sociology i will work at a place that will give me the space to interact with the issues faced by women and children in our cities”, stated Mansi Verma a recently graduate student from Pune who wishes to pursue a career in social services despite a strong family background of doctors who did try to pursue her to take up medical studies post 10th standard.
Most people today are looking beyond the pay packages; they are looking at a career, which teach them more than just academics. “ I decided to become a chef while pursuing an internship with a food chain after 12th. It was a fascinating experience. I studied commerce in the 12th but that was not a hindrance when I decided to take on hotel management after school. I graduated as a chef and have been working at a leading restaurant in Australia for the last 3 years now and I love my job”, Tarun narrated his experience of changing his streams and taking a new road to success. In his 20s now Tarun hopes to open a niche restaurant of his own by then time he reaches his 30s.
The trend is helping in not just revamping social mindsets towards jobs and education it is also helping people pursue their hobbies as a career in the long run. While this thought holds true in most urban centers the trend is still far from diminishing the lure of pursuing conventional careers including MBAs. The trend is new and developing and though not very widespread yet it will in time pursue students and their families to explore new courses and build new work profiles as well. It is a step in the right direction.
