Many students are confused about their future career plan and worried about the selection of appropriate courses and institutions. So are their parents.
The choice of a right career is highly imperative, as it is about the engagement of around 40 years in his/her future life. The main reason for a havoc in the middle of a career is wrong selection without considering the aptitude and talent of students.
Running after trends without doing a real analysis of a course and job opportunities makes the journey of a student quite uncomfortable. The fuss about some fantasy careers, triggered by ads in the media, promotion in films, peer group influences and others contribute to wrong career selection, which eventually becomes the reason for a lack of employability skills.
It is disappointing that promising careers other than the most sought after options such as medicine or engineering are not properly understood by students and their parents.
In addition to the opportunities in Science, Humanities, and Commerce there are abundant career prospects for courses in Agriculture, Architecture, Business, Chartered Accountancy, Company Secretary, Cost and Management Accountancy, Data Science, Defence, Fisheries, Fashion Design, Footwear Technology, Forestry, Fine Arts, Journalism, Hospitality Management, Library Science, Law, Para-Medical, Nursing, Aviation, Film Industry, Sports, and many more.
Before selecting a particular career, it is always a good idea to get a detailed awareness about the nature of the course, syllabus, and potential job opportunities after the course. Outgoing students, teachers, and career guides can help in this regard.
Unlike conventional courses, new generation study areas are also picking momentum these days.
Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Digital Marketing, Precision Agriculture, Internet of things, Sports management, Renewable Energy, Financial Analysis, User Interface, are some of the many options.
Even if the above courses are not selected as the main study area, the upskilling related to future industry requirements is also mandatory to warrant decent access into the specific job area upon completing formal study. All the resources including online platforms can be prudently used during the course itself for the relevant upskilling process.
Even after selecting a career considering the aptitude, interest, and personality type, intensive and dedicated effort is indispensable for the improvement of soft skills. The job market is looking for prospective employees with excellent people or life skills in addition to the core competency to perform the assigned jobs. Dedicated and consistent efforts to proactively foster these skills can contribute in the moulding of a competent professional. Students having these qualities can outperform others effortlessly during the interview and other selection processes.
Positive results and outcomes can be expected only if proper homework and preparation are done while selecting a career. Teachers and parents can contribute a lot in this regard. (The writer is a certified career guide).