THE CHANGING ASPECT OF CAREER CHOICES IN INDIA
Children born in the 21st century are on the verge of choosing a career, a lifestyle, a home for their loved ones and their future. With the turning tide of time, the default pathway of selecting a career is no longer relevant.
With white-collar jobs on the rise, there are unusual yet trending career options that are becoming popular among the young. Some of them are renowned professions from the developed world, whereas others are on a steep rise as earning options among the Indian youth.
FEW INSTANCES FIRST
1. Ethical Hacking
Ethical hacking is the process of resisting any potential threat or breach by an individual or network for the protection of valuable data. In internet slang, these hackers are referred to as “White Hats”. Many college students pursue this as a career option. Almost all public and private sector agencies with information and complex data solutions seek the services of a skilled hacker to prevent breaches or loss of data.
There are educational institutions mentioned below that provide the required training in the field of ethical hacking. The list includes –
- Indian School of Ethical Hacking
- Institute of Information Security
And many private courses by hackers themselves!
It is growing as a good career option with incomes ranging from 12 to 80 lakhs P.A.
2. Puppetry
The art form, with its origin dating back 4000 years, was once on the verge of extinction. However, thanks to the ever-eager millennial generation, the art witnessed its reincarnation from a dying art form to an academic subject that also ended up as a career option. With the digital age, people have a way to showcase their talent on the world stage.
Many institutions have started providing certificate courses in puppetry. One such course is provided by Mumbai University and by many other private certificate course institutes.
3. Spa Management
Spa management courses are available in a variety of forms that include management of a spa as well as spa techniques. It is available as an academic degree/diploma course in many colleges and universities. People who are good with the relevant techniques, leadership skills and have a knack for management could pursue spa management.
The list of institutes for spa management includes:
- Orient Spa Academy
- Ananda Spa Institute
The average income in spa management ranges from 24K to 30K a month.
4. Food Flavorist
Food Flavorist, or more commonly known as food chemists, are people who flavour or basically engineer the natural or artificial flavour to any specific food to tweak its taste. In order to have a career in this field, a degree or specialization with a chemistry background is preferable. The following are the institutes that provide the specialization:
- University of Delhi
- St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
- Women’s Christian College, Chennai
- Presidency, Kolkata
5. Data Scientist
Data science is an interdisciplinary field of complex data solutions, whereas data scientists are the professionals who deal with complex data using mathematical, statistical and computer science operations to come up with user-friendly progressive data.
They are mainly in demand with industries such as retail, medicine, banking, finance, etc.
The salary for data scientists ranges from 347K to 2M P.A.
6. Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of ageing with all its symptoms, factors and problems. Professionals in this field study and try to find ways to tackle the social, emotional, physical and physiological aspects of ageing.
Gerontologists serve as social workers, nursing aides, social scientists and healthcare managers, working with older adults or as advocates for the elderly. Nurses, occupational therapists, and other healthcare providers can also benefit from degrees in gerontology.
The following institutes provide academic qualification in gerontology:
- National Institute of Social Defence (NISD)
- Tata Institutes of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
- Indian Institute of Counselling
The salary range in this profession is 393k to 1M
CONCLUSION: GLOBAL INFLUENCE AND DIGITAL WORLD
With exposure to the digital world, people have access to information and lucrative opportunities. This henceforth brings new and alternative career choices alongside white-collar jobs. Similar to the career options mentioned above, other careers that are trending among young people are being a Body painter, Social Media Manager, Ayurvedic Healer, Tea Taster, Voice-over Artist and the list goes on.
Other similar careers such as Ocularist, Hippotherapist, Bounty Hunter and Acupuncturist may bring in fewer clients but a higher income. With the time’s rising demands, and the fight to sustain these demands, people provide a number of services with ideas imported from all over the globe. Gone are the days with limited careers and dependence on the traditional options for livelihood.
Today a career can be virtually plucked out of thin air. The only limit is your imagination. If you let it fly then the world of opportunities becomes your playing field.
