There is Reward in the Risk

Author Jim Rohn once said, "If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary." We all face some kind of risk every day. It could be associated with every job, all in the name of getting something to sustain one's family and fulfill life's desires. However, in some instances, the risk is not by design. It is unavoidable as it is the nature of the job. Such risk factors may put one's life on the line, like in case of soldiers, who fight wars or media persons who are attacked for covering scams or frauds.

Here are few risk takers who have the skills and the passion to face danger every day as a part of their job profile and as a reward, they get paid for doing what they love to do.

DIVE AWAY
Diving for a living is not the same as diving in a pool. Exploring a diverse and the least understood environments on earth, several feet under the sea is quite a challenge says scuba diver Aaron Fernandes

I was introduced to diving in 2006 at Pulau Tioman Island. At first, I was terrified, but after a safety brief I realised that all I had to do was keep the regulator in my mouth and breathe. In minutes, I was in a completely different world, surrounded by corals and fish of different colours, shapes and sizes. That got me hooked. I loved it so much that I let go of the fun filled life on the cruise and decided to become a professional diver. Today armed with Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certification I can dive anywhere in the world.

To become a diver you begin with basic open water and advanced open water certification. You can choose from specialties like drift, wreck, photography, night, peak performance buoyancy, enriched air or nitrox, fish identification and search and rescue. To go professional one has to complete EFR (Emergency First Aid Responder) and Rescue Diver Course as well. These courses are fun but can be grueling as you train through various simulated scenarios in the classroom, pool and then in the ocean. You will also be trained in helping multiple victims, giving first aid to injured, planning a search and rescue ops etc. These sessions are called 'War Games' which instructors conduct on unsuspecting candidates who are expected to remember each and every thing they have learnt during theory sessions. Aspirants have the choice to take up courses which train them to be a dive master, assistant instructor and instructor and all the way up to staff instructor and course director which teaches you the business and training aspects of scuba diving.

Diving is safe as long as you stay in your limits and remember not to sleep during those important theory sessions. At this one dive in Malaysia, at a depth of around 20 meters, I was so engrossed in taking pictures that I forgot to check my air gauge which read 15 Bar. You normally end your dive if your gauge reads 50 Bar. So after a bit of a panic moment all the training I had received kicked in. I signaled my buddy that I am low on air. I swapped with his spare regulator (octopus) signal and ascended to the surface calmly.

Although this is a fun job which pays you well as it's a luxury sport, at the end of it you have to remember that you are responsible for people's lives. There are a lot of guidelines that one need to follow, sense of responsibility and good judgment are top must-haves.

HEART TO HEART
The impact of cardiac treatment is so dramatic that you can make a virtually dead patient alive in hours and that is the most satisfying aspect of cardiac speciality, says Dr Ramakanta Panda, vice chairman and managing director, Asian Heart Institute

I was in high school when the world first witnessed a heart transplant. It was big news everywhere. From that moment I dreamt of becoming a cardiac surgeon. During my MBBS, heart surgery was considered the most complex of all surgeries so I was aware of its complexity but I also knew the field had tremendous scope in India. From then on it's a dream I am living.

To be a cardiac surgeon one needs cardiac training which is very long and tough. After MBBS, I continued my cardiac surgery training from AIIMS, New Delhi and then three years of further training at Cleveland Clinic, USA.

Cardiac surgeons are scrutinised and challenged everyday but it comes with the job. Often we deal with life and death situation and there is no room for errors. But due to long years of training under the guidance of senior doctors, treating a patient on your own doesn't scare you as much. Most of the heart operations that I handle are complex and I find myself dealing with patients whose life is at risk almost every day. For instance, I recently operated on a patient who had a ruptured heart. Any delay would have caused death. It was a complex operation, but within 24 hours he was out of danger, alive and talking.

Cardiac surgery is the hardest branch of medicine. It is hard work day in- day out. A good cardiologist or cardiac surgeon, on an average works around 11-14 hours a day. But this comes with a reward; the pay packages are very good starting from Rs 2-3 lakh rupees per month to Rs 15-20 lakh if you are an extremely good cardiologist. If you are doing private practice the charges can be much higher.

