Column

When we were growing up in the 70s, career choices were so limited. A good student could either try to be a doctor or an engineer.

There were just a handful of IITs and a few regional engineering colleges. In Odisha, there were just three government medical colleges. No one had heard about private medical or engineering colleges. The other option was to try for all India services like the IAS, IPS and others or go for jobs available with public sector banks and companies like SAIL, NTPC among others. One could also join educational institutes to take up teaching as a career.

If one could not get into the above streams, his future was quite bleak. Commerce stream was generally looked down and so was the case with law as a career. Indian private sector was so miniscule and firmly family held that it could hardly offer jobs. I remember that first choice of parents for a prospective son-in-law for their daughter was someone working in the government, even as a peon, mainly for the security of tenure and permanence that such a job offered.

Back then, no one could imagine that one could make a worthwhile career in so many fields. With opening up of the Indian economy and rapid economic growth, career choices have multiplied. So many options have opened up in last few decades.

The private sector, both in the manufacturing and services, has surged forward and created attractive job options. The computer boom has unfolded newer, exciting jobs. Several new areas such as 24/7 news and entertainment TV channels, movies, documentaries and various technical jobs such as photography, videography, sound-recording, editing and reality shows among others have emerged which provide attractive and satisfying jobs to the youth to realise their potential.

Even as a chef, one can earn attractively and become a page three celebrity. Fashion designing, art, fitness, nutrition, yoga and gardening are areas which put one in the limelight and assure big bucks. The demand for qualified personnel in fields such as HR, marketing and engineering in private sector is growing from year to year. Job opportunities are booming in diverse areas and pay packages are getting better.

As parents we need to identify areas where our children show an abiding interest and guide them accordingly, rather than forcing on them the stereotype choices. It is not necessary for a good student to become a doctor, an engineer or join IAS.

Similarly, it is not necessary to excel in academics to join an exciting and rewarding career. In the long journey of life, inclination and capacity to work hard are important attributes for success than mere higher percentage in conventional exams.

Career counselors can also help in making an appropriate choice. As the country marches forward and as our lifestyle keeps changing, newer and more jobs would keep getting added to the employment market. The job market in India would only get more exciting from here.

The author is municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad