Not too long ago, choosing a traditional career was the only option for a safe and promising future. Now, there are many offbeat options that provide benefits of a road less travelled. Today’s generation has a pool of options to choose from, depending upon its interests, skills and personal characteristics. Unconventional careers are becoming more popular with majority of individuals opting for these challenging opportunities with a will to make an impact in the world.
Most new careers that the GenNext is taking up need a creative bent of mind and are quite demanding, but at the end of the day, extremely fulfilling and satisfying. What exactly has resulted in the shift of preferences is that youngsters these days want to make a career in something they are passionate about, and are willing to accept challenges and risk.
And with the evolving digital economy, the job market has seen a radical shift in what are considered to be jobs that people do for a living. There has also been a shift in the mindset of people, from when the sole purpose of education was to gain knowledge and secure a job. The needs for niche skills, specialisation in different streams of curriculum and global exposure through affiliations with different countries are the factors fuelling the education sector. Here are some offbeat courses with great potential:
Allied Health Sciences
The need to apply science and technology in healthcare is making way for new avenues in Health Sciences. In a high-tech world of modern healthcare, the need for a team approach in sustaining life is essential and it takes people with varying skills and expertise to form that team. The courses help students choose exactly which micro area they would like to focus on. Students can study Nuclear Medicine Technology, Medical Imaging Technology, Virus Research, etc. A few other areas that are gaining global recognition are Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech Language Therapy, Community Physiotherapy and Adult Respiratory Care.
Offering different choices helps students widen their horizon and select only the area they are interested in as against studying something that they are not passionate about. Path-breaking ideas are bringing about countless benefits in the world of Science, providing quality education to strengthen innovation capacity of the youth.
Regenerative Wellness
An increased level of stress is pushing people to take better care of their health and lead a better quality of life. When it comes to health, people are open to studying newer areas of medicine that were previously dormant. The promising field of regenerative medicine is working to restore the very structure of damaged tissues and organs. It also works to create solutions for organs that become permanently damaged. Courses in regenerative medicine lay a lot of importance on research and practical knowledge along with theory. There is a plethora of careers in the medical field that can be interesting, rewarding and fun.
International Relations
As our world becomes smaller and smaller through communication technology and a complex international economy, the value of peaceful relationships between nations is gaining importance. Understanding of complex inter-relationships, profound knowledge of other countries, political systems and different mentalities, and the ability to combine this knowledge are some of the pre-requisites to have a successful career in Geopolitics and International Relations.
Public Health
The need to keep communities safe and healthy is a priority, and public health professionals are a growing requirement. Working to improve the overall health of communities through research, regulation, education and high-quality, accessible healthcare can be a highly rewarding career for people who are interested in serving their community. Community Development, Occupational Health, Medical and Psychiatric Social Work are not only great career options, but also help the larger community.
European & Gandhian Peace Studies
A keen interest in European culture and heritage can now be pursued through doing a course in European Studies. Similarly, studying Gandhian discourse in length to spread Gandhian values, principles and philosophy is attracting scholars from different parts of the world.
Geographical boundaries have faded away and the Indian job market has emerged as a promising one with new fields and different job profiles for millions of job seekers. It is now more than ever that educational institutions are opening up to new branches with each passing day. In the age of information and Internet, it is possible for anybody who is talented or has the knowledge to make it big. Youngsters should bravely take up anything that interests them and if they truly put in their best efforts and hard work, success will surely come their way. India has a diverse talent pool that is ready to take risks and think out-of-the-box, now the onus is on educational institutions to encourage their thirst for knowledge and help them grow in their areas of interest.
(The author is director of admissions, Manipal University, Manipal)
Published 07 June 2017, 17:31 IST