SKY FIGHT
There is no completion to training, learning and being tested as a fighter pilot, says Pankaj Chopra

I grew up in Shimla. Ttracking high flying aircraft through their vapour trails in the sky or watching the odd helicopter flying over Shimla was my favourtite thing to do. I would imagine sitting in the cockpit of those aircrafts and flying them. I didn't really plan being a fighter pilot but just followed my passion.

The main route to becoming a fighter pilot is through the National Defense Academy (NDA). One has to pass the NDA competitive exam, the Service Selection Board (SSB) interview and of course the medical exam. Post that follows a three year training programme at NDA where, apart from physical and other forms of training, one also has to complete a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. The flying training begins in the final year where you learn to fly gliders. After NDA, I pursued
training on a basic small propeller trainer aircraft at Bidar and the Jet Trainer aircraft in the Fighter Training Wing at Hyderabad. After that there is a trifurcation into transport, helicopter and fighter streams. I was selected into the fighter stream.

The basic fighter training happened at the Kalaikunda Air Force Base where I trained on the hunter aircraft. Thereafter I was posted to a Gnat fighter squadron. Later I was posted to various places and positions in the course of my career and flew a variety of fighter aircrafts.

Figher flying is an extremely challenging and demanding profession, physically, mentally and emotionally. I have had three close shaves. The first one was in a Gnat aircraft when the brakes failed on landing and I went off the runway. The aircraft was destroyed but I came out alive. The second one was a serious engine problem in a MiG 21 where I managed to land the aircraft. The last one was a severe case of disorientation during night flying over Rajasthan which I just about managed to survive. God has been kind. Jobs like these you need to have some kind of faith.

Becoming a fighter pilot can be very risky but it's all worth it. A fighter pilot's pay scale depends on his rank and work experience. The salary of a newly commissioned Air Force pilot is about Rs 90,000/- per month with other benefits like free accommodation, medical facilities, travel and other perks.

If you aspire to become a fighter pilot just follow your dream. But be prepared for a strict selection process and a demanding career. All in all, a career as a fighter pilot is perhaps the most exciting, thrilling and adventurous way to live one's life. Here, the sky is truly the limit.

CRIME FIGHTER
The most satisfying aspect of working as a HYPERLINK "http://criminologycareers.about.com/od/Work_Environment/a/Day-in-the-life-of-a-police-officer.htm"crime fighter is the unique opportunity to show these people a better way. For this you require excellent judgement, extraordinary courage and the ability to think quickly under pressure, says Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime)

My father was a doctor and since I was the only child I did dabble in medicine post class XII but it didn't really fit so I moved on to do CA. After two years of working with Arthur Anderson, I decided I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to serve the society rather than a corporate. And so I began to prepare for Indian Police Service (IPS) examination.

To be eligible to appear for the IPS exam there are no special requirements as it is part of the Civil Services examination. So if you fulfill the criteria for civil services exams, you qualify for the IPS exam as well. After clearing the exam you will have to meet all the requirements as mandated at the physical tests during the interview. Once selected you receive specialised training in law, trade, psychology, leadership etc. However, do remember the learning never stops, I am learning even today with every case.

Our job is not only to arrest criminals but also to deter crime. We don't just help fight crime; we also aid communities in the aftermath of unfortunate situations. Our aim is to neutralise the terrorists and anti-national forces that threaten our society. There are five aspects of crime that make up my responsibility: terrorism, the underworld, narcotics, cyber crime and economic affairs. In a job like mine, I am exposed to people at their most heightened moments. I see a lot of pain, but at the same time there are things that move me and restore my faith in human nature. There have been many instances where my life has been at risk but this only gives me more courage and makes me determined to make the change.

By enforcing the law and investigating crime, we ensure the safety and security of those in the community we serve. We face challenging and potentially dangerous situations on a regular basis. But at the same time we experience the satisfaction of helping others and making your community a safer place which is much more important than the money you earn.

Fighting crime gives you a career high like no other. With unmatched experiences, rewards and excitement every day is a new day with new challenges. In a job like this you get to meet a whole gamut of people - high and mighty, poor and downtrodden, and the satisfaction you draw from helping them, solving their problems is massive.