JOIN USChoosing a career path is one of the most important decisions in a student’s life. While there are some who have already made a carefully thought-out decision, there are many who often get lost in the career maze.
Making the right choices while stepping up the ladder is the key ingredient for success, and it is thus imperative that an informed decision be made for the future — one that is based on facts, trends and logic.
A recent research on students indicated that 83% were targeting one of the several traditional career options — Engineering, Medicine, Management, CA, Civil Services, Computer Application and Law.
This figure raises a question as to why, when we are at the dawn of a different information age with so many career options for students, parents still want their children to pursue conventional careers. One of the major reasons for this is sheer lack of awareness.
Moreover, the pressure from parents and family influences the decision making capacity of a student. The Humanities and Social Sciences careers have been ignored by the generation that is jostling towards top engineering and medical colleges. However, things are fast changing.
Today, there are umpteen options available in Humanities and Social Sciences that students can choose from. In the recent years, Social Sciences have surpassed boundaries to integrate themselves into different fields. It was not long ago that Science and Commerce were the popular choices for students picking streams in Class 11, solely on the basis of the ‘scope’ they offered.
However, with time, this mindset has changed. Moving ahead with a positive outlook to explore the domain, students are looking at subjects such as Political Science, History, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, English, Philosophy etc, which have been widely pursued for a long time and find base in almost all reputed universities in India and abroad. These students may find opportunities to work across industries, academia, publishing, research, teaching, government and policy making.
Besides, an undergraduate degree in one of these subjects opens horizons to experiment with unconventional subjects while pursuing Masters and easily create a multi-disciplinary approach. A lot of people who wish to make a career in performing arts, applied arts or sports also choose this option and side by side continue with their professional training.
International Relations, Development Studies, Peace Building, Anthropology, Archaeology, LLB-LLM, Media, Journalism and Social Work are some of the widely pursued and highly acclaimed postgraduation courses that offer competitive pay and job satisfaction. Interestingly, Social Sciences and Social Work students, today, face significantly greater challenges in the course of their education and work (as compared to other programmes) that greatly contribute to their personal development.
Students looking at design subjects including Interior Designing, Jewellery Designing, Footwear Designing, Product Designing and Fashion Designing offer another set of possibilities for those who are skilled in the art of designing.
Pursuing Humanities at the +2 level, along with honing one’s free-hand drawing skills, could be a smart move to prepare for the future. Other interesting new age careers are Fashion Communication, Fashion Journalism, Fashion Styling and Image Consulting.
Unexplored options
Apart from options like Journalism, Mass Communication and Law, students today are looking at careers like Public Health, Disaster Management, Wildlife Conservation, Habitat Conservation and Policy Making. Among these, Public Health Entomology, a study of widespread epidemics and how to prevent them, and Habitat Policy Making, study and practice of improving habitats of all species in an ecosystem, are the two careers that seem to be on the rise.
Out of all the career options in Social Sciences and Humanities, the most upcoming trend in India is that of social work. A career in social work upon completion of Masters in Social Work (MSW), Bachelor of Elementary Education (BElEd), Development Studies, Gender Studies, or any associated subject can provide opportunities to wear a lot of hats and take on many responsibilities.
One can grow within the organisation and approach executive directorship through different departments including fundraising, programme development, volunteer management, community organising, and marketing. The not-for-profit sector allows an individual to work for a cause that they are passionate about and actually make a difference in the society.
An allied field, which brings about the best of education in Psychology and Social Services together is that of Special Educators, who work with students with a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical challenges. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math to students with special needs. They also teach basic skills, such as communication techniques, to such students, depending on their requirement.
It is true that students should be allowed to pursue their passions as professions. It is only then we will see a nation where children are able to realise their unique potential and excel in their chosen endeavour.
(The author is founder, Mindler, New Delhi